Maternal Justifies Dam’s Purchase In Gai Waterhouse Classic
This was the sixth success for the consistent mare, who on Saturday defeated her stablemate Kinshachi (Commands) by a long head with Banda Spice (Show a Heart) a further two and a quarter lengths back in third place. Race time was 1:22.22 with the final 600 metres covered in 35.55.
Maternal’s mother Divine Madonna, an absolute top draw performer, was purchased by Darley Australia for $2,700,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale in 2008 when carrying her first foal, La Pieta (Redoute’s Choice), who proved no more than useful on the track, winning twice in Sydney and placing in two black type events to earn $170,490.
Sanzio (Redoute’s Choice), a gelding, was Divine Madonna’s second foal. He won three races, placed five times in Sydney and earned $113,895.
Placegetter Secular (Lonhro) was the mare’s third foal before Maternal came along in 2012 and following her are Sydney placegetter Deipara (Lonhro), unraced filly Deity (Exceed and Excel), now a two-year-old, and a now yearling filly by Exceed and Excel (Danehill) which is yet to be named. After missing to a late cover by Sepoy (Elusive Quality) in 2015, Divine Madonna is due to foal in August after her mating with Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado) in 2016.
Divine Madonna, a half-sister to high class, stakes winning sprinter Blessum (Umatilla), was a tough, consistent sprinter/miler who scored the first of her eight career victories over 1000 metres as a two-year-old and improved with age to retire as winner of four Group One contests (see accompanying catalogue pedigree) plus third placings in two more, the 2007 AJC Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) behind Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus) and the 2007 STC Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) to Tuesday Joy (Carnegie).
Also a half-sister to Adelaide winner Pieta (Clay Hero), dam of multiple stakes winner Angel of Mercy (Hussonet), Divine Madonna is out of My Madonna (Prego), a winner of three races up to 1400 metres and dam of seven winners overall as well as being a half-sister to SAJC Oaklands Plate (Listed, 1000m) winner Regent Issue (New Regent).
Like recent Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Redzel (Snitzel), Divine Madonna comes from a New Zealand family introduced to South Australia in the 1960s by the Neck family with the importation of her third dam Countess Wynyard (Pakistan II).
The Necks bred Maternal’s third dam Blonde Dancer (Chamozzle) and stood her sire at their stud in the Adelaide Hills. Blonde Dancer was a sister to Count Wynyard (Chamozzle), winner of the SAJC South Australia Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) who, with Rumpus Room (Chamozzle), were the best of five stakes winners left by Chamozzle (Hul a Hul), winner at two years in Ireland of the Curragh National Stakes (now Gr 1, 7f).
Divine Madonna’s sire Hurricane Sky (Star Watch) was an outstanding two-year-old and sprinter/miler, winner of the 1994 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the 1995 All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). Hurricane Sky did well at stud, leaving other Group One winners in Desert Eagle, Desert Sky and River Dove plus 13 other black type winners.
Prego (Be My Guest), maternal grandsire of Divine Madonna, also had his share of success as a sire in NSW with crack sprinter Primacy (four Group One wins) the best of his 17 black type winners.
Maternal’s champion sire Street Cry (Machiavellian), now deceased, seems set to finish second to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) on the Australian general sires’ list this season.Champion Winx has contributed more than $6,000,000 of his prize money total for 2016/17 which currently stands at more than $13,800,000.
Street Cry has made a tremendous contribution to Australian breeding with sons and grandsons Street Boss (Street Cry), Pride of Dubai (Street Cry) and Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) likely to extend his influence in coming seasons along with many broodmare daughters.
Last Saturday, too, Street Cry’s best racing son, Street Sense, had another stakes winner in Queensland with Self Sense a dominant winner of the Ipswich Cup (Listed, 2150m).
Maternal is an outcross to five generations but further back, in keeping with many good fillies and mares, she carries duplications of influential producer Almahmoud (Mahmoud) and her even more famous daughter Natalma (Native Dancer) while among stallions duplicated in her background are Petition (Fair Trial), Palestine (Fair Trial) and Nasrullah (Nearco) giving Maternal a great build up of the blood of Lady Josephine in her background.