Developing a Broodbitch

Pedigree research can sometimes be a boring pursuit, certainly for those who are forced to listen (and learn) the intricacies of what goes into producing a fine greyhound, a top class galloper, or even a champion.

Not everyone is willing to share the joy when you feel you have indeed found the secret to success ... if only fleetingly. Certainly my wife must have selective deafness, or at least developed partial deafness, such is the number of pedigree analyses she is subjected to. Boring, for sure.

But not everyone feels that way. And when you come across a pedigree that excites, then sometimes you just have to share that. Sam Sultana has a couple of potential stars in his kennel in Sydney. They are litter sisters called Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa, by Bombastic Shiraz-Viva Odessa by History Lesson.

To say they are the product of close in-breeding and judicious line breeding is an understatement even for me who is a proponent of both forms of pedigree manipulation to help a greyhound run. Both bitches are showing above average ability, both having already won at Wentworth Park from limited race starts and there is certainly much improvement to come. Sam Sultana is a leader in the training ranks, can keep a dog sound and up to its best, and get them to the top.

He's been doing that for years. Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa look set for successful careers... and their future at stud could also be assured. The bitches were bred and are raced by Julie Healey. This is their pedigree:

The highlights of this pedigree include the 3x3 duplication through two daughters of speed influence Malawi's Prince. It was a no brainer for Julie Healey to put Viva Odessa to Bombastic Shiraz. Julie may or may not have taken notice of the blistering pace of Super Hornet, the Ipswich Gold Cup winner. Ray and Mary Burman's former star galloper Super Hornet was bred exactly this way being by Bombastic Shiraz-Up And Down by Yo Yo's Boy.

Up And Down and Viva Odessa are both by sons of Credibility, and trace directly on the tail female line to full sisters, Chariot's Desire in the case of Super Hornet, and Houston Star in the case of Viva Odessa. Both have Malawi's Prince as their damsire. So Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa are virtual blood sisters to Super Hornet. Copying successful pedigrees can often be a recipe for success.

Before I get any further, I have to touch on the ability of Viva Odessa, dam of Sam Sultana and Julie Healey's promising duo. The daughter of History Lesson-Odessa Lass raced just five times during the latter part of 2006. She won twice, at Taree, and was unplaced at Wauchope, Taree and The Gardens... hardly the stuff of great broodbitches.

That might be the case. And I for one will ALWAYS push for the use of city winning bitches at stud ahead of non city-winners. The figures show they continue to outperform those bitches that did not win at Albion Park on a Thursday night, Wenty on Saturday or Monday, The Meadows on Saturday nights, Sandown on Thursdays, and Angle Park on Thursday nights.

But, Viva Odessa obviously had ability. She started raging hot favourite in every one of those five race starts. She also won a qualifying at Richmond over 535m in 31.13 on debut without having the benefit of a look at the track. After five race starts, Viva Odessa was "skinned" on a hind leg at The Gardens and Julie was having none of that.

The 25kg bitch was immediately retired. But she went to stud with credentials. Her litter brother Captain Odessa was a star for the Sultana kennel in 2005 and 2006. He was runner-up in the Group 1 Silver Chief and a finalist in The Temlee and Australian Cup. He was a multiple, and fast, city winner running 29.72 around The Meadows.

Julie Healey knows only too well the ability Viva Odessa had. "We raced and bred the mother Odessa Lass who won the Inca Maiden at Richmond and five at Wentworth Park," said julie. "Her first litter to Head Honcho included Mr Odessa who broke Star Title's (unbreakable) Wyong track record. Another brother Blue Paragon broke three track records in New Zealand.

"The second, and last, litter from Odessa Lass was to History Lesson and included Captain Odessa and Viva Odessa. When Viva Odessa was a maiden, she trialled against Clark Kent a dog we had who won 32 races. Clark Kent beat Viva Odessa a neck in a trial at Taree and ran 22.10. The track record at the time was 22.08, and Viva Odessa led Clark Kent in the back straight. He had won 27 races by that time.

"The times Viva Odessa could run on the trial track were phenomenal."

So what is it that makes dam Viva Odessa tick at stud ... apart from her obvious ability and her successful damline? Firstly, she is in-bred 3x3 to the full brother and sister Shining Chariot and Huston Star. Both are by Chariot Supreme-Shining Light. Crossing Shining Chariot with his other full sister Centrefire (dam of Light Of Fire) has been a HUGE success.

Odessa Lass, dam of Viva Odessa, also carries a cross of Bowetzel through her sire Malawi's Prince who is out of a daughter of Bowetzel. This means Viva Odessa carries three duplications of Princess Diro, that most famous of broodbitches who is able to be duplicated time and time again in a pedigree. Bombastic Shiraz's success has been largely due to this. Many of his best progeny carry Awesome Assassin (a son of Light Of Fire).

When it came to mating Viva Odessa, Bombastic Shiraz was a natural. It not only brought in that 3x3 duplication of Malawi's Prince through two daughters, but much more of the Princess Diro damline through Bombastic Shiraz's dam Bombastic Blonde.

Bombastic Blonde is a unique broodbitch. She has two crosses of Bowetzel and one of his half sister Shining Light. Genetic influence does not come on a direct path in a pedigree, but tends to zig zag about. If genetic influence did come directly, then every son of Brett Lee would be 29kgs, black, and able to run like the wind, every daughter of Flying Amy would be red brindle with a electricity about her and able to show the sort of blistering pace even Ronny Ball dreams about getting these days. If you look at Bombastic Blonde's pedigree, you will see her influence runs along a zig zag path to Princess Diro on both sides of her pedigree. Here is her pedigree:

To be a success at stud, Bombastic Blonde did not have to be able to run, even though she did win two races at Sandown. Brother Fox and Acacia Park's dam Pitstock Park was in-bred 3x2 to half brothers but her pedigree ran via a zig zag pattern to legend broodbitch Elsie Moss. Pitstock Park herself could run. But, like Bombastic Blonde, she carried a saturation along her most influential lines of one of the truly great broodbitches this country has seen.

(I believe in the next decade there will be a truly great broodbitch that will be in-bred in a similar pattern to a famous bitch like Wee Sal, or Flying Amy, or one of the Osti Lee bitches, or even a bitch like Roxy Reason. In Wee Sal's case this will happen through Brett Lee and his half brother Big Daddy Cool... but we'll have to wait for a few years for that to happen. Cosmic Rumble, who has Brett Lee as his damsire, could be an ideal stud dog prospect.)

So when Viva Odessa went to Bombastic Shiraz, the primary line in the resultant progeny (Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa) traced in a zig zag pattern to Princess Diro on both sides of the pedigree. Viva Odessa has a litter by Where's Pedro just a few months old. The three crosses of the Osti Lee damline in the resultant pups augurs well for great success. All have been sold, says Julie. Viva Odessa is likely to go back to Bombastic Shiraz ... more success.

Breeding with Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa will be furtherest from Julie Healey's mind at the moment. The bitches have only just started their race careers and there is much to look forward to. But I for one would like to see either of these bitches go to a young stud dog called Mogambo (Where's Pedro-Zarbo by Bright Ebony). He had blistering pace but the best was probably not seen of him because of injury woes.

Why should Odessa Shiraz or Supreme Odessa be mated to Mogambo? If you follow the zig zag principal that traced directly to Princess Diro to produce both these bitches, then Mogambo again brings this into the mix. Pups from a Mogambo-Odessa Shiraz mating will run to Shining Light in Mogambo pedigree, and to Bowetzel in Odessa Shiraz. Shining Light and Bowetzel are both out of Princess Diro.

But there are a couple of added bonuses to be picked up in such a mating.

History Lesson is a son of Shadow Osti (Shining Chariot-Osti's Shadow). Where's Pedro, sire of Mogambo, carries a duplication of the Osti Lee damline including Paris Match (Brother Fox-Osti's Shadow). Mogambo's dam Zarbo has as her grandsire Osti's Idol who is yet another from the Osti Lee damline. The Osti Lee damline is yet another that works exceptionally well when it is duplicated within a pedigree. But, as the carpet sale advert would say, there's more!

Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa both carry a duplication of Shining Chariot (through daughters). Zarbo, dam of Mogambo, carries a duplication of Shining Chariot in her pedigree, through a daughter and a son. Shining Chariot will be beautifully balanced in the resultant pedigree.

And again, there will also be a duplication, and sex balance, to Ginger 5x4. The fact Ginger is sex balanced and comes in through the pedigree of Mogambo is very important. The 3x3 duplication of Malawi's Prince through two daughters in Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa, means for them to be a success they must mate a stud dog that carries an ancestor either side of these Malawi's Prince duplications.

(When High Earner, another with a 3x3 daughter duplication of Malawi's Prince in his pedigree, goes to stud, he will cry out for bitches with Ginger in their pedigree.)

This means influences in their pedigree like Ginger, Credibility or even Brother Fox are necessary in the stud dogs Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa mate. Mogambo fulfills this by carrying Ginger through his daughter Clare D'Loon. And the fact the Mogambo-Odessa Shiraz mating would bring in Brother Fox 5x5 top and bottom of the pedigree and sex balanced, is the icing on the cake. If, by the time Odessa Shiraz and Supreme Odessa go to stud, Mogambo has proven himself a quality sire of Group performers, Julie Healey might look at producing a pedigree as above. It might bring in more than just one cake worth eating. The mating possibility: