BREEDERS who look to outcross matings as the salvation of bloodlines should take a good hard look at the pedigree of Susie Sapphire.

The black bitch, by Droopys Jet-Jetsteam Lynx by Zero Ten, will not turn two until November 1.

But, she is the queen of greyhound racing in Ireland having led throughout on Saturday night to win the Group 1 Irish Derby to add to her victory in the Group 1 Irish Oaks and the Group 2 Puppy Oaks.

Her mother was a fine stayer and her sire won the Champion Stakes.

One look at the pedigree will convince most outcross devotees that the latest superstar of Irish racing is an outcross. The first duplication of any ancestor in her pedigree does not come in until the fourth generation and it is through Spiral Nikita whose litter sister Tina Marina was an Irish Derby victor as well.

But first impressions are not always the right impression.

Let's delve into what makes Susie Sapphire the great race bitch she is.

First, her sire Droopys Jet (Slip The Lark-Droopys Mo) is in-bred 3x43 to that great Aussie Top Honcho. Remember, he is a son of Head Honcho who was in-bred 2x3 to the littermates Promises Free and Nation Parade and had four crosses of Temlee in his first four generations.

Droopys Mo was in-bred 3x3 to Murlens Slippy.

Move on to Jetsteam Lynx, dam of the Derby great, and we find she is in-bred 4x3 to Head Honcho and 4x4 to Roanokee ... both of them great Aussie race dogs.

Jetsteam Lynx has a 2x1 cross of Express Mist and Allen Harbour who are both bred on the Head Honcho/Roanokee cross.

So, when we mix Droopys Jet with Jetsteam Lynx we come up with four crosses of hugely in-bred Head Honcho, a double of Spiral Nikita, three crosses of Flashy Sir.

Interesting that the Derby champ's damsire Zero Ten is out of a bitch called Express Mist who just happens to be the third dam of those fine Aussie littermates Carry On Star, Carry On Angel and Carry On Maxwell (Mepunga Blazer-Colden Star) all three of them Group performers in Victoria.

Susie Sapphire will not be two until November 1 but has already started 18 times for 11 wins and three Group victories, including two at the highest level.