Spring Bridge
SPRING Bridge has always shown above average ability.
The June 2016 whelp, by My Bro Fabio from Tina Lee (Brett Lee-Daydream) boasts an incredibly in-bred pedigree one that breeding enthusiasts should take time to study.
Greg and Scott Board bred him and Greg raced him with great success in his new home state of South Australia before sending him to Jason Thompson in Melbourne.
Sunday's victory in the Group 3 Speed Star over 595m was full of merit considering the rain that plagued the race day.
It added to his placings in the Strathalbyn Cup, South Australian Derby and final berths in the Adelaide Cup and Ballarat Cup.
He is an interesting example of the ups and downs of pedigrees.
His dam Tina Lee raced 28 times for just four wins and nine placings. While she was a winner at Geelong and Bendigo, she ended her career in Rockhampton where she twice won over 407m once in smart time.
But, she is royally bred, by legend Brett Lee from G1 National Futurity winner Daydream. Tina Lee came from a litter that included Hay Fergus, four wins from five starts, who was going to be "anything" before breaking down.
Also in the litter was Harry Bailey (37 wins, $48,000) and Deborah Lee (8 wins, $14,000) etc.
Her dam Daydream, the winner of 14 races and almost $100,000 in stakes, produced a number of high class gallopers.
Tina Lee "probably" deserved a litter or two based entirely on her pedigree.
Putting her to My Bro Fabio was virtually like putting brother and sister together.
My Bro Fabio's dominant ancestor in his pedigree is Where's Pedro (Brett Lee-Elusive Rebel by Bobniak). Tina Lee is also by Brett Lee and has Bobniak as the sire of her second dam Stresa.
Thus, Where's Pedro and Tina Lee come into this pedigree 3x1 and they are bred on an identical cross. And, they are positioned to hugely impact upon the resultant offspring.
The 4x2 duplication and balance of Brett Lee in this pedigree match is superb.
But, the commonality of the pedigree match is far from finished there.
The mating brought in a 4x4 cross of Bright Ebony and Chili Berger and they too are bred along almost identical lines They are both by Elle's Commando and their second dams are by the famous half brothers Acacia Park and Brother Fox. And, their third dams are both by Waverly Supreme.
Bright Ebony and Chili Berger come into this pedigree match 4x4 and again positioned to impact with each other.
But, let's not stop there.
Black Shiraz is duplicated in the pedigree 4x5 via sons Primo Uno and Bombastic Shiraz.
But, also in this pedigree is a cross of Golden Currency (sire of Fabio's third dam) and Alice Dooley (in Tina Lee's damline). Golden Currency traces to the famous Jetgoing damline. This is the same direct damline as Temlee.
But, Alice Dooley (dam of Hall of Famer Paua To Burn) is in-bred to this famous damline.
Golden Currency and Alice Dooley come into this pedigree match 5x5.
The result of all this intensity is Spring Bridge.
When he stormed to victory in the Group 3 Speed Star 595m on Sunday, he brought up his career to 17 wins and $81,000.
He comes from a litter of seven named offspring and all have been winners.
They also include Spring Colleen (10 wins).
Pedigree design, and a saturation of common and dominant ancestors, has upgraded Rockhampton class race bitch Tina Lee to produce a Group 1 performer and a 100 percent winning litter.
Yes, she had depth of pedigree via her Group 1 winning dam Daydream, to back up her breeding hopes.
Spring Colleen, obviously, is a prospective broodbitch. So what should she be mated to?
Just about anything. The intensity in her pedigree, based around some of the very best broodbitch lines this country has seen, means she probably does not need much more intensity.
She could even do with a total outcross mating to allow all those dominant female lines to come through.
It will be interesting to see what Greg Board does with her.
In the meantime, Spring Bridge can continue to prove just what a fabulous pedigree he has.
