THOSE of us who watched in awe as the Hallinan family's Zipping Orlando gradually wore down tearaway leader Nangar Rocket to win Saturday night's The 715 at The Gardens, couldn't wait to take a closer look at his pedigree make-up.

The 715, the world's richest staying race with a cool $500,000 to the winner, is the second glamour race victory for Zipping Orlando following his recent G1 Association Cup win at Wenty.

He had also won the Zoom Top Maiden at Goulburn and won in 29.65 when taking out the Young Star final on Million Dollar Chase night last year.

His progression to distance racing for the John Finn kennel has been something else.

Zipping Orlando is a son of the Hallinan's champ that never got to be, Zipping Garth who broke down and was retired to stud after only five race starts.

His dam Zipping Dharma (El Grand Senor-Zipping Jewel) won seven of 17 and was a multiple Sandown winner.

Her mother, Zipping Jewel (Malfoy-Or Catra), won 10 of 21 and was a strong stayer ... just like the rest of this damline.

Zipping Orlando is the result of a mating of Zipping Garth and Zipping Dharma who are virtually brother and sister.

They are both from the Where's Pedro sireline.

Zipping Garth's 2nd dam Agent Gibbs is by Malfoy from the famed Spanish Dance female family.

Zipping Dharma's mother Zipping Jewel is also by Malfoy and from the famed Spanish Dance female family.

Amazingly, Zipping Orlando has five up-close crosses of G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up and Tweed Galaxy winner Sobbing Sal through her sons Brett Lee and Big Daddy Cool.

A 5x4 cross of Big Daddy Cool and Brett Lee are placed very strongly to impact in this pedigree.

Zipping Orlando's litter sister, Zipping Mercedes, is the winner of seven races and was a finalist in the G1 National Futurity.

WHILE the pedigree of Zipping Orlando is an incredible example of intense in-breeding, second and third placed in The 715, Nangar Rocket and Palawa King too, and Punter's Bandit another finalist, all boast pedigrees with almost as much intensity.

Nangar Rocket (Feral Franky-Little Nangar by Primo Uno) has a 2x4 duplication and balance of Collision, a 5x3 double of Bombastic Shiraz and a 5x3 double and balance of Brett Lee.

Again, sire and dam are bred along almost identical lines.

Palawi King (Feral Franky-Maximum Dos by Cosmic Rumble) too has an intense pedigree mix.

He is 2x3 to the famous half relations Collision and Spiritual Rumble.

I read with interest some time ago that this is NOT a cross we should be doing. While I have noticed it can backfire on some, it also can toss up a star just like it has with Palawi King.

Palawi King also has a 4x4 double of Bombastic Shiraz along his direct damline. More and more racetrack stars are emerging with a double of Bombastic Shiraz, generally in damlines.

Punter's Bandit (Good Odds Harada-Book Of Luck by My Bro Fabio) has proven herself with a G2 Gosford Cup win. She is an emerging staying star.

Her pedigree standout is the 3x3 of full relations Mogambo and Flamenco.

This is the cross found in those two star Tassie sprinters Stanley Gordon and Raging Railston both of them G1 finalists and both of them Hobart TR breakers.

Generally intense in-breeding "can" reduce stamina if the resultant offspring ... not in the case of the four mentioned above.