Saturday’s TAB Listed Gold Bowl winner Crimson King (Dynasty) hails from one of the most enduring families in the studbook.
A full-brother to four time winner and Listed East Cape Guineas third King Regent, Crimson King’s dam Cup Of Rubies (Mogok) won three times and her half-brother Hunting Tower (Fort Wood) won both the 2007 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July and 2006 Gr1 SA Classic.
Dynasty’s son Crimson King wins Saturday’s TAB Listed Gold Bowl beating Breeze Over under Muzi Yeni (Pic – JC Photos)
Another half-brother, Montezuma, showed plenty of promise early in his career when finishing second behind 2000 South African Horse Of The Year Celtic Grove (Fort Wood), in the 2000 Gr2 Golden Horseshoe.
As he was sired by a son of Fort Wood in the form of Dynasty, Crimson King is very closely related indeed to both Hunting Tower and Montezuma.
Cup Of Rubies’ dam Stirrup Cup was a twice winning half-sister to the Fort Wood sired Breeders Challenge winner Patache and to Fort Wood’s high-class broodmare daughter Mabola Plum. The latter was a prolific producer with her 14 foals, ten of whom won, headed by speedy graded stakes winners Mocha Java (Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap) and Mochachino (Gr2 Camellia Stakes).
Another daughter, Mocha Special (a full-sister to Mochachino) produced multiple graded stakes winner Barahin (Gimmethegreenlight). Yet another out of Mabola Plum, Mochalette (Count Dubois), threw Listed Christmas Handicap runner up Kazaar (Querari) as well as 2023 Pam Golding Properties Zimbabwe Derby winning filly Coffeeberry (Master Of My Fate).
Mabola Plum also ranks as the third dam of Taegan’s Champ (Gimmethegreenlight), winner of his only three starts.
Crimson King’s sixth dam Cequillo (Princequillo) is one of the most influential broodmares in the modern era in North America. Among Cequillo’s numerous Gr1 winning descendants are the important stallions Fappiano (Mr Prospector) and the latter’s inbred son Quiet American.
Champion Gun Runner, currently one of the best stallions standing at stud in North America, is a great great grandson of Fappiano, whose Kentucky Derby winning son and top sire Unbridled ranks as the broodmare sire of another current star stallion Tapit (Pulpit).
Quiet American, who is closely inbred to Cequillo, sired US champions Hidden Lake and Real Quiet before becoming a very successful broodmare sire.
Cequillo’s Gr1 Sword Dancer Handicap winning son Go Deputy made his mark at stud in South Africa as the sire of Triple Crown winner Abashiri and fellow graded stakes winners Changingoftheguard, Current Event, Flying Ice, Pessoa, and Royal Badge.
Remarkably, Cequillo’s fourth dam Plucky Liege (Spearmint) was, if anything, an even more important matriarch than Cequillo.
One of the greatest broodmares in history, Plucky Liege produced four highly influential sire sons headed by four times US champion sire Sir Gallahad III (Teddy). Sire of three Kentucky Derby winners including Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox, Sir Gallahad III was North America’s Leading Broodmare Sire on 12 occasions, and his full-brother Bull Dog sired five times US Champion Sire Bull Lea – himself the sire of US Triple Crown winner Citation.
While Crimson King’s female line continues to impress, his sire Dynasty, already established as a highly successful broodmare sire, is clearly an important factor in his pedigree.
The deceased champion left behind 88 black type winners, with this tally headed by a trio of sons, Futura, Irish Flame and Legislate, named South African Horse Of The Year.
Dynasty’s final full crop also proved highly successful, with four stakes winners and was headed by retired Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas/G1 Paddock Stakes winner Make It Snappy, Gr3 Victress Stakes queen Saartjie and Happy Chance.
The latter, a three-parts sister to the Dynasty sired Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas/Gr3 Fillies Mile winner Smiling Blue Eyes (dam of recent Irish winner Cheeky Wink), went close to providing her late sire with more Gr1 success when she was beaten just over half a length when third in this season’s Gr1 Cartier Paddock Stakes.
