Siren’s Call’s sire Elusive Fort seen winning his 3rd Gr1
Elusive Fort won over distances from 1300m to 2450m, including the SA Derby at this very same course and distance, writes Siren’s Call’s owner-breeder Peter De Beyer.
His sire, Fort Wood, sired the first Triple Crown winner, the mighty Horse Chestnut, and is also the dam sire of the most recent Triple Tiara winner, Cherry on the Top. The E-family , from which Elusive Fort descends on his dam side, contains numerous champions that won over a trip. No problems on that side of her pedigree!
Siren’s Call is out of (to quote Sporting Post on 28th March 2015) “the rather modest twice winning West Man mare Siren’s Cove, who only won up to 1200m”.
Siren’s Cove made an auspicious debut in a maiden juvenile fillies race, when 3rd, beaten less than 3 lengths by Tara’s Touch, who of course went on to win the Garden Province Stakes Gr 1 the following year. She won her maiden over 1000m at her 12th start, having placed 8 times including 3 seconds. She also won a fillies’ novice 1200m, but did place over 1400m and 1600m. She was retired to stud at 5.
Elusive Fort
Siren’s Cove was bought at the 2001 NYS, and the very next lot offered by her breeder, Highlands, was no less than National Currency, both having the outstanding mare, Enchanting, as their second dam.
Enchanting, by Jungle Cove out of Lucky Libra(by Great White Way ,USA), is the dam of champion sprinters Harry’s Charm and Enchantress, by speed sires Harry Hotspur and National Assembly respectively. Enchanting’s daughter Enchanted Dollar, by Spend a Buck, won 2 races at 1200m and 1400m, and produced 7 winners, including Gr 2 sprinter Dollar Bright, and the champion National Currency. National Assembly clearly helped this family to fire.
It is no surprise, therefore, that Siren’s Cove was sent to him on a number of occasions, producing the colt National Chant which won his second start, but failed to live up to his looks or early ability, retiring just a two time winner. Siren’s Cove also produced a winning sprinter by Ceasour.
Siren’s Cove’s dam Enchanted Cove, produced useful sprinter Commandocourageous, by National Assembly, and Silvery Cove, who won up to 1600m, by staying influence Silvano.
Enchanted Cove was bred in USA by SA bred Wolf Power, a champion miler who won the J&B Met over 2000m. She won 4 times, but not beyond a mile.
West Man only won up to 1400m, and mostly produced precocious sprinters in South Africa, with the notable exceptions of Silver Sliver, (out of Jamaico mare, Grey Blue) winner of the 1999 SA Derby, and Central Pacific (out of Moorea Atoll, by All Fired Up) , winner of the East Cape Derby. West Man is by Mr Prospector’s son Gone West, out of a Riverman mare, Belka. Gone West is out of a Secretariat mare, and won up to 1700m.
Although Enchanting’s daughter Enchantress was a champion sprinter, she herself was a Gr1 winning miler, and produced the good miler Laverna, by Parade Leader, who won the Thekwini Stakes Gr 1, as well as the useful stayer, Nevvay, by Western Winter, which won the Lonsdale Gr3 over 2400m, and Spellcaster, by Jet Master, an 8 time winner up to 2000m.
Pteer De Beyer – big day on Saturday
Enchanting’s sire, Jungle Cove, by the influential sire Bold Ruler, sired many notable middle distance classic horses that stayed 2400m, such as Arctic Cove, Jungle Rock, Bush Telegraph and Uncle Percy.
To summarise, even though Siren’s Call’s dam side family is rich with champion sprinters, there appear to be sufficient staying influences within her first two dams to support the stamina she receives in abundance from her sire. There also seems to be a tendency for offspring in this family to follow the sire’s influence.
