Tiger Ridge
The death of former leading first season sire, Tiger Ridge, was a setback to the South African breeding industry. The son of Storm Cat was 18 at the time of his death, and left behind 27 stakes winners, and over 50 black type performers, of both sexes. His passing was the more unfortunate as Tiger Ridge’s offspring enjoyed a fine run of success last weekend – winning five races over a four day spell.
His winners included the promising 3yo fillies Maybe Yes and Santa Carolina – both of whom look well above average. Tiger Ridge, whose first South African crop of runners included nine stakes horses and the first and second in the Gr2 The Nursery, was one of a number of well bred horses who achieved a chance at stud due to their blue blooded pedigree, rather than what they had achieved on the track.
He joined the likes of National Assembly and Northern Guest as stallions who enjoyed success in South Africa – despite never winning a race. The late sire was by Storm Cat, whose overall record as a sire of sires is solidly successful rather than spectacular. Storm Cat’s record lags well behind such legends as Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector.
Cherry On The Top. Tiger Ridge’s 2013 Triple Tiara winner
However, he has sired such leading sires as Giant’s Causeway, Tale Of The Cat, Stormy Atlantic, Hennessy, Bernstein, Forestry and Var’s sire, Forest Wildcat, to establish a currently strong and thriving male line. Another son, the ill-fated Harlan, promised to be an extremely good sire, but died young. However, Harlan did leave behind Harlan’s Holiday, a Champion Sire of 2YOS in the United States, as well as the underrated sire, Menifee.
Tiger Ridge came from a female line whose descendants enjoyed tremendous success in South Africa. Tiger’s fifth dam, Uvira (or Uvira II) won the Irish Oaks back in 1941. At stud, Uvira (an official Reines des Course or blue hen mare) bred no fewer than five stakes winners. Uvira’s sons, Francis U and General Staff, won the Donn Handicap and Pimlico Special respectively, while another son, Noble Impulse, ran third in the 1949 Preakness Stakes. Francis U (by Francis S) went to stud in Argentina, where he reached fourth place on the general sires list.
His daughter, Bimbina, was a top-class racemare in South Africa, where she won seven races, two of which were Grade Ones. Uvira’s daughter, Obedient, was an excellent broodmare, producing Belmont Stakes runner up Blazing Count, San Juan Capistrano Hcp victor Don’t Alibi, and Florida Derby runner up Iron Ruler. The latter became a successful sire, and produced Preakness Stakes winner Aloma’s Ruler. Another Uvira mare, Oonagh, bred the Epsom Derby third Hunza Dancer to the cover of former South African and US Champion, Hawaii.
Wagner. Tiger Ridge’s Summer Cup champion of 2012
However, Uvira’s most influential daughter was the one time winning My Babu mare, Missy Baba. Remarkably, locally based sires with Missy Baba in their pedigrees have produced 117 stakes winners in South Africa. Missy Baba herself bred six stakes winners including the G1 winner Sauce Boat, and Gay Missile (winner of the now G1 Ashland Stakes). Her tally also included Champion US Sire Raja Baba, and the latter’s full-brother Master Bold, a useful sire in Argentina.
Her daughter, and Brood-mare Of The Year in 1991, Toll Booth, produced the Gr1 winners Christiecat and champion sprinter Plugged Nickle (himself dam sire of highly successful US sire Wild Rush). Her half-sister Gay Missile (by Sir Gaylord) was, if anything, even better, pro-ducing four stakes horses, including a G1 winner and two outstanding broodmares. Her son, Gay Mecene, won the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and is one of the few sons of the great Vaguely Noble still to be found in modern pedigrees. His daughter, the G1 Prix Robert Papin victress Balbonella, produced champion sprinter and world leading sire Anabaa, who is also now a hugely important broodmare sire (ie damsire of 2013 Arc winner Treve). Gay Missile’s daughter, Gallanta, was a smart 2yo, who produced champion 2yo filly Gay Gallanta (dam of G1 sire Byron) as well as highly successful local sire Sportsworld.
The latter, a famously difficult individual, much like his sire Alleged, sired 25 stakes winners during his stud career, including champion Jamaica. Sportsworld is an in-creasingly important brood-mare sire, with his daughters having produced the likes of Master Sabina and Hill Fifty Four – runner up in the Gr1 Summer Cup and Gr1 J&B Met respectively. However, the most influential descendant of Uvira is unquestionably Gay Missile’s daughter, Lassie Dear.
Kavanagh. Mike De Kock’s Multiple Stakes winner
Not only is Lassie Dear dam of European champion Wolfhound and champion SA sire Al Mufti (whose daughters have now bred two Cape Guineas winners), but she is also the dam of one of history’s greatest broodmares – Weekend Surprise. The latter produced two Classic winners (A P Indy and Summer Squall), three Breeders Cup sires (A P Indy, Summer Squall and Honor Grades) as well as Tiger Ridge, who was a leading first crop sire on two different continents! Weekend Surprise’s daughter Weekend Storm produced the Gr1 Breeders Cup Mile hero Court Vision, while another daughter is the dam of promising young SA sire, Mambo In Seattle – runner up in the 2008 Gr1 Travers Stakes.
Other notables from this family include US and Irish Champions Lemon Drop Kid and Duke of Marmalade, as well as 2013 Investec Derby winner Ruler Of The World – a leading contender for major races in 2014. With this background in mind, one can only wonder at the potential of Tiger Ridge mares as potential broodmares. The likes of Ilha Grande (out of Ilha Da Vitoria), and Cherry on The Top (out of an Oaks winner) must be worth their respective weight in gold!
– Sarah Whitelaw
