Former Equus Champion Vercingetorix continues to churn out graded stakes winners at a rate of knots, with Saturday’s big race winners Chansonette and Seeking The Stars providing their sire with his latest successes.
Last week was a memorable one for Vercingetorix, even by his high standards, with the champion son of Silvano also sire of the Gr3 World Sports Betting Merchants winner Alesian Chief on 30 November.
Nijinsky II
Vercingetorix, whose sire Silvano was a grandson of Nijinsky II’s underrated sire son Niniski, is one of the last notable male line descendants of 1970 Triple Crown winner and outstanding sire Nijinsky II, whose male line has all but vanished.
Not only is Vercingetorix descended from Nijinsky II in male line, he is inbred to the champion through the latter’s sons Niniski and Peacetime.
However, while Nijinsky II’s sire sons failed to leave a lasting male line, Nijinsky II remains a potent force in pedigrees all over the world.
This was all too obvious at Kenilworth on Saturday – thanks mainly to Vercingetorix who was responsible for a trio of winners – but also due to several other notable stallions.
Interestingly, Saturday’s game Green Point Stakes winner Seeking The Stars’ pedigree also contains the names of Nijinsky II’s close relatives Far North and The Minstrel. Nijinsky II is found in the pedigrees of the first three home in the Green Point Stakes, as well as the first three finishers (Chansonette, Desert Miracle, Homely Girl) in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas.
Nijinsky II is also found in the pedigree of legendary Australian sire Redoute’s Choice, with that sire’s outstanding sire son Snitzel responsible for the very progressive looking Real Gone Kid, a good winner at Kenilworth this past weekend.
Redoute’s Choice is also broodmare sire of Saturday’s Gr1 Drummond Golf- Kingston Town Classic winner Regal Power.
The progressive Kitty Cat Chat is led in at an earlier win by Craig and Belinda Kieswetter (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Saturday’s Gr2 WSB Live Casino Southern Cross Stakes winner Kitty Cat Chat (Press Statement) is another inbred to Nijinsky II -her dual Gr1 winning sire Press Statement (also inbred to Nijnsky II) being a grandson of Fastnet Rock (whose dam was sired by Nijinsky II horse Royal Academy), and her dam a daughter of the Redoute’s Choice horse Fast ‘n’ Famous.
Nijinsky II’s influence was also felt in North America on Saturday, with the Gr1 Cigar Mile winner Americanrevolution (Constitution), a grandson of Tapit – who is inbred to Nijinsky II.
Constitution also enjoyed Gr1 success in Chile on Saturday when his son Niquense won the St Leger.
While Nijinsky II’s sire sons may not have left an heir to their outstanding sire, they do continue to make their presence felt, with Royal Academy broodmare sire of champion sire Fastnet Rock, sire of more than 40 Gr1 winners, among others.
His French Derby winning son Caerleon is broodmare sire of Cape sires Erupt and Twice Over, and also features as the sire of the granddam of Met winning stallion One World.
