Brilliant Burgundy

Sir Patrick Hogan offers this latest on Burgundy:

There are three certainties with regard to Cambridge's newest stallion addition BURGUNDY for the coming season, firstly that there are few if any better looking horses around as befits a $1.3 million dollar yearling; secondly that he boasts a pedigree that few can equal; and thirdly that he was a far, far better horse than his bare race record might suggest.

Burgundy was unquestionably a hard pulling horse, who posed some severe and difficult questions for both his jockey and trainer, resulting in decisions which may or may not have been always the correct ones with the benefit of hindsight.   He made his debut in September of his three year old season and won his first three starts in some style from 1200 to 1600 metres culminating in the listed Canterbury Stakes and was strongly fancied to make it a four timer in the G1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas.

Sadly it all went awry there, when he suffered from the ‘thumps”, and he was not to reappear until the 1600 metres G2 Great Northern Guineas when he met the talented Knight's Tour and Ocean Park going down by less than a length.  He was then third to Ocean Park in the G3 WRC Wellington Stakes again racing over keenly and just battling at the end as a consequence.

Although he seemed to stay well enough his connections then confined him to sprinting at which he displayed considerable talent winning the listed ARC Mr. Tiz Trophy and the G3 Cambridge Breeders' Stakes both over 1200 metres before the season's end.   At four years he resumed with a third 1200 metres stakes win in the listed Levin Stakes and was set for a tilt at New Zealand's two major G1 sprints.  In the G1 Railway Stakes he looked all over a winner half way up the straight but was swamped on the post to finish a close fifth.  He was third in G1 Telegraph Handicap being a clear winner on the inside rails, but caught again late on by G1 winners Final Touch and Xanadu wide out on the track.   His fourth and last race start at four years ended with a hard fought victory in the 1400 metres listed Manawatu RC Flying Handicap.   He retired having won seven races, five of them in group or listed stakes, and placed at G1, G2 and G3 level from just 12 starts.

One of the big plus marks Burgundy has as a potential stallion of merit, is the fact that he is a three quarter sibling of that fine proven sire and Champion racehorse Darci Brahma (Danehill), who has so far left 10 stakes winners, four of them, Recite, Artistic, Nashville and Super Easy at elite level, and currently sitting in third place on the New Zealand Leading Sires table.  

Burgundy is by the great Australian sire Redoute's Choice, twice Champion Australian Sire and twice Champion Australian 2YO Sire, who has to date sired 105 stakes winners (23 at G1 level) and with the likes of Stratum, Snitzel, Nadeem, Duelled and Not A Single Doubt he is established as a major sire of sires.  

The dam of Burgundy and Darci Brahma is the G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Grand Echezeaux, who is by Sir Tristram's greatest son Zabeel.  

It is very significant that Redoute's Choice (and his sire Danehill) have nicked extremely successfully with Sir Tristram blood as in Samantha Miss, Lotteria, Melito, Royal Descent, Allez Wonder and Empire's Choice - all Group one winners, plus at least eleven other group winners.   Zabeel, who is sitting on 146 stakes winners plus 110 more from his daughters, has also nicked well with Danehill and his sire Danzig through such luminaries as Vengeance of Rain, Maldivian, Dizelle, Zabrasive, Atlantic Jewel, Faint Perfume, Southern Speed, Dear Demi and Planet Rock.

The grandam of Burgundy is the G3 VATC Tranquil Star Stakes winner Richebourg, who is by the high class New Zealand classic winner and sire Vice Regal.   Besides Grand Echezeaux, she also left her three quarter sister the top racemare Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), who became dam of that exceptional Champion Australasian Stayer Ethereal (Melbourne  Cup, Caulfield Cup, Queensland Oaks).  

Richebourg is also ancestress of stakes winners Bellini Rose, Dolmabache, Pure Elegance (Redoute's Choice) and Bespoke. Her sire Vice Regal, sire of 33 stakes winners, plus another 51 through his daughters is another who has nicked well.  With Zabeel the elite winners Jezabeel, Greene Street, Our Unicorn and Hades have been produced, plus Domino with another Sir Tristram son.   Richebourg is full sister to Melbourne stakes winner Federalism and half sister to stakes winner Demerara.   Their dam Mary Mead is by the Court Martial horse Wilkes, who has nicked well with Vice Regal, and she is half sister to Cane, the ancestress of Trocane, Shock Attack, Hurrah, Best Gift [HK], Regal Shot and Wavertree.  

The next dam Easter Rock (Rockefella) won three sprints in England and is out of the Royal Ascot King's Stand Stakes winner Easter Bride, ancestress of Happyanunoiit, Gleaming Waters, Mr. Prudent, Zamination , Blackfriars and Larrocha..  She is half sister to Sunbride, who was the 1967 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year courtesy of her sons Ilumquh (Caulfield Cup), and the AJC Metropolitan Handicap winners General Command and Straight Draw.   This is the family of Terrific, Dayana, Grand Cidium, North Island, Cheong Sam and Triumphal Queen, also current Gai Waterhouse star Proisir.

I have commented with increasing frequence of late on the nick between Northern Dancer and Sir Ivor and both Redoute's Choice and Zabeel are products of it, giving a double up in Burgundy, but in this case there is a little more to it than that for Bletchingly on the top half and Richebourg on the distaff side are both framed around a Relic / Fair Trial cross, thus providing Burgundy with a framework of four very influential ancestors under his sire and his dam.  

Obviously any further development of these lines in his mates will prove beneficial.  There is no Native Dancer male presence and with three male Northern Dancers it is desirable to find some perhaps through Mr. Prospector.   Redoute's Choice is sex balanced line bred to Natalma, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Fair Trial, Alibhai and Menow - the latter and Sir Ivor's grandam are three quarter sisters.  Grand Echezeaux is likewise to Hyperion and his dam Selene and all four grandparents are similarly line bred in balance to either one or the other.   Burgundy is sex balanced to Sir Ivor (5 x 4), Natalma (4 lines), Relic (6 x 5), Fair Trial (4), Hyperion (11), Selene (17), Cinna (3) and Mahmoud (6).

There are some exciting, and in some cases adventurous, matings in store for Burgundy.   Double ups with Danehill, also any Halo or Machiavellian, appeal.   Many broodmare sires will provide something to match up with Burgundy but some are quite outstanding.  I would be very keen on Thorn Park mares, whilst such as Al Akbar, Captain Rio, Don Eduardo, Colombia, Danske, D'Cash, Duelled, Elusive City, His Royal Highness, Johar, Le Bec Fin, No Excuse Needed, Pins, Postponed, Savabeel, Scaredee Cat, Storming Home and Viking Ruler all appeal.

With his looks, raw ability and super pedigree together with the oft proven fact that the sires in his chart gel so well together, I would be very surprised if Burgundy fails to make it - he certainly represents very good value for money.

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