What Does the Future Hold for Sword of Osman?

John Richardson, contributes to The Informant:

I was having some difficulty in reconciling the fall from grace by SWORD OF OSMAN in the Gr. 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes.

The big, bold son of Savabeel went into the 1400-metre age-group-defining race after having shown superlative form in his previous two starts in Group One and Three races at Ellerslie and Matamata - performances which seemed to clearly stamp him as the best two-year-old in the country.

I studied the film of the Awapuni race and noted that ground conditions were reportedly similar to that on which he had excelled previously. I then went to the stewards' report on the race and saw that the veterinary examination revealed nothing, nor could stand-in jockey Troy Harris throw any light.

And then, almost as a footnote to the race comments on the NZTR website, was a plausible explanation - that Sword of Osman had been subject to subsequent laser wind surgery for an issue which would not have shown up on raceday post-race vetting. One does hope for the sake of his connections that this proves successful and he can return to do battle next season. At least he is a gelding and cannot transmit any disability.

Bought for $165,000 by Te Akau at the Karaka Premier Sale - not an unreasonable amount to outlay for a good-looking son of Savabeel - Sword Of Osman entered the stables of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards at Matamata.

The big, strong and apparently very mature gelding made his debut over 1100 metres at Awapuni just before Christmas, toying with the opposition from the start and coasting to the easiest of debut victories.

In hindsight it may have been too easy a contest, for five weeks on he lined up in the Karaka Million as the least experienced in the field. Michael McNab restrained him this time, resulting in him over-racing and he never got into the hunt at any stage behind stablemates Avantage and Al Hasa.  Bosson was aboard next time, a month later in the Gr. 3 Matamata Slipper, and he hunted him up early to take charge. He bolted in for an almost six-length success in smart time, with a quality field beaten off.

The field for the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes (registered as the Diamond Stakes and previously the Ellerslie Sires' Produce) was a step up again and Sword Of Osman was made punters' second choice. The opposition included his Karaka Million-winning stable companion Avantage, Matamata Breeders' Stakes winner Spanish Whisper and unbeaten filly Melt.

Bosson used similar tactics to Matamata, soon taking charge and surging to the lead on the big gelding to win comfortably by a length and a quarter from Avantage, who made late progress but never looked like catching him.

For the Manawatu Sires' Produce over 200 metres further at 1400 metres, it might be expected on pedigree and performance that he would dominate again.

Things seemed to go wrong from the start, with Bosson suspended for a weight violation, although Harris was an able deputy in not dissimilar mould. He sent him on when he jumped well from a wide alley and it looked like the mixture as before, but suddenly inside the 200 when asked to go on and win, he was in strife, compounding quickly in an out-of-character manner. We now have a fair idea why.

Sword Of Osman's sire is Savabeel, whom we seem to have written up in this column on an almost weekly basis this season. He is set fair to record another multiple sire championship at the end of July. Winner himself of the Cox Plate and Spring Champion Stakes, he was also placed at elite level as a two-year-old.

Savabeel now has 73 stakes winners, of which 17 are Group One, 13 at Group Two and 17 in Group Three - a total of 47 all told in Group races. With five Group One winners in New Zealand this year including in three of the four classics (both Guineas and the Oaks), he has completely dominated the scene.

It is fair to say he is mostly thought of as a classic and middle-distance sire and not as a sire of top juveniles - a remark that applies equally to all the sires back along the featured dam line. Having said that, he is not quite as strong a stamina influence as his sire and grandsire, although both those worthies could leave them to scoot a bit on occasion!

The damsire is the Mr Prospector son Distant View, a Juddmonte-bred who raced in England before retiring to Juddmonte, Kentucky. He won the Gr. 1 Sussex Stakes, beating Grand Lodge, who had beaten him at Royal Ascot when second in the Gr. 1 St. James's Palace Stakes.

In a shortened stud career, Distant View left 19 stakes winners (four Group One) including top US racemare Sightseek (seven Grade Ones), champion British miler Observatory (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Prix d'Ispahan) and Distant Music (Dewhurst Stakes). He appears to have a special affinity for the blood of Nijinsky and Nureyev, both of which can be found in Savabeel.

His daughters' 29 stakes winners (11 Group One) include English & French 1000 Guineas victress Special Duty, super sprinter Sole Power (five Group Ones) and Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape, also the good sprint sire Bated Breath (Gr. 2 Temple Stakes).

The sire of the granddam is Nijinsky's close relative The Minstrel, a super game chestnut who survived Piggott's most earnest attentions to score in the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and surely put to bed for all time the irrational horseman's prejudice of four white stockings (I only ever owned one like that one but she promised the world but delivered nothing!).

The Minstrel sired 58 stakes winners (11 Group One) including Palace Music and L'Emigrant, while his daughters more than doubled that with 127 stakes winners including Zafonic, Grey Swallow and Shirocco.

Next along the dam line comes the good French stayer Condorcet (Luthier), who won up to 2500 metres and was second in the French Guineas. Stamina-laden sires Ballymoss, Solar Slipper and Bois Roussel follow down the dam li

The dam of our colt is Bunyah, a twice-raced mare with five winners from six foals to race. The one who didn't win was the stakes-placed juvenile Fortaleza. Bunyah's dam is the Irish stakes-placed Miss Mistletoes (two wins to nine furlongs), whose six winners include stakes winners Governor Brown (Gr. 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes) and Hataab (two Listed wins to 10 and a half furlongs).

The third dam of our Group One winner is unraced December Blossom, who became dam of three winners including Lomond Blossom (Gr. 3 Killavullan Stakes at two) but became an influential broodmare. Her many stakes-winning descendants include Dilshaan (Gr. 1 Racing Post Trophy, Gr. 2 Dante Stakes), South African champion staying mare Mosszao, Silk Blossom (Gr. 2 Lowther Stakes), Nomrood (Gr. 3 Chester Vase) and the Zabeel mare Zagalia (Gr. 1 Queensland Oaks) - class and a certain amount of juvenile brilliance here.

December Blossom is a half-sister from Feemoss (Gr. 3 Blandford Stakes) to the great Levmoss (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Ascot Gold Cup, Prix du Cadran), Le Moss (Ascot Gold Cup twice) and Sweet Mimosa (French Oaks). The quality descendants are too numerous to mention.

The pedigree chart shows Savabeel constructed thus: Sir Ivor (Sir Gaylord - Turn-to) - Round Table (Princequillo) - All Moonshine - Northern Dancer/Prince John (Princequillo) - Nijinsky (Northern Dancer - Flaming Page) - Star Kingdom - Turn-to - Round Table - Star Kingdom.

The speed here is concentrated in the bottom quarter of Savabeel, his granddam being balanced 3 x 3 to the brothers Todman and Noholme, plus having Without Fear as her damsire. Savabeel, as we know, is intensely balanced to Round Table, Princequillo, Mahmoud, My Babu, Hyperion, Selene and Teddy.

The distaff side shows Mr Prospector (Raise A Native - Native Dancer) - Nasrullah (2) - Klairon - Northern Dancer / The Minstrel (Northern Dancer - Flaming Page) - Klairon - All Moonshine. It all begins to fit together. The dam Bunyah is balanced to Native Dancer, Klairon, Bull Dog, Hyperion, Teddy and Fair Trial.

So, what of our classy gelding? He is just about male inbred to Northern Dancer, but, of more importance, he is sex-balanced to Native Dancer (5 lines), Prince John (6 x 7), Mahmoud (5), Hyperion (10), Princequillo (5), Menow (3), Fair Trial (3), Tourbillon (4), Bull Lea (3), his sire Bull Dog (5) and brother Sir Gallahad (4) plus their sire Teddy (20).

There is a strong female sex balance too through the mares Flaming Page (7 x 5), All Moonshine (6 x 7), Selene (15), Source Sucree (3) plus through females only to Lavendula (6) and her dam Sweet Lavender (9+).

..."big, strong gelding does not seem to be especially typical of his sire's get - he continually reminds me of Nijinsky, who looked more like a four-year-old when he came over to Newmarket as a two-year-old to win the Dewhurst with ease."

In my own mind, Sword of Osman was the best two-year-old in New Zealand this season, better even than his very talented stablemate Avantage, although Timeform have them both together on 116, which makes the filly the better when the sex allowance is taken into account.

I do sincerely hope that he comes back in the new season equally talented, in which case Riccarton in November is a certain target.