Western Winter – Aquasarto (Del Sarto)
Chestnut 2004 – Height 16.2hh
[toggle title=”PEDIGREE” collapse=”true” ] FEMALE LINE
1st dam
Aquasarto (’84 f Del Sarto): did not race; dam of 10 winners incl ARGONAUT (’04 c Western Winter): subject stallion SIMPLY SALMON (’98 c Western Winter): 10 wins, 800-1600m, Wolf Power Hcp- (L), Tony Ruffel S.-(L); 2nd Gr2 Hawaii S. FINEST VIEW (’93 f Fine Edge): 4 wins, 1000- 1600m, Gr1 SA Fillies Guineas, Msunduzi Hcp-(L); 2nd Gr3 Racecourse Bookmakers Hcp OCEANA (’99 f Elliodor): 5 wins, 1000- 1600m, Three Troika S.-(L), Starling S.- (L); 2nd Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Ch’ship, Gr2 Thekwini Fillies S.; 3rd Gr3 Pretty Polly S. MARINE SANDS (’01 c Goldkeeper): 6 wins, Gr3 Graham Beck S.; 2nd Falcon Sprint- (L); 3rd Gr1 Gold Medallion Wave Spray (’91 c Steady Beat): 8 wins, 1200-1700m; 3rd Freedom Day Challenge-(L), Tony Ruffel Hcp-(L); 4th Gr1 Turffontein Classic Acquiantance (’92 f National Assembly): won, 1800m Oyster Line (’89 c Sleek Gold): 4 wins, 1600m Emperata (’95 c Goldmark): 3 wins, 1600- 1800m Harbour Gold (’05 c Goldkeeper): won, 1200m
2nd dam
Sea Diamond (’63 f Abadan): 4 wins, 15 places; dam of 7 winners incl Aquasarto (’84 f Del Sarto): see above Sea Owl (’78 f Give A Hoot): did not win; dam of COASTAL WATCH (’86 c Home Guard): 6 wins, 1400m, Gr2 Ashburton Hcp, Basil Starke S.-(L); 2nd Gr3 Administrators Hcp, Pip James S.-(L); 4th Gr2 Administrators S. COOL SUCCESS (’87 f Dancing Champ): 3 wins, 1200-1800m, Gr1 Gauteng Fillies Guineas; 2nd SA Oaks-(L), TAB Hcp-(L); 3rd Maurice Passmore Hcp-(L), Star Hcp-(L); dam of PIRATE LADY (’96 f Complete Warrior): 7 wins, 1300-2000m, Jasmine S.-(L); 3rd Yellowwood Hcp-(L) Nautical (’82 c Flower Power): 5 wins, 1000-1300m; 3rd Gr3 Bertrams VO S. Sea Star’88 f Elliodor): won, 1200m; dam of SPRING STORM (’96 f Thunder Cat): 9 wins, 1000-1600m, 3yo S.-(L), EP Champion Juv S.- (L), EP Chairmans Cup-(L), Dahlia P.-(L); 2nd St Andrews Paddock S.-(L), EP Nursery- (L) Over The Sea (’83 f Over The Air): won, 1600m; dam of In The Main (’90 f Complete Warrior): won, 1200m; 2nd Morris Lipschitz P.-(L) NUREYEV (c Wilwyn): 10 wins, 1000- 2000m, Kings Cup, Easter Hcp; 4th Gordons Gin Hcp BREEZE PAST (c Prince Sao): 13 wins, 1000-1200m, Diadem S. UNCUT (c Regent Street): 7 wins, Anniversary Cup; 2nd DH Harris Mem Hcp; 3rd Tvl Bookmakers Hcp; 4th SA Airways Hcp Beach Patrol (c Persian Whistle): 2 wins, 1000m; 3rd Midwinter Juv. Hcp
3rd dam
Roenie (’53 f Knockroe): 12 wins, 16 places; dam of 4 foals, 4 winners: Sea Diamond (’63 f Abadan): see above REACTOR (c Novento): 9 wins, Germiston Cup TRAGALLIAN (c Wilwyn): 11 wins, Appeal Court Hcp, Suburban Hcp; 2nd Festival Juv Hcp; 3rd Somerset P., Stewards Cup; 4th Cape Merchants, Champion S. Silver Flute (c Drum Beat): 13 wins, 3rd Stewards Cup[/toggle]
[toggle title=”RUNNERS” collapse=”true” ] Argonaut X Stella’s Journal (London News) Race Record: 2 runs- 1 win by 4.5 lengths Comments: Argonaut’s first winner. After a good second to Captain’s Reserve 1st time out he then breaks his maiden by 4.5 lengths. Well done to Dr Labuschagne, Ali Gordon, Charles Gregson, John Freeman and Boland Stud.[/toggle]
[toggle title=”RACE RECORD” collapse=”true” ]In South Africa, 3 wins, 1400-1600m at 2, placed (from 4 starts) (MR 110) Equus Champion 2yo Colt. Exported to Australia at 3, injured & unraced there. at 2: WON Gr1 Golden Horseshoe (1400m), by 2.5 lengths WON Gr1 Premier’s Champion S. (1600m), by 5 lengths 2nd Gr1 Gold Medallion (1200m) 2nd Gr1 Gold Medallion (1200m)[/toggle]
[toggle title=”EVALUATION” collapse=”true” ]
Karel Miedema’s Pedigree Evaluation Sires Handbook 2009 – www.sportingpost.co.za
Undoubted one of South Africa’s best stallions of the last decade, Western Winter has so far collected three sire Championships and produced two Horses of the Year, Winter Solstice and Yard-Arm. The latter two are both geldings and didn’t make it to stud. But fear not, Western Winter does now have another Champion son to take up his cause.
In four starts at 2, Argonaut contested three Gr1 races, winning two and second in the other. That was better than his full brother Simply Salmon, who was unbeaten at 2 in 2 starts, but never made it to big races because of injury. At the time Simply Salmon was one of the highest rated 2yo’s ever on our files (in illustrious company of the likes of Private Reserve, Ruby Clipper, Roaring Sands, Blossoming Fields, Clifton King, etc). That his full brother Argonaut became a Champion was not really such a surprise. The pair have two notable half sisters in Gr1 Guineas winner Finest View and Gr1 runner-up (at 2) Oceana, as well as a Gr1 placed (at 2) half brother, Marine Sands. Their sires are Fine Edge, Elliodor and Goldkeeper. Let’s see what kin- links they have with the female line.
As is the case with Jet Master and Captain Al, the bottom female line of Argonaut is South African- bred going back many generations. The kin-breeding of the female line ancestors appears to hinge on the mare Madeira, who provides a link from Argonaut’s 6 dam right down to his 2nd dam Sea Diamond. The latter mare is a daughter of Abadan, whose grandam Araminta provides the kin-link. Abadan appears to be important in the context of Western Winter.
Abadan’s dam is kin to Impressive Lady (grandam of Western Winter) and is kin to Tamerett (grandam of Western Winter’s sire Gone West). Tamerett’s dam Mixed Marriage is kin to Abadan’s grandam Araminta and also links on to Araminta’s kin- link Madeira. It is interesting to note that Abadan also appears as the sire of the third dams of Horse of the Year Winter Solstice and of Warm White Night, and of the fourth dams of Fair Maiden and Winterinthewoods. In all these cases there were other kin-links involving Abadan’s female line.
The kin-line of Mixed Marriage also appears in Argonaut’s Gr1 winning half sister Finest View, by Fine Edge. The latter’s sire Sharpen Up is by Atan, a son of Mixed Marriage (Sharpen Up also is the damsire of Western Winter’s Gr1 winning daughter Bad Girl Runs).
Argonaut’s Gr1 placed half sister Oceana is by Elliodor, whose third dam Martial Loan is kin to Abadan’s dam Affair. As an aside, Martial Loan and Mixed Marriage are kin as well.
Abadan’s dam Affair & grandam Araminta have the kind of pedigree which closely resemble many others. For one, Affair is kin to another mare, Flame – fourth dam of Western Winter’s Gr1 winner Nania. Letting things run wild, Flame is grandam of Royal Chalice, who in turn is damsire of (say) Hunting Tower, a son of Fort Wood, whose key components Imitation and Khaled lead squarely back to Araminta, grandam of Abadan. All such relationships are important to remember. In the case of Argonaut, it gives firm suggestions as to what lines may suit him.
WHERE TO NEXT It seems that duplicating Abadan is a sensible starting point for Argonaut. Lines that have worked well with Argonaut’s female line come into play: Fine Edge (and other Sharpen Up), Elliodor (leading to that one’s son Model Man). We found Flame, grandam of Royal Chalice, and through that one came onto Fort Wood.
Through Abadan’s dam & grandam we come to Argentina, who is kin to Mixed Marriage (among others). Argentina is dam of Averof , whose sons Foveros and Priceless Asset are prominent in highclass Western Winter offspring, notably Fearless, Fair Maiden, Warm White Night, Winterinthewoods (recall that three of those have Abadan as well). Averof himself is kin to Abadan’s dam Affair, and also to Mixed Marriage.
From Western Winter’s champion son Winter Solstice comes that one’s damsire Melun, whose third dam Melopee is kin to Abadan. The dam of Winter Solstice has the kin-pair 4×3. Melun won’t be easy to find in the current mare population, though.
Argonaut’s dam Aquasarto is kinbred 4×4 to Romanella (dam of Ribot) and Araminta (grandam of Abadan). Romanella is kin to Mixed Marriage as well, so Ribot may matter for Argonaut. Ribot is the sire of Graustark and His Majesty, which brings the likes of Caesour into the picture – his dam Don’t Sulk is kin to Del Sarto’s dam Queen Sucree. There will be more, as Graustark and His Majesty are widespread. Queen Sucree also is kin to the dam of Danehill, suggesting the latter will (in time) make for sensible matches with Argonaut.
FEMALE LINE BUILD-UP (the term ‘kinbred’ is used to identify close genetic relatives; a benchmark percentage of about 90% is required to qualify; for each dam the kinbreeding percentage is shown as well)
6th dam Machico (89%) (by Glanmerin 88%) kinbred 2×1 Bridewain x Madeira 92%
5th dam Machico 6th dam 5th dam Cailin Rua (89%) (by Sprig of Orange 91%) kinbred 3x2x3x2 Gravity x Floridita x Bridewain x Madeira 90-92%
4th dam Leonie (89%) (by Upper Cut 91%) kinbred 2×3 Sunbridge x Machino 90% (3x3x3x3) Sunbridge x Filette x Floridita x Madeira 90-93%
3rd dam Roenie (84%) (by Knockroe 85%) kinbred 3x3x4x4 Book Law x Miss Gallipoli x Sunbridge x Madeira 91-93%
2nd dam Sea Diamond (84%) (by Abadan 83%) kinbred 3×4 Araminta x Book Law x Miss Gallipoli x Sunbridge x Madeira 90-94% kinbred 2×3(4) Affair x Canon Law (Book Law) 92%
1st dam Aquasarto (77%) (by Western Winter 80%) kinbred 3×4 Impressive Lady x Affair 89% kinbred 4×4 Tamerett x Affair 91% kinbred 5x5x5 Mixed Marriage x Romanella x Araminta
Argonaut (79%) (by Western Winter 80%) kinbred 3×4 Impressive Lady x Affair 89% kinbred 4×4 Tamerett x Affair 91% kinbred 5x5x5 Mixed Marriage x Romanella x Araminta
MATING SUGGESTIONS
- Mares with Abadan, mainly to be found in bottom-line female ancestors; he should be quite widespread
- Mares with Averof, Foveros
- Mares with Elliodor, Model Man
- Mares with Sharpen Up, notably Fine Edge
- Mares with Melun or 3-part sister My River
- Mares with Ribot, His Majesty/Graustark, notably Caesour, Danehill
- Mares with Fort Wood
- Mares with Royal Chalice
- Mares with Court Martial, Abernant (notably Golden Thatch) or other Mixed Marriage equivalents[/toggle]
[toggle title=”VIDEOS” collapse=”true” ]
Argonaut Promotional DVD Footage
Tellytrack Interview with Vaughan Koster – Argonaut
Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes – Argonaut
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Equus Champion 2yo Colt of 2007
Nominated for Equus Horse of the Year as a 2yo!
Dual Gr1 winner and Gr1 2nd in just 4 starts at 2 before export to Australia
Won Gr1 Golden Horseshoe by 2.5 lengths
Won Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes by 5 lengths
Son of Champion Sire Western Winter
Dam, runner up Broodmare of the Year, of 10 winners – 5 stakes winners
Equus Champion 2yo Colt of 2007
“His times in SA are fast enough to win any running of the Gr1 Golden Slipper” – Blue Gum Farm website
