Group One winner for Milan Park, Pulchritudinous wins the New Zealand Oaks

• Behind the mating Milan Park breeds racehorses, not just horses for the sale ring.
  

• First Black-type filly in seven generations in her dam-line.
  

• First Group One winner for her sire Wrote
  

Pulchritudinous as a yearling

Whether you're a small-time owner breeder, a major stud, a 5% shareholder in a racehorse, or a bloodstock agent with millions to spend on the next promising yearling, we all share the same dream-to obtain a Group One winner.

Their rarity and the prestige associated with them make their victories all the more significant.

You can be a Group One trainer, a Group One jockey, a Group One stallion, or a Group One mare; whatever the case may be, the reality is they don't come along very often.

With any of the above, 1 Group One winner in every 30 attempts would be an excellent strike rate.

While many believe that the road to triumph in horse racing starts with the sales, the case of New Zealand Oaks conqueror Pulchritudinous's journey to Group One triumph was initiated by a deliberate mating at Milan Park.

The Strategy and Methods behind the Mating

The purpose behind every mating here at Milan Park is first and foremost, to breed racehorses, not just horses for the sale ring. Also behind the mating was a desire to help the stallion Wrote.

An essential part of that process is to look into the mare's family tree and match her bloodlines with blood already in the stallion.

Pulchritudinous' dam Showus is by the stallion Pentire; this is the female family of Shirley Heights, which is present in the top half of Wrote's pedigree through the mare Hardiemma.

This was the closest blood on the male side of the mare.

This pattern is similar to that of a Group One horse, Shoot Out, by High Chaparral, who was also out of a Pentire mare.

The next bloodline in Showus is that of Redoutes Choice, this is exceptional blood to have in any pedigree. The connection here with Wrote is through Nijinsky, the sire of his third dam.

Redoutes Choice and Nijinsky belong to the same Bruce Lowe # 8 female family.

Redoutes Choice's 8th dam Torpenhow is the 6th dam of Nijinsky.

What makes them even more connected is Danehill, the sire of Redoutes Choice, is from the same family as Nijinsky's sire, Northern Dancer, both descendants of Natalma.

So, they are genetically similar because their parents are from the same two female families.

This also applies to the horse Try My Best who is on the male line of Wrote's Group One placegetter Best Seller.

A third pattern in Pulchritudinous's pedigree is the horse Star Kingdom, which belongs to the same family as High Chaparral. However, the relationship is quite distant, so judging its influence is hard to access.

Interestingly recent two year old Listed winner Super Photon by Super Seth another son of High Chaparral has both Try My Best and Star Kingdom in his dams pedigree.

The prevailing belief is that Group One champions are exclusively born from ancestors with exceptional racing abilities. Milan Park's focus on breeding racehorses has birthed Pulchritudinous.

Pulchritudinous has made history as the inaugural Group One victor sired by Wrote from 155 runners.

Interestingly of the "six black type" horses that Wrote has produced thus far two of them or 30% have come from planned matings put together with my assistance. The other being Love Letter.

And all at a strike rate of less than 1 in 5. This confirms that a well-planned mating not only improves the mare but showcases the stallion as well.

Additionally, Pulchritudinous stands out as the first Black-type dam within the first seven generations of her dam Showus.

Despite the hefty investments made in service fees and yearling purchases to chase this dream, Pulchritudinous defies the notion that Group One champions must originate from mares with impressive racing records or pedigrees.

She exemplifies that successful breeding hinges on "pedigree alignment."

Rewards for getting it right

The intended breeding led to the birth of a talented horse who has so far achieved success at both Group 1 and Group 2 levels, amassing a total of $400,000 in prize money.

Following her victory at the New Zealand Oaks, she was sold to Yulong Stud for a significant seven-figure amount. Maintaining her impressive performance from her new trainers, the Waterhouse and Bott stable, she recently finished a close fifth (narrowly beaten by just 1.5 lengths) in the prestigious Group One Australasian Oaks.

An added outcome for Milan Park in the G1 New Zealand Oaks was the 2nd horse Positivity, her dam Pussy O'Reilly was purchased from the Sir Patrick Hogan dispersal.

A Group One placed mare she is now the dam of a Group One placed horse.

By O'Reilly she was specifically purchased as a championsbydesign recommendation because of her quality bloodlines and her compaitbility with multiple commercial stallions in Australasia.

New Cutting Edge Products at Championsbydesign.com.au to be released in the upcoming weeks to help breed better racehorses.

If you are a serious breeder, you will find these fantastic new programs and products will be essential to the success of your planned matings.

After 25 plus years of studying pedigrees these products will show that with the "right mare" it is possible to breed a champion racehorse.

Available on 1st June 2024

• 3 Digital Products, Breeding a Champion Racehorse using Line-breeding:

• Part 01

• Part 02

• Part 03 A guide to getting the most from your stallion or mares mating.

These products are step by step process on how to plan your own thoroughbred matings. From the beginning of understanding the family tree, through to a how to find the right mare and match her with a stallion to create that Champion Racehorse.

Stallion Insights

• Pedigree Patterns on individual stallions throughout Australia and New Zealand. Examples on what bloodlines are working with these particular stallions and recommendations of the perfect mare to suit.
  

• Next week NEW blood at Grangewilliam Stud Hilal, a stallion that has a lot going for him, and some mares to suit from a "line breeding" point of view.
  

"Available Soon"

• New online Pedigree Software that allows you to both research and match your mare online.

Do you need help with your mares mating?

Everything from strategic planning to full comprehensive matings in Australia or New Zealand.

contact Patrick at championsbydesign@gmail.com or phone + 64 (0)274 509 220