19 June 2023

Brilliant triple G1 winner, Bivouac.

Blink, and you'll miss him!

Backed by the best on the racetrack and in the breeding barn – let’s delve in.

The best and fastest son of Australia’s leading influence for juvenile speed. Watching Bivouac’s race replays, three things clearly stand out:

  1. He had brilliant speed out of the barriers, often beginning best before being checked.
  2. He had the ability to lie up on the speed during high-pressure contests.
  3. He had explosive acceleration at the finish.

These characteristics are all very strong pointers to potential sire success. The very best sons of leading sires are wonderful candidates to follow suit.

Even a hastily compiled list would come up with the following examples: Gainsborough/Hyperion; Pharos/Nearco; Nearctic/Northern Dancer; Princequillo/Round Table; Halo/Sunday Silence; Valais/Heroic; Noholme/Nodouble; Northern Dancer/Nijinsky and Sadler’s Wells; Wilkes/Vain; High Chaparral/So You Think.

Three longer chains are: Seeking The Gold/Dubai Millennium/Dubawi; Never Bend/Mill Reef/Shirley Heights; Sadler’s Wells/Galileo/Frankel.

Bivouac’s racing style is a key indicator of sire success.

Whatever their preferred distance, an overwhelming majority of successful sires were either leaders or raced close to the pace. Even if you think hard, it is difficult to find exceptions. Very, very few.

Bivouac’s place on the Darley roster alongside his sire, Exceed And Excel, was cemented well out.

BACKED.

Few stallions retire with credentials with that of Bivouac: three G1s and three Champions’ titles - World Champion Sprinter, Head of the World Thoroughbred Ranking and Champion Three-Year-Old Sprinter in Australia.

Bivouac gained substantial backing from Australia's premier breeders, in his first two books covering mares for astute breeders: Gerry Harvey (eight), George Altomonte (four), Olly Tait (four), Ron and Debbie Gilbert (four), John Cammilleri (three) and Godolphin (22) to name a few.

Progeny coming through includes half-siblings to Duais, Cylinder and Hellfest. Pregnancies include the dam of G1 Blue Diamond winner Daumier plus siblings or half-siblings to Anamoe, Lucky Sweynesse and Loving Gaby.

He has covered nearly 300 mares, an outstanding feat comprising of 189 Stakes horses or 63% of his first two books, a show of confidence striking the perfect balance of quantity and quality – a desired formula for racetrack success.

TRIED.

Pedigree - used to analyse the pattern of inheritance of a particular trait throughout a family.

To understand the origins of his ability, we must explore Bivouac's pedigree to comprehend the profound speed influence littered throughout – a pedigree that almost suggests his World Champion Sprinter title was in fact a birthright.

Speed: By the Champion Sire, Exceed And Excel, the world's best sire of two-year-olds. Exceed And Excel is the only stallion in the past 224 years to sire the quartet of two-year-old G1 features in Sydney and Melbourne: Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper, Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes.

Proven cross: But the story doesn't end there. Bivouac's dam, Dazzler (More Than Ready), was an impressive city-winning two-year-old out of the G1-winning two-year-old, Camarilla (Redoute’s Choice). This powerful Danehill/More Than Ready cross boasts 31 G1 winners: Sebring, More Joyous, Fireburn and Shinzo.

AND TRUE.

“A proven leader always has a proven track record” – John C. Maxwell.

Brilliant at two: Bivouac asserted his dominance in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes (1,100m) with a commanding two-length lead over Libertini, in a style that was to become familiar.

Better at three: Bivouac returned at three posting a 4.25-length win in the Vain Stakes over Caulfield’s tough 1,100m scamper indicating he’d trained on from two. His three-year-old features saw him win the G1 Golden Rose and G1 Newmarket Handicap like his sire, Exceed And Excel.

Blitzed them at four: Bivouac unleashed an unstoppable performance in the G1 WFA Darley Sprint Classic down the Flemington straight leaving onlookers in awe posting a commanding 3.25-length victory over Nature Strip. The beaten brigade included G1 winners Tofane, Santa Ana Lane, Loving Gaby, Gytrash, Exceedance and Yes Yes Yes.

Blink, and you'll miss him! Bivouac, a true master of speed on the racetrack and now with the proven formula to be a stallion of consequence.

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