Pinatubo

Pedigree notes

Pinatubo was an undefeated Champion Two-Year-Old whose juvenile annual Timeform rating of 134 was higher than those of Danehill (100 p), Frankel (133 p) and Star Kingdom (131 *). 

G1-winning form as both a two-year-old and three-year-old is a key requirement for sire success, Pinatubo is a stallion who met those criteria and is now emerging as a leading first season sire in Great Britain with seven individual winners by early August. His form profile of a brilliant sprinter who was placed third in the 1600m G1 English 2000 Guineas mirrors that of legendary sire Danehill.

Elite two-year-olds have a fine record of success in Australia with prime examples being Star Kingdom, Danehill, Exceed And Excel, Redoute’s Choice, Snitzel, Zoustar and I Am Invincible.

Pinatubo’s sire Shamardal and his son Lope de Vega have clearly demonstrated that this sire line is well-suited to Australian conditions. As an added bonus, Pinatubo’s fourth dam Eljaazi also has Pride Of Dubai and Invincible Spirit, sire of I Am Invincible, descended directly from her.

G1 Statistics
Shamardal has sired 29 G1 winners worldwide, including five in Australia. All five in Australia and 14/27 have a return of Sir Gaylord or his half-brother in the mare. The Sir Gaylord sire line is prolific in Australia via Sir Tristram/Zabeel/Octagonal/Lonhro/Pierro/Savabeel, etc.
Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega has sired two of his four Australian G1 winners from just 14 runners out of mares by Danehill’s son Fastnet Rock. 

Shamardal has very high strike rates of G1 winner production out of Sadler’s Wells line and Danzig line mares, particularly the Green Desert branch. With five of 29 being out of Sadler’s Wells line mares, six of 29 being out of Danzig line mares and three of 29 being out of Green Desert line mares.

Best Nicks
Shamardal’s most successful nicking stats are with mares from the major broodmare sire lines of Mr Prospector, Sadler’s Wells and Danehill. 
Lope de Vega has similarly good results with mares from those broodmare sire lines. Shamardal is a grandson of Storm Cat and the Storm Cat/Mr Prospector crosses and reverse crosses have been some of the most successful in contemporary pedigrees.

Shamardal’s Darley based son Blue Point is the runaway second season leading sire in Great Britain and his best nicks are with the Galileo/Sadler’s Wells line and with the Oasis Dream and Danehill branches of the Danzig line. Pinatubo’s leading runner, G2 runnerup Wolf Of Badenoch is out of a mare bred on the Galileo/Danehill cross, identical to the cross which produced Frankel and Teofilo. This combines two of the sirelines which have had the some of the best results in mares visiting Shamardal and his sons.

A particularly powerful nick is emerging between I Am Invincible and Shamardal with the first three and only three runners bred on this cross all being Stakes Winners including two G1 winners, nine time G1 winning champion sprinter Imperatriz and G1 winner Move To Strike. These are exceptional statistics which are reinforced by other very successful nicks involving sons of I Am Invincible and sons of Shamardal, providing very strong clues that the reverse Shamardal (and sons)/I Am Invincible crosses look to have huge potential.

Inbreeding / Linebreeding options
The key names in Pinatubo’s pedigree are those of Shamardal’s second dam Helen Street, while in his dam line we find Darshaan, Miswaki, Sadler’s Wells and the mare Eljaazi which all provide opportunities for compatible matings.

Strategy One
Mares by Frankel or Teofilo would replicate the cross which has produced Pinatubo’s young star Wolf Of Badenoch in Great Britain. This early Stakes success with Sadler’s Wells line sires presents further opportunities to send mares from that line. High quality sources include Galileo, High Chaparral, So You Think, Dundeel, Medaglia D’Oro, Toronado, Teofilo, Frankel, Kermadec, New Approach, Tavistock, Tivaci, Redwood, Contributer and Montjeu among others. In Pinatubo’s case this will result in inbreeding to Sadler’s Wells which has already been responsible for over 400 Stakes winners and 45 G1 winners worldwide including stars such as Mr Brightside, Enable, Tuvalu, Bay Bridge and Sir Dragonet.

Strategy Two
Inbreeding to Helen Street has already produced Darley’s undefeated two-year-old Victor Ludorum and can be achieved using mares by sires such as Street Cry, Street Boss, Pride Of Dubai, Hallowed Crown or Territories, or with mares whose dam or second dam is by any of those sires. The Street Cry lines also provide the successful Shamardal/Mr Prospector nick.

Strategy Three
Pinatubo’s second dam is by Barathea (by Sadler’s Wells) and inbreeding to the mare Special by returning Nureyev is one of the most successful combinations in modern pedigrees. Zabeel and his sire descendants such as Lonhro, Pierro and Savabeel not only provide the favourable inbreeding to Special but also to the Sir Gaylord sire line as outlined in the G1 statistics.

Strategy Four
Pinatubo’s fourth dam Eljaazi is also the second dam of Pride Of Dubai and the third dam of Invincible spirit (sire of I Am Invincible) offering inbreeding opportunities to mares by those sires. Pride Of Dubai is by Street Cry who is a full brother to Shamardal’s dam, so mares by that young sire provide inbreeding to both Helen Street and Eljaazi.

Strategy Five
The powerful emerging nick between Shamardal and I Am Invincible and their sons, is a strong indication that mares by I Am Invincible and his sons are likely prospects for sons of Shamardal such as Pinatubo.

Strategy Six
Daughters of Fastnet Rock have produced two of the four Australian G1 winners by Shamardal’s son Lope de Vega. Mares by Fastnet Rock, his sons, or from his Danehill sire line are worthwhile options.

Footnote: p and * in basic terms mean possible improver.