Will Woodman make it in Australia

FASTHORSES

THE WINNING PEDIGREE

Will Woodman make it in Australia?

Winning Post 20 November 2000

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With the Melbourne Spring carnival over it is now possible to focus one's attention on the stallions who will have their first foals racing this season. To follow the progress of those who have been so cleverly bred and who have sold so well at last years premier yearling sales.

Probably one of the most anticipated stallion debut's will be Woodman, already proven in Europe and America before coming here and a stallion who has served an impressive band of broodmares.

Woodman's formula or pedigree has already been tried in Australia as he is a brother in blood to Dazzling Account who has stood at various studs New South Wales over the last decade. An elegant looking dark bay Dazzling Account had the better pedigree by virtue of the fact that his dam Numbered Account (full sister to Playmate) was the Champion Juvenile of her year. Dazzling Account's racing career was hampered after a serious floating accident and although he was well patronized in his first season, served some nice mares and had some clever mating's he turned out to be something of an under-achiever at stud.

It will be interesting to see how his famous sibling in blood Woodman performs here and he certainly has a huge advantage of standing at Coolmore Stud which has had no difficulty attracting some high profiled matrons to his paddock (137): Canny Lass, Canny Miss, Burst, All Grace, Apple Danish, Bounding Away, Bint Marscay, Cashier, Danarani, Dashing Eagle, Ease and Comfort, Easy Date, Fitting, Northwood Flume, Midnight Fever, Sudden, Vain Hill, Spirit of Kingston and Peruzzi - all of whom have crossed his path.

Ability and toughness are the qualities that will have to be inherited in equal measure by his foals if his line is to flourish here. For the latter quality he will no doubt appreciate the depth of his broodmare band which will hopefully carry him over the rising tide of the Danzig/Sir Gaylord clan who are busily annexing places in the top 10. Danehill could be a little harder to shift from the top spot, but the top spot is what a stallion of Woodman's caliber would be aiming for in any event.

While his foals from the Danehill and Boucher mares he saw might be especially challenging for trainers the ones from Sir Tristram mares should prove resilient. Particular examples of that cross to follow would be Treefella and Pure Grace who is the half sister to Saintly. Marscay mares should also be worth following especially Sheraton who is from Bint Marscay and is a half brother to the Blue Diamond Prelude winner Mannington. Bletchingly mares also look promising with Bentham having linebreeding to Star Kingdom which should help it get to the track and win some nice races. Sadler's Wells was another gritty competitor whose toughness would be useful and Have Another is from his daughter Landaria. My Woodie is Peruzzi's foal and is also worth following.

Doubtless many people will be carefully following the progress of Woodman's first crop in Australia as he is in the unique position of already being a proven sire in America and Europe and he will have over 64 foals up for sale in 2001.