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Instant conclusions are a feature of the turf anywhere in the world. The fact that a race takes so little time to be completed – rarely more than three minutes – means that the pundits and post-mortem specialists are ‘ready’ with judgments even before the evidence has been weighed or evaluated.
For some reason, earlier this year, the Manjri Stud-bred Major Impact[USA] filly, Bratz, was pronounced by some to be a pure sprinter. The corroborating evidence for this untenable finding was the raw speed she had displayed when leaving Hesperus and others dizzy in the Juvenile Sprinters Million, Gr.3, at Bangalore in June. Certainly, Bratz has speed – but possession of speed and stamina are not mutually exclusive! The best horses have a blend of both.
Admittedly, Dizzy Heights (1993 by Brave Owen[GB]), the dam of Bratz, was also a speedy filly, with nine victories and six placings to her credit from 17 appearances. However, what was not noticed was that two of those successes recorded by the property of Ross Deas, Lynn Deas and Sumit Gupta had come over 1,400 m. What’s more, Dizzy Heights had a half-brother, White Metal (1995 by Metal Precieux[IRE]), who stayed well enough to annex the 1,800 m. Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Trophy, Gr.3, and to finish on the board in the 2,800 m. Indian St. Leger, Gr.1. Finally, the sire of Bratz, Major Impact[USA] (a son of Roberto) is an influence for stamina, having been most effective over ten furlongs (2,000 m.) in the USA.
Consequently, on her pedigree, Bratz could well have been expected to stay the metric mile, if not further. And stay she did, when making the 1600 m. Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association Mysore 1000 Guineas, Gr.2, her own on September 9th. Interestingly, this was the first time that any of the progeny of Dizzy Heights had ever been permitted to essay this distance, her other foals Dizzy Lizzie (1999 by Don’t Forget Me[IRE]), Ashbourne (2000 by Don’t Forget Me[IRE]), and Shyboy (2001 by Diffident[FR]), all being campaigned over sprints.
This hard-knocking family entered India over four decades ago through the grey mare, Portrait Attachment* (1960 by Nearcolein). A 500 guinea yearling, she was a useful two-year-old in England when trained by Harvey Leader. At the end of her juvenile season, she was resold for 1,150 guineas to the British Bloodstock Agency and sent to India, where Dady Adenwalla took over her training responsibilities for the filly’s new owner, Mr. G.N. Musry, who raced under the nom de course of "Mr. Diamond". Interestingly, Mr. Musry had the remarkable fortune of owning the first Indian Triple Crown winner, Commoner, in 1953-54, as well as that galloping grey, described as "one of the greatest horses ever to race in India" – Baqlava.
Portrait Attachment*’s finest moment on these shores came in the 1,800 m. Southern Command Cup of 1964, which she took by four lengths from Red Royal and Al Bashir. She was retired to the Greenacres Estate stud by Musry, who sold her after six seasons to the Poonawalla brothers. Her third foal, at her new home, was a 1974-foaled daughter of Satinello*, acquired as a yearling by Mr. Shyam Ruia. Named Gioconda, the grey filly scored thrice, with one of her wins coming in the M.D. Mehta Gold Cup.
When her turn came to grace the paddocks, Gioconda was sent to the Yeravada Stud and her second daughter there, Place Pigalle (1984 by Confusion[IRE]), was retained to race in the ‘All Blue’ Ruia silks, sporting which, she scored on four occasions. By this time, Mr. Ruia had set up the Equus Stud which became Place Pigalle’s home in January 1989. It is from this base that the grey produced the afore-mentioned White Metal and Dizzy Heights, amongst others.
While the family had come up with Benlitta (1973 by Romiti*), heroine of the Hyderabad Fillies Trial Stakes almost 30 years ago, and dam of Williamson Magor Calcutta Trial Stakes winner Schwarzenegger (1989 by Tocave Botta[USA]), Bratz is the first genuine Classic winner tracing to Portrait Attachment*, and hopefully not the last. Indeed, the success of Bratz goes to show that intelligent upgradation of families can yield top-class runners, provided the base is sound.
- Anil Mukhi
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