OCEAN OF RICHES

 Published on: February-March 2006

What can one say about an improving youngster? The sky is the limit? Trite, but true. In Desert Lightning, a daughter of the ubiquitous Razeen out of Ocean Sunset, one can veritably say that trainer Shiraz Sunderji has a filly with “oceans” of ability, one whose true merit is as yet uncertain. Not too much should be read into her failure in the Dheeraj Arma Indian Oaks as she did not please in her paddock appearance on the latter occasion and lives to fight another day.

This exciting prospect made little impact in her first racing season at Mahalakshmi, when unplaced from three starts. She first hit the headlines in August when annexing the Mayor’s Trophy over 1800 m. at Pune, and even though she followed up in the 2000 m. Pune Racing Journalists Trophy at the end of October in facile fashion, she was widely regarded as being well short of classic standard.

The property of Mr. & Mrs. R.B. Jain and Mr. D.R. Jain had other ideas. Good fortune in the shape of jockey Colm O’Donoghue arrived in Mumbai just in time to be considered for the ride in the Indian 1000 Guineas, Gr.1. Despite being kept well of the pace, and then being steered round the turn some 10 paths wide, Desert Lightning accelerated so purposefully up the middle of the track that she was drawing away at the end. The tactic of going wide was employed in order to avoid interference in the unwieldy 17 runner field.

OCEAN SUNSET

Ocean Sunset, the winner of a couple of races worth Rs.2,15,575, earned her place in the Usha broodmare band by dint of the fact that she was a Steinbeck-sired daughter of the well-credentialled Sun Sparkle. Probably Ocean Sunset was better than her bare record indicated. An early debut winner over 1100 m. at Pune at 2 years, on that occasion she defeated Ray Of Light (then known as Rich Collection), who went on to win the Deccan Derby, Gr.1, and finish runner-up to Smart Chieftain in the McDowell Indian Derby, Gr.1!

Later Ocean Sunset disappointed a few times before being sent to Calcutta where Vijay Singh saddled her to a victory in the 1200 m. Sreepriya Cup just after she turned four. Retired to stud shortly thereafter, she visited Razeen and came up with the more-than-useful stayer Friendly Fire, winner of 9 races worth Rs.19,89,232 and runner-up to the peerless Southern Regent in the Golconda St. Leger, Gr.2, last November. Ocean Sunset has a 3-year-old named Strathendrick in training with Bezan Chenoy, who has yet to start. She missed in 2003, but has a smashing Razeen yearling filly that is an own-sister to Desert Lightning and is due to him again.

Sun Sparkle, a daughter of breed-shaper Nureyev from a mare by another stalwart in Vaguely Noble, showed only a little ability – she placed a couple of times from 6 starts, when trained by (Sir) Michael Stoute for her breeder, Mrs. Vera Hue-Williams, owner of the Woolton House Stud. Covered by Never So Bold, Sun Sparkle made her way to India in early 1993, but the resulting chestnut colt died as a foal. Sun Sparkle bred several winners, but none set the Ganga on fire, and it is only through her daughter Ocean Sunset that she is set to gain lasting fame on the Indian turf.

The next dam, Flyingtrip, won 4 times in Italy and was reasonably successful at stud in the U.S.A., coming up with 6 winners from 13 named foals, including the Green Dancer colt Icona, who won a Group 1 event in South Africa and the Raise A Native colt, Cock Robin, who was Group 1 placed in England before becoming a successful sire in Turkey.

Flyingtrip is also grandam of Fit Performer, winner of 9 races worth $356,309, including the Interborough Handicap, and third dam of Gr.3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes winner Diktatorial and more recently of Oprah Winney, triumphant in the Randaroo Stakes at Aqueduct, New York.

The grey mare was a half-sister to the T.V. Lark-sired stakes winner Canvasser (sire in Australia) and the unraced Intensive, dam of Intensive Command (Trenton Handicap, Gr.3), and Listed winners Bestofbothworlds (Pippin Stakes) and Song Of Africa (A.P. Indy Stakes).

The grey mare was a half-sister to the T.V. Lark-sired stakes winner Canvasser (sire in Australia) and the unraced Intensive, dam of Intensive Command (Trenton Handicap, Gr.3), and Listed winners Bestofbothworlds (Pippin Stakes) and Song Of Africa (A.P. Indy Stakes).

Their dam Flying Legs, despite being out of a daughter of stayer Alycidon, was very speedy, no doubt inheriting her ability – and her coat colour – from her grey sire, Palestine. The winner of the Molecomb and Lowther Stakes for her breeder, Mr. David Robinson, as a juvenile in England, Flying Legs was half-sister to Persian Gal, whose stirp has recorded classic success in India through Kings Academy (Calcutta Triple Crown) and Amber Regent (Bangalore Winter Derby).

Speed has been a hallmark of this family, despite the frequent use of stout sires. Undoubtedly, the primary source of this speed is the Orby-line horse Gold Bridge, sire of Gold Lily, the sixth dam of Desert Lightning. The ability of descendants of Orby, amongst them Panorama, Sir Cosmo, Skymaster and Vilmorin, to infuse speed into lines is well-documented.