Andrew Caulfield, May 21, 2002 – Grey Sovereign

P EDIGREE INSIGHTS By the time of his death, Grey Sovereign had established a flourishing male line, founded principally BY ANDREW CAULFIELD on his sons Sovereign Path, Fortino II (sire of Caro) and Zeddaan (sire of the truly remarkable Kalamoun). Oddly enough, the Grey Sovereign-male line has ‘SPIRIT’ OF GREY SOVEREIGN virtually disappeared in Britain and Ireland, swept away As War Emblem has been reminding us so vividly in in the onslaught by Northern Dancer’s descendants. recent weeks, the ingredients which go to make an Fortunately for everyone, it continues to flourish in exceptional horse often include a burning desire to many other parts of the world. In the U.S. it depends dominate. This inner fire can sometimes make things on Caro’s descendants, such as Cozzene, sire this year difficult for the people associated with the horse, as the of Mizzen Mast, the good Japanese colts Admire life of that great stallion Nasrullah demonstrated, and Cozzene and God of Chance, and In Excess. the same applied to Nasrullah’s son Grey Sovereign. Caro has also helped sustain the Grey Sovereign line Grey Sovereign’s obituary in the Bloodstock Breeders’ in France, mainly through his very effective son Kaldoun, but the line’s mainstay in France has been Annual Review of 1976 recorded that: Kalamoun. Although most of Kalamoun’s best sons “His highly strung temperament caused concern proved very disappointing as stallions in Europe, the throughout his lifetime. Even as a two-year-old, he was high-class miler Kenmare proved a notable exception, frequently ridden in the paddock preliminaries and was and another son, Kampala, was destined to make a often accompanied to the start by the trainer’s lasting impact on Japanese bloodstock through his assistant, whose unenviable task was to help the horse Arc-winning son, Tony Bin. relax by ‘pulling his tongue;’ however, Grey Sovereign Kenmare had already been sold to Australia by the was never inclined to do anything against his will. His time he completed his first French championship in stubbornness persisted into old age, when he would 1988, but two of his Group 1-winning sons, Highest sometimes defy all attempts to bring him in from his Honor and Kendor, were ready to step into his shoes. Kendor is now responsible for Keltos, who staked his paddock. If rearing up and striking out failed to have claim to being the best older miler in Europe when he the desired effect, he would charge with teeth bared.” sprinted away with Saturday’s G1 Juddmonte Lockinge Grey Sovereign’s temperament often proved a S., and Highest Honor completed a Group 1 double for hindrance on the track. Racing long before starting his male line when his daughter Marotta took the stalls were introduced in Britain, he twice refused to following day’s G1 Prix Saint-Alary. race as a four-year-old and he also ruined his chance on I mentioned earlier that one possible reason for the two other occasions that year. However, his high decline of the Grey Sovereign line in Britain and Ireland nervous energy proved more of a help than a hindrance was the arrival of the Northern Dancer line. However, as a stallion. He became champion sire of juveniles in the two have worked together to produce Keltos, 1958 and 1961 and once finished as high as second on whose dam, Loxandra, is inbred 3x3 to Northern Dancer. It’s well worth pointing out that last year’s dual the general sires’ list, even though his progeny were Group 1 winner Chichicastenango is by another Grey mainly best at up to a mile. Sovereign line stallion out of a mare inbred 2x3 to Northern Dancer. Could this be the answer for breeders looking for outcross stallions for mares closely inbred to Northern Dancer? (Pedigree Insights cont.)

www.coolmore.com Keltos’ dam Loxandra was only a minor mile winner in England, but she was bred along similar lines to Waajib, a high-class miler best known nowadays as the sire of Royal Applause, last year’s leading freshman sire in Britain and Ireland. Waajib was by Try My Best, the grandsire of Loxandra, and he was out of Coryana, the second dam of Loxandra. The idea of sending Loxandra to a stallion from the Grey Sovereign line probably owes something to Keltos’ fifth dam, Corbalton. When Corbalton was sent to Grey Sovereign’s son Fortino II in 1967, she produced a son, Knockroe, which embodied all the pluses and the minuses of this volatile male line. This temperamental gelding so disliked racing in the company of other horses that his trainer resorted to using his 3.5 litre Rover car as Knockroe’s galloping companion on the training grounds. In his races, Knockroe usually strolled along well behind the others, while he decided whether or not to give chase in the second half of the race. When in the mood, he was capable of producing a breathtaking finishing kick and he won several important races at up to 1 3/4 miles. That finishing kick is also now apparent in Keltos, a very progressive individual whose long-term target is the Breeders’ Cup Mile.