Andrew Caulfield, June 1, 2004–Groom Tesse (GB) P EDIGREE INSIGHTS The Tetrarch, who was unbeaten in seven starts, was so extraordinary that he was described by his trainer BY ANDREW CAULFIELD Atty Persse as a freak, with Persse adding that “there will never be another like him.” 121ST DERBY ITALIANO-G1, i1,074,600, Rome, In addition to having two lines of The Tetrarch 5-30, 3yo, c/f, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.68, gd/fm. through Mumtaz Mahal in the sixth generation of his 1--GROOM TESSE (GB), 128, c, 3, by Groom Dancer pedigree, Kalamoun had two more lines through The 1st Dam: Vicomtesse Mag (Fr) (MSP-Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr) Tetrarch’s 2000 Guineas-winning son Tetratema. 2nd Dam: Vigorine (Fr), by Shakapour (Ire) Although Kalamoun wasn’t quite the superstar that The 3rd Dam: Vigorelle (Fr), by Rheffic (Fr) Tetrarch had been back in 1913, he possessed a O-Scuderia L3C; B-Azienda Agricola Rosati Colarieti; sizeable measure of his ancestor’s talents, as he T-Luigi Camici; J-Dario Vargiu; i536,940. Lifetime showed with decisive victories in the French 2000 Record: 11 starts, 6 wins, 3 places, i633,143. Guineas, Prix Lupin and Prix Jacques le Marois in 1973. Click for the racingpost.co.uk chart or the free There proved to be parallels--some very good, others brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. much less so--between Kalamoun and The Tetrarch when Kalamoun retired to his owner’s Ballymany Stud. If I were to ask readers to name the 20 most The Tetrarch had sired only 130 foals, partly because of outstanding stallions of the last 50 years, I’m sure that a lack of libido which prompted his owner to describe the leading candidates would include the likes of Mr his attitude as “monastic in the extreme.” He later Prospector, Northern Dancer, Sadler’s Wells, Nijinsky II, became sterile, but not before siring Mumtaz Mahal, Nureyev, Danzig, Bold Ruler, Blushing Groom, Storm Tetratema and three winners of the St Leger. Cat, Sunday Silence, Hail To Reason, Danehill and It soon became apparent that Kalamoun’s fertility was Seattle Slew. But would any of you spare a thought for also less than ideal, although there were no problems one of my own favorites, Kalamoun? with his libido. His death, as a result of colic and a As “Kala who?” would probably be the general twisted gut, in March 1979 meant that he had spent response to this suggestion in the U.S., I will plead only five years at stud and these five years yielded only Kalamoun’s case as one of the largely unsung heroes of 123 foals. However, Kalamoun sired 21 stakes winners European breeding. (17 percent) and he had an astonishing record with his Bred in 1970 by the Aga Khan, Kalamoun had a 50 sons. No fewer than ten of these 50 sons (20 pedigree true to the traditions of the Aga Khan’s own percent) became Group winners, with five of them-- family. The colt’s sire, Zeddaan, had won the French Bikala, Kalaglow, Kenmare, Persepolis and Shakapour-- 2000 Guineas and the third generation of the colt’s winning at G1 level. Some of these were to prove fairly pedigree included two major winners bred and owned by disastrous as stallions but Kenmare twice became the Aga’s grandfather, namely the tempestuous champion sire in France and another of Kalamoun’s Nasrullah and the 1950 2000 Guineas winner Palestine. Group winners, Kampala, sired Tony Bin, who has made Perhaps more to the point, the third generation also an indelible mark in Japan. included Rivaz, a highly talented full-sister to Nasrullah, Kenmare’s son Highest Honor, who has also been which meant that Kalamoun was inbred 4x4 to Nearco champion sire in France, is another with a very and to Mumtaz Begum. interesting pedigree. He is inbred 5x5x4x4 to Nasrullah, Mumtaz Begum was herself a daughter of Mumtaz 6x6x6x5x6x5 to Nearco and 6x6x6x5x7x5 to Mumtaz Mahal, the so-called “Flying Filly” who was by The Begum, with some of these lines coming through Tetrarch, whose coloring and achievements combined to Nasrullah, his sister Rivaz and their three-parts-brother earn him the nickname of “The Spotted Wonder.” Royal Charger.
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You can therefore imagine the considerable build-up of these bloodlines which was created when Shakapour’s daughter Vigorine was sent to Highest Honor--a mating which created 3x3 inbreeding to Kalamoun. Incidentally, these numerous lines to Nasrullah’s parents were balanced by several lines to Prince Rose, through his sons Prince Bio, Princequillo and Prince Chevalier. Highest Honor’s mating with Vigorine worked quite well, the resultant foal being Vicomtesse Mag, This filly was a little unlucky not to enjoy stakes success over a mile and a quarter, being beaten only half a length in the Prix de Liancourt and a short neck in the Prix Suave Dancer-Charles Laffitte. In view of these respectable efforts and her close inbreeding to Kalamoun, she was very well bought for only 14,000 guineas by Conti Bloodstock at Tattersalls’ 1997 Sales. Now the latent power of Vicomtesse Mag’s bloodlines has helped her produce a classic winner in the shape of her Derby Italiano-winning son Groom Tesse, by Groom Dancer. Groom Tesse is the latest example of the affinity which exists between Highest Honor and Blushing Groom (another member of the Nasrullah male line). Highest Honor’s matings with mares by sons of Blushing Groom have produced the Group 1 winners Dedication (out of a Sillery mare), Marotta (out of a Rainbow Quest mare) and Reve d’Oscar (out of a Baillamont mare). He has also sired the Group 3 winner Honorifique from a Groom Dancer mare. Groom Tesse is the latest in a lengthy line of good winners sired by the 20-year-old Groom Dancer during a career which has seen him stand in France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Britain, where he commands a fee of £7,000 at Cheveley Park Stud. One of his New Zealand-bred foals, Lady Annaliese, won the La Zanzara H. at Santa Anita earlier this year and another daughter, the very good French filly Maiden Tower, was beaten only a nose in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last October. However, Groom Tesse is only the third Group 1 winner by Groom Dancer, following Lord of Men and Le Balafre, and it could well be that his greatest value, in the long term, is going to be as a sire of broodmares. Three of his daughters have already produced G1 winners and his son Pursuit of Love has also made a bright start as a sire of broodmares, with the dual 1000 Guineas winner Attraction and the unlucky Antonius Pius leading the way.