The best progeny of Eden Roc’s damsire Captain Al appear to fall into one of two kin-breeding ways. One is through sire Al Mufti, notably the clan of Buckpasser (and La Troienne descendants). The other is through elements from Captain Al’s female line, notably grandam Infanta and her dam Beylic.

Townsend, Eden Roc Gr2 winning dam, seems to fall in the latter category. The closest link is through Infanta with 4th dam Island Farewell. Both are by Jamaico, and both carry a double of Baby Polly, daughter of influential mare Pretty Polly.

Baby Polly comes through as dam of Colorado Kid, sire of the 3rd dams of Jamaico and of Island Farewell, and as dam of Duddingston, sire of the third dam of Infanta. 

This suggests that mares with pedigrees carrying descendants of Baby Polly (or of her dam Pretty Polly) might work well with Eden Roc.

Apart from her two sire-sons, Baby Polly’s legacy comes through daughter Rusk, and her daughter Turkish Blood, dam of sire Vienna. Known as sire of champion Vaguely Noble, Vienna carries a double of Pretty Polly – from Rusk, and from Donatello, damsire of Vienna’s sire Aureole.

Of interest is the kin-breeding in Vienna’s dam Turkish Blood. The grandam of her sire Turkhan is Teresina, who is close kin to Baby Polly. Teresina is known as dam of stallion Alibhai, importantly through a daughter, Flower Bowl (dam of sires His Majesty and Graustark). Teresina is doubly represented in the pedigree of sire-producing mare Toussaud, kin-linking Best In Show with the mare Ortalan (aside, the latter is by Swaps, who has strong kin-links to Flower Bowl). Pedigrees with Baby Polly as well as Teresina thus might suit Eden Roc.

The remote female line of Eden Roc goes to influential mare Santa Brigida. She’s notable in Gold Bridge, Heliopolis, Herculaneum. Santa Brigida is close kin to the mare Padua (doubled in Blue Larkspur). Kin-links come together in the mare Bloodroot, grandam of Lalun, who in turn is closely kin-bred. Lalun is dam of Never Bend and Bold Reason, the latter leading to Sadler’s Wells and female line ancestor Dalmary.

Several of Var’s best progeny appear to have dams who carry direct female line descendants of La Troienne, or descendants of La Troienne in other combinations, notably though Buckpasser (Numbered Account/Sex Appeal & descendants, Woodman, etc.). This could be the way to go if or when Eden Roc continues his sire’s affinities.

Suitable Lines

Suitable lines for Eden Roc could include

• Vienna (Vaguely Noble in Flower Alley, Indigo Magic)
• Alibhai (Flower Bowl & sons His Majesty and Graustark – widespread)
• Best In Show and dam Stolen Hour through Northern Guest (Pomodoro, Capetown Noir), Pathfork, El Gran Senor (Visionaire, Cordoba (Act Of War)), Redoute’s Choice (Rafeef), Canford Cliffs (has double Stolen Hour, and has Vienna in his sire)
• female line descendants of Baby Polly & dam Pretty Polly (widespread, but remote)
• female line descendants of La Troienne (notably Buckpasser & dam Busanda – widespread)
• first prize could be Oratorio. The dam of his sire Danehill is by His Majesty out of a Buckpasser mare. His dam is by Vaguely Noble. His pedigree has double Heliopolis and treble Blue Larkspur, coming together in female line ancestor Heliolight, who is close kin to Buckpasser.

(posted 2024)