Racehorse TALK

Breeding and genetics are clearly the least understood factor in horses racing-so in short  noone knows for sure.
Everyone has their theories though.
My theory is that some stallions have a slight genetic predominance and likewise some mares.
Environment is possibly as big or bigger factor for mine and so I think the mare raising the foal gives the mare slightly more relevance.

Thanks DJH, enviroment meaning quality care and feed- as in better quality paddocks etc?

Personally,
I think a good producing mare wil do well with any stallion

I agree wily.

Yes I  think feed, patience, horsemanship, and the care/attitude of the mare all play major roles.
Just look at humans..
Whether people like to believe it or not they become like those around them, be it good or bad

thats sort of what i was thinking re the fact that nearly all stallions have great breeding. of course some crosses will work better Wiley.

Flatout

I agree about the crosses and nicks. Some clearly work but I reckon, for example, Diatribe would get a heap of G1 winners if you gave him all the mares that Redoutes gets.
Instead, he's struggling

yehh for sure. im thinking that way too. just that most standing stallions have performed on the track and have the breeding so its makes sense that by putting a proven performing stallion with good broodmares you should get good results- youre argument re diatribe i agree with. think perhaps cheaper stallions with similar lines as the goodens could probably do a great job if given the good mares.

Most of the top stallions are top stallions because they are dominant and you have a better chance of getting getting a similar type to the sire from the majority of mares, similarly most great Broodmares are dominant and will dictate the progeny "type", altermatively just because a mare hasn't had any progeny that could win a race doesn't mean her genes are not dominating the union, just in the wrong direction, same with a stallion, you have to look at the mares progeny and see
1, If they are by different stallions and still the same type?
2. if they are different types then it is reasonable to assume the stallion is the reason and may be dominant (or more than equally)responsible, you need to go to a stallion that will dominate and dictate what type you are likely to get, trouble is once your mares first couple of foals have raced you won't get into a Good commercial stallion unless they were successful, best you make sure your mare is well bred enough to go to a commercial stallion and pay for the best stallion that is suitable that you can afford from the start, sometimes you may be better off with a broodmare that has submissive genes so you can go to a dominant stallion and let him "make" your mare!

Breeding can be quite lucrative but you must aim to breed for commercial reasons even if you are going to race the progeny yourself, the reason is that without counting the Stallion service fee it will cost the best part of $10/20,000 possibly more to get the foal to racing age, if you go to a $2/5,000 stallion with a mare that hasn't a commercial pedigree you won't get that much for the progeny in a sale because he will be forced into a country sale where there is no money even if you fluke a stunning type!!
You can save yourself 18months and go to the sales and buy the best type in the sale for less than $20,000 and you know what you are buying
hope this is of some help

Wiley that is something that will never happen, (re Diatribe) I agree that with Redoutes mares he would most likely do much better, whether he would do the job that Redoutes Choice is doing is debatable however, Studs like Arrowfield and Coolmore can "make" a stallion, they have 2 of the best broodmare bands on the planet, but they wouldn't send their good mares to a stallion that they didn't think could do the job otherwise they are wasting the Broodmares career and yjey are finite, a lot of it is artificial and if you send your mare to one of their top stallions thinking you will get $millions for the progeny you will most likely be disappointed, a lot of things that happen in the sales ring aren't what they appear to be