BREEDING FORUM

Posted: **Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:52 am**

A quick look at the pedigree of Moonlight Cloud shows no close inbreeding except the almost compulsory Northern Dancer. He is found in Danzig and Nijinsky here and this is a very potent re-enforcement of that great stallions talents.

The cross is seen in the pedigrees of no less than 526 stakes winners, including the phenomenal Sunline (Desert Song X Songline). The sheer number of stakes winners in Australia alone with pedigrees that feature these ‘grandees’ is incredible.

In Europe less so but still an effective cross and an active one too.

Since Jan 2011 to Apl 2013 there have been 201 stakes winners with this cross somewhere in their first 5 generations.

The interesting parts of Moonlight Cloud’s pedigree lie further back, She has that classic pedigree type with a potent and effective inbreeding close up and more subtle interwoven influences much further back.

Her 3rd Dam Doff The Derby was the dam of Generous (Caerleon). Doff The Derby is inbred to full brother and sister Fighting Fox and Marguery, (Sir Gallahad X Margurite). Fighting Fox is found in the pedigree of Moonlight Cloud’s sire Invincible Spirit through Danzig’s dam Pas de Nom. The same cross will be found in Nijinskys dam through Omaha. Further reinforcing the links.

Also further back in Moonlight Clouds pedigree another commonly found Australian pattern can be found, that is multiples of the highly influential dam Sweet Lavender. She is more commonly found through her famous descendents Klairon, Ambiorix and My Babu and they are ALL on duty here Klairon more than once and so are other major conduits Source Sucree and Turn To.

In fact Moonlight Cloud’s pedigree is a prop for a master class on pedigree analysis and the importance of a concentration of related ancestors further back in a pedigree. There is plenty of evidence of the No 5 family, and sons and daughters of Selene.