Almahmoud formed a great dynasty

To say Almahmoud formed the greatest dynasty in world thoroughbred racing and breeding is an understatement.

She produced two stallions in Retinoscope and Ramadan by Native Dancer but is with the X-Factor passed down through her females that changed racing forever.

Her two daughters in particular Natalma and Cosmah enhanced the dynasty with the immortal Northern Dancer and the superb Halo, both seen in line breeding today - Rakeen an example in particular

What emerged ?
Tai, Nostrum, Northern Ace, Northern Atlantic were all pretty average in comparison to Natalma's best son Northern Dancer.
Her daughter Spring Adieu too would have a great influence on breeding, South Africans will all remember Damascus Gate but perhaps more her daughter Razyana.

Razyana produced a line of stallions Anziyan, Eagle Eyed, Nuclear Freeze and earth Planet.
She also foaled down another immortal in Danehill.

Spring Adieu's daughter You're my Lady ended up in South Africa and is responsible for the two full siblings Announce (standing at Cathy Martin's Hadlow) stud and Sarge.(Both stallions very close in kin to Danehill himself)

Consider how successful line breeding has been with this family and these stallions have and will nick with strong family lines. Announce already has a son Call to Combat at stud - out of a Rakeen mare (Northern Dancer x Halo) and one of his best performed progeny was out of a Damascus Gate mare.

Raise the Standard produced the stallion El Moxie and her daughter Coup de Folie and Bonita Franchita founded the lines of Machiavellian, Jules, Merchant of Venice, Orpen, Exit to Nowhere, Formalhaut, the Scott Brothers Mogok, and Ocean of Wisdom.

Out of this line comes Admiralofthefleet too
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Cosmah produced three stallions in Maribeau, Father's Image and finally Halo.

Her daughters produced hosts of stallions. Not least Del Sarto a major figure in South African pedigrees, his own brother Cannonade, Rexon, Royal Noble, Tridessus, Gleam Machine, Circle Home, Magloire, Lyphard's Trick, Super Stark and Map Maker.

Our Casey's Boy is another South African based stallion

It certainly won't end here. There are still female lines to keep an eye on in South Africa, Daphne Donnelly for one and Rubicon - dam of River Crossing another.

I always ask myself the question with all this inbreeding and limited (world wide) gene pool arent we breeding horses now days that resemble something from the Deep South, Outback or Danville ? :silly: Surely one should try and find new "niks" to give the horse that X factor or is the pool big enough to carry on the way we're going ?

One for Neigh. Our own Badger's Drift does not have in-breeding in five generations and is also devoid of Northern Dancer.

I think I might have seen this before.............

I'm not really a fan of inbreeding - more line breeding to superior mares
Through different siblings especially
Sadler's Wells x Mill Reef is the ultimate example and Danehill isn't the worst bred horse in Rasmussen fashion that ever graced the breeding shed and race track.
I do think dynasties break down because breeding is heavily commercial rather than sensible.
Breeding the very best to the very best isn't always sensible and despite Australia there are hordes of champions out of champions that could hardly get out of their own way.