The first Indian-bred stallion to sire an Indian Classic winner was Renala Stud’s Philosopher. In 1949-50, his daughter Gamble For Love won the first three Indian Classics and his son Mansoor Beg won the Indian Derby. Mansoor Beg was beaten just a length in the Indian St. Leger; otherwise, Philosopher’s progeny would have won all five Indian Classics in one year. It is a feat that no stallion has yet managed and the Indian-bred Philosopher has come closest to achieving it. That should have augered well for the Indian-born stallions but, unfortunately, it has not been so. Several Indian-born stallions have done well, sired winners of Indian Classics including the Indian Derby but only a few of our Champions make it to the stallion ranks and those that do so are rarely supported with quality mares in sufficient numbers.
It is hence refreshing to see Multitude alongside his own sire at Usha Stud. Usha Stud has previously stood Indian-born stallions with Topmost and Track Lightning doing duty. However, they were essentially standbys. The choice of Multitude may not meet the universal nod. However, there are sound reasons to have done so. Let’s examine Multitude’s credentials.
The Individual
Multitude is a carbon copy of his dad, Multidimensional. He looks and behaves like him. Like Multidimensional, Multitude is light of his feet, a similar height and weight and bone, and looks like a younger duplicate. He is beautifully balanced and has a perfect conformation and wonderful temperament.
Race Record
Multitude won 25 races over Five years, placed in the remaining 10 races, was off-the-board just twice and earned over Rs. 25 million in stakes. That attests his durability and consistency. He failed to win a Classic only because he came up against Desert God in the Calcutta 2000 Guineas, Gr.2 and Calcutta Derby, Gr.1, being within two lengths of the winner on both the occasions. That is a top-of- the- shelf form. He retired with a rating of 124 whereas Desert God was rated 122 at the end of his equally long career. Desert God excelled at long distances while Multitude’s forte was Sprinting and he never raced beyond a mile in his last 26 starts and only once at that distance. There is a paucity of Gr.1 races at distances of 1400 m. and 1200 m. Twenty three of Multitude’s wins were at 1200 m. and 1400 m.: No horse in India has won as many sprints, at least this century. Some of the best international stallions such as Danehill, Invincible Spirit and Danzig have been Sprinting champions.
Sire
Multidimensional, the sire of Multitude, is unquestionably the most successful of current stallions in India today. Multidimensional has so far sired 38 Classic winners and that places him Third, behind Razeen (57), Placerville (42), in the all-time list. Unlike the above stallions, Multidimensional is not finished yet and has some more crops to go. A Champion Freshman Sire, he has added Six Overall Champion Sires: double of any current stallion in India. The legacy of a stallion of this calibre needs to be maintained and Multitude came along at just the right time.
Dam
Multitude’s dam Haedi came to India in 2008. She had been bought as a filly-out-of-training at Goff’s Sale in November 2007 by Brian Grassic Bloodstock on behalf of Usha Stud for 9,000 euros. Haedi had raced just thrice at 3 in the Godolphin colours, ending her career with a win over 1200 m. She was not in foal when she came and she went to China Visit to beget Halle. Halle was a winner and placed third in Forbes Breeders’ Juvenile Fillies’ Championship, Gr.3. The Razeen filly Frankanella who came next won 2 races. Multitude was Haedi’s third foal followed by full-sister SHERYL and full-brother Haedi’s Folly (now called Manchester). Sheryl was classy. She dropped her jockey Trevor on her debut and then reeled off a hat-trick culminating in Bangalore Summer Million, Gr.3. Her promising career was nipped in the bud when she had a fracture on the track and was retired from racing. She produced the classic winner STOCKBRIDGE.
Haedi is bred on the King’s Best-Sadler’s Wells cross responsible for Juddmonte’s Epsom Derby winner Workforce. She is also inbred 4×2 to three-parts brothers Nureyev and Sadler’s Wells and her mating with Multidimensional brings the highly successful Danehill-Sadler’s Wells cross into play.
Family
Haedi’s fourth dam Babucon, a daughter of the brilliant My Babu (My Babu was also the sire of Grey Gaston’s grandam) did not win but her mating to Derring-Do produced the speedy Dervaig who won 15 races. She was brought back for breeding to England. Dervaig marks an important milestone in the development of the Pawky family which was anything but speedy. From Dervaig onwards it has been brilliant which even the stamina of the Prix de l’Arc Triomphe winner Star Appeal or the great Sadler’s Wells has not been able to blunt. All the black-type performers descending from Dervaig have excelled at short of a mile.
Dervaig’s daughter Vaigly Star placed second in William Hill July Cup, Gr.1 Vaigly Star is the grandam of Haedi.
When talking of a prospective stallion, traditionalists always ask, “Is it a sire producing family ?” If the question is asked about Multitude, the answer is Dream Ahead. Both Multitude and Dream Ahead have Vaigly Star as their third dam. Dream Ahead was a Champion Sprinter who won five Gr.1 short-distance races. He stands, alongside Lawman and Lethal Force at Haras de Grandchamp in Normandy, France and has produced Gr.1 progeny. There is also Vaigly Great, a half-brother of Vaigly Star.
First Book
It is one thing to stand an Indian-bred horse and quite another to provide him with adequate support. Multitude has covered 28 mares in his first season and that is the second largest book given to an Indian stallion ever to start him off. Multidimensional has done exceptionally well with Razeen mares and Multitude covered ten daughters of Razeen this year. There are seven imported or ‘got-abroad’ mares, eight who are closely related to Classic winners, two Classic producers and three from the families from which Multidimensional has got Classic winners. Some mares, though, fall in more than one category.
Conclusion
No matter how well performed a horse, how bred-in-the-purple he is and how imposing his looks, there is an element of uncertainty of how he fares as a stallion. Good stallions usually make a mark with their first crops. Air Support struck with his second. Usha Stud stallions have always been in the upper echelons of Stallion Rankings and Multitude is a worthy contender to keep the flag flying high for Usha.
by Major Nargolkar
