Pedigree Dynamics News Blog

Sheikh Mohammed's smart three year old filly Yesterday represents the latest bud on a family tree deep rooted in Thoroughbred history. A daughter of the stakes winning mare Donna Cara and Red Ransom, Yesterday has had five starts for two wins and three thirds, her most recent start resulting in an impressive Listed win at Sandown. Peter Snowdon announced that he would be putting her away for the Autumn and is confident of adding to her black type tally. Yesterday's granddam is the Hotfoot mare Corn, the dam of Maizcay and Fitting, dam of Catbird and Danbird and of Coat, dam of Pillar of Hercules. Her third dam Donna Nook was imported from England in 1975 and settled in well here, producing four stakes winners including the sires County and Dieu D'Or and the dam of Half Hennessy. While these first three generations have yielded many Aussie sires, its further back that things get interesting to pedigree enthusiasts. Donna Nook's dam Donna Lydia is out of a three quarter sister to the great Donatello II, a product of the renowned breeder and pedigree theorist, Federico Tesio. In fact, Donna Lydia is named after his wife, who was invaluable to Senor Tesio with her marvellous knowledge of the Stud Book and gift for organisation. Donatello II produced the likes of Royal Ascot Gold Cup winner Alycidon and Derby winner Crepello and went on to be the Leading Sire of Broodmares in 1953. Donatello II's fourth dam is the incomparable Pretty Polly, a racing legend in England. The winner of 22 of her 24 starts including all 9 of her juvenile starts, Pretty Polly was a relative flop as a broodmare, however her four daughters produced 24 fillies among them and founded a dynasty which includes Nearctic, best known as the sire of Northern Dancer, an indisputable giant in Thoroughbred genealogy. This ties back in with Senor Tesio, who also bred Nearctic. Incidentally, Tesio also bred the horse touted as arguably the best of the 20th Century, Ribot. He shares contention for this title with ten-time Group One winner Brigadier Gerard, who also descends from Pretty Polly. Harking back to our subject horse, Yesterday, it is good to see that not only is she providing a bright spark in the most recent edition of this line, but that her immediate family is also picking up the bit. Her half sister, SW Donna Dior is the dam of promising stayer Galileo's Daughter, who was twice Group One placed last season. Pictured is one of this family's newest additions, a Hussonet colt out of Caradon a half-sister to Yesterday.