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Ilala Stud, near Scone in Australia's Hunter Valley, has two talented runners that are an outcross for the sire lines currently dominating the Australian breeding scene. The tough chestnut Honor in War (TrueNicks) won the Turf Classic (gr. I) over nine furlongs (1800m), Arlington Handicap (gr. III), and the Fort Lauderdale Handicap, while racing in the U.S. Imported into Australia, he demonstrated his speed and versatility by running with the mighty Takeover Target in the 1400m Villiers Stakes (gr. II, video below), narrowly missing on the line but promoted to first by the stewards.

Honor in War is by Lord At War, a champion miler in Argentina and subsequently a multiple grade I winner and outstanding sire in the U.S. A grandson of the immortal English runner Brigadier Gerard, Honor in War is from the Fair Trial line, which has had a considerable impact in Australia and is still a present influence particularly through Vain. Honor in War’s granddam, Benguela, is a half sister to Lord At War’s grade I-winning and grade I-producing daughter La Gueriere. She’s also a half sister to grade I winner and graded stakes sire Al Mamoon, and to Lost Soldier, a graded stakes winner who sired U.S. champion sprinter Lost in the Fog. Benguela is also closely related to the great mare Allez France, dam of Air de France, sire in Australia of such as Bomber Bill and Air Seattle. Honor in War is very unusual for a stallion in the modern era in that he is completely free of Northern Dancer, and given his genetic background, it will be no surprise if he proves to be suited to Danzig line mares.

Classic Endeavor (TrueNicks) is another extremely tough and durable runner who faced the starter no less than 61 times. A stakes winner from 8¼ to 9½ furlongs (1650-1900m), he gained major stakes victories in the Queen’s County Handicap (gr. III), Stuyvesant Handicap (gr. III), Excelsior Handicap (gr. III), and Frisk Me Now Stakes. Classic Endeavor’s sire, Silver Buck, is a multiple grade I-winning son of the legendary Buckpasser. As a sire, Silver Buck achieved fame through his son Silver Charm, champion 3-year-old colt, and champion older horse, and winner of such contests as the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Dubai World Cup (gr. I). Silver Buck is also sire of grade I winners Forever Silver and Silver Maiden.

Classic Endeavor is a brother to stakes winner Little Bold Belle, in turn dam of the grade I-winning Unbridled Belle. The dam, Bold Juana, is a sister to Little Bold John, a multiple graded stakes winner of almost $2,000,000 and to the dam of multiple graded winner Funontherun, and three-parts-sister to two other stakes winners. In tail-female line, Classic Endeavor goes back to Little Sphinx, a sister to Savage Beauty, granddam of the outstanding sires Habitat and Northfields. Like Honor in War, Classic Endeavor is a complete outcross for Northern Dancer line mares.

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