Soviet Song In Foal

[Diamond Geezer]

From Sporting Life

Multiple Group One-winning mare Soviet Song has been tested in foal to top sprinter Oasis Dream.

The eight-year-old, owned by the Elite Racing Club and trained by James Fanshawe, retired to the paddocks at Kirtlington Stud in Oxfordshire at the end of the 2006 Flat season.

However, a mating with Montjeu last year proved unsuccessful.

"She was checked on Friday and we are thrilled about that.

"We were starting to get nervous after missing the first year. It's obviously early days but very heartening," said Elite's racing manager Matthew Budden.

Soviet Song had a glorious racing career that included five Group Ones among nine victories and a total of £1,168,370 in prize money.

 

[Venusian]

That's good news.

Top racemares can sometimes be a little tricky to get in foal in their first season at stud, and Soviet Song was covered last year by both Montjeu and Galileo with no result.

I wonder why they've gone to the opposite end of the stamina spectrum by using the sprinter Oasis Dream, whose most successful offspring so far is the sprinter Captain Gerrard. You'd think they'd be trying to breed a horse with some sort of classic potential. Anyway, at least she's in foal.

The foal will be full of Northern Dancer blood (4X5X5X5).

 

[an capall]

It sounds like Princess Anne married a docker.

 

[Sara]

She was treated at great length for endomentriosis, and there were doubts she woudl ever be able to carry a foal. I wonder whether they wanted to try a cheaper stallion this time round, but one with a high % fertility strike rate, to ensure she was fertile, before sending her back to a better stallion. It did always seem and odd decision however. The main thing is she has taken, which is a huge relief all round; let's hope she carries to term now

Iirc, there was some stuff in the newletter telling us of the covering, about more stamina than you would think in Oasis Dream's pedigree. I'm not at home so don't have access to the relevant text, and can't be arsed to look for it on the club website. Personally I'd rather she'd gone to Choisir!

One consideration was that it had to be a British based stallion this year, the closer to home the better - they didn't want the added stress of her travelling