Hero of an exceptionally strong renewal of The Galaxy (G1), MAGNUS is bred for speed on both sides of his pedigree. By Danehill’s Champion racehorse and Champion Sire son, Flying Spur, he is out of the speedy graded winner Scandinvia, also dam of graded winner Wilander, and granddam of graded winner Black Caviar.
Flying Spur has sired nine stakes winners out of mares descending from Sir Tristram, a cross that gives inbreeding to Sir Ivor. He has three stakes winners, one graded, out of mares by Zabeel, and he also has a grade one winner out of a mare by Kaapstad, which also suggests trying mares by Octagonal (a Zabeel three-parts-brother to Kaapstad) and his son, Lonhro. Flying Spur has a particularly strong affinity for the Sir Tristram strain through Marauding, with this cross producing four stakes winners, two grade one. Sovereign Red, Military Plume, Dr. Grace, Grosvenor, El Qahira and Islero.
Like Danehill and many of his Australian sons, Flying Spur has done very well with Star Kingdom line mares, getting 13 stakes winners on the cross. The Biscay branch is particularly strong, through Bletchingly and his sons Canny Lad and Star Watch (who would be very interesting through Hurricane Sky). Other branches of Biscay that have supplied stakes winners for Flying Spur are Marscay (with Blazing Sword being particularly interesting) and Zephyr Bay.
One of the most prolific crosses for Flying Spur has been with mares from his own Northern Dancer sire line. The cross has produced 15 stakes winners, eight graded. The Nijinsky II branch of Northern Dancer has done particularly well under Flying Spur, with stakes winners out of mares by Royal Academy, Western Symphony, Caerleon and Whiskey Road (sire of Strawberry Road). There are also several stakes winners by Danehill line stallions out of mares descending from Nijinsky II’s three-parts-brother, The Minstrel who can be brought in through Palace Music (sire of Naturalism), Bakharoff, Chem and Masterclass. Other branches of Northern Dancer to consider are Storm Bird, through Bluebird (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Flying Spur) and Storm Cat (sire of Hennessy – broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Flying Spur – Catrail, Tale of the Cat and Giant’s Causeway), Dehere (broodmare sire of a Flying Spur stakes winner), Sadler’s Wells (available in Australia through Scenic, Barathea, Galileo, Montjeu, Carnegie, King of Kings and Singspiel) and his brother Fairy King (sire of Encosta De Lago, who is out of a half-sister to Flying Spur), Be My Guest, Nureyev (particularly good through Spinning World), Lyphard, and Night Shift (brother to Fanfreluche, the third dam of Flying Spur).
Flying Spur is out of a mare by Mr. Prospector, and he has sired six stakes winners with Mr. Prospector inbreeding, as has one of his sons. Flying Spur already has a grade one winner out of mare by Quiet American, a son of Fappiano (also sire of Defensive Play, and grandsire of Unbridled’s Song); and has also worked over Hector Protector (a son of Woodman) and Bellotto (bred on similar lines to Gulch, whose son Thunder Gulch should be good here). There are numerous other stakes winners by Danehill line stallions out of mares from other branches of the Mr. Prospector line, including out of mares by Geiger Counter, Jade Hunter, Miswaki (and his son Umatilla), Straight Strike, Rhythm and Zafonic.
Flying Spur has four stakes winners out of Blushing Groom line mares has a pedigree connection to Tom Fool, and there are four stakes winners by Flying Spur out of Blushing Groom line mares, three out of mares by Rahy and one out of a mare by Nassipour, and this line might also work through Quest For Fame.
Other broodmare sires and sire lines worth considering here are Century and his son Centaine; Rory’s Jester; by Roberto, including through At Talaq, broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Flying Spur, and Red Ransom; and Halo, particularly via Don’t Say Halo and More Than Ready.