By John Richardson (The Informant)
Along with Complacent, the multiple Group One winner CONTRIBUTER is one of two well-performed Godolphin gallopers to join the stallion roster at Mapperley Stud for the 2016 season.
A shrewd acquisition by Godolphin after he had scored at Royal Ascot as a four-year-old, the attractive bay was consigned to Australia to join Godolphin’s newly appointed trainer John O’Shea, who made the most of his opportunity to guide the horse to the title of champion middle-distance horse of Australia in the 2014-15 season.
Contributer, an Irish-bred son of Windsor Park’s former successful shuttler High Chaparral, was previously trained at Newmarket by Ed Dunlop, who gave him just an educational run when close up in a big field at Newmarket as a juvenile.
In his second season he was successful in his first two starts at Wolverhampton and Newbury before finishing second to subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Magician in the Gr. 3 Dee Stakes (2100m) at Chester. Another second in the Listed Goodwood Cocked Hat Stakes followed before finishing a good fourth to Hillstar at Royal Ascot in the Gr. 2 King Edward VII Stakes.
Contributer was then off the scene for nine months before winning fresh-up in the Listed Kempton Magnolia Stakes. He followed this with a third behind Frankel’s talented brother Noble Mission at Sandown Park in the Gr. 3 Gordon Richards Stakes, then made his final European start at Royal Ascot in the Wolferton Handicap which he won nicely under 59.5 kilograms.
Four months on, he made a successful start to his Australian career in the Gr. 3 David Jones Cup (Coongy Handicap) under James McDonald. His only other spring start came in the Gr. 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington where he finished in midfield, although close up.
Contributer made winning fresh a bit of a habit when in mid-February he ran out an easy winner of the Gr. 2 Apollo Stakes from Ninth Legion and Weary with a star-studded field in behind including Lucia Valentina, Silent Achiever, Boban, Hawkspur and Foreteller.
He slayed the same horses again two weeks later in the Gr. 1 Chipping Norton Stakes, with Hartnell, He’s Your Man and Who Shot Thebarman following him in.
A small but international field lined up for the Gr. 1 Ranvet Stakes the following month, with McDonald riding him with more restraint this time to capitalise on his turn of finishing speed. Well off the hectic pace set by Fast Dragon, he sneaked a lovely run up the fence in the straight and won handily from Tosen Stardom, Lucia Valentina and Silent Achiever.
These three consecutive wins earned him a world thoroughbred rating of 117 and a Timeform rating of 124.
He did not reach the same heights at five years, although performing consistently in four spring starts with a fifth in the Gr. 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, sixth in the Gr. 1 Underwood Stakes, fifth in the Gr. 1 Caulfield Stakes and a good third to Gailo Chop and Rising Romance in the Gr. 1 Mackinnon Stakes to end his career.
His sire, the superb High Chaparral, won six Group Ones including the Derby, Irish Derby and Breeders’ Cup Turf twice. His son inherits much of his sire’s phenotype, although a shade taller at 16-1 hands.
High Chaparral’s 79 stakes winners include 15 at elite level, including such celebrities as So You Think (10 Group Ones), whose damsire is a son of Nijinsky, and therefore a close relative of Contributer whose granddam is by Royal Academy, a son of Nijinsky.
Other major winners for High Chaparral include Dundeel (six Group Ones), Shoot Out (five Group Ones), Toronado, Wigmore Hall and Monaco Consul. The winner of the Dewar Trophy for combined Australasian earnings, his progeny are predominantly stayers with that elusive touch of class.
The damsire Exit To Nowhere, an Irish River half-brother to Machiavellian, was a high-class miler who won the Gr. 1 Prix Jacques le Marois. He was champion French sire of two-year-olds and third on their general sires list in 1999. Somewhat unexpectedly, he seems to be a major influence towards stamina and has 16 stakes winners including Shaka (Gr. 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud). His daughters have 25 stakes winners including German Horse of the Year Scalo, Lockinge Stakes victor Virtual and VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss.
The sire of the granddam is Royal Academy, son of that mighty horse Nijinsky, who has stood in Ireland, Australia, Japan, Britain, USA and Brazil.
Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, providing a sensational return to riding for Lester Piggott, and the Newmarket July Cup, Royal Academy has proved a sensational sire with 167 stakes winners (23 Group One) including such as Bel Esprit, Oscar Schindler, Bullish Luck and Val Royal. His daughters have 157 stakes winners including Fastnet Rock and dual classic winner Finsceal Beo. His influence is mainly aimed at stiff milers.
Down along the damline sires we have French 2000 Guineas winner No Pass No Sale, Prix Ganay victor Le Marmot and then the great champions Secretariat, Vaguely Noble and Turn-to.
The female family is the number 16 line from Miss Agnes, this branch coming through the Orme mare Seashell to Pearl Maiden and Pearl Cap. This is a celebrated line that has produced Ormonde, the mares Sceptre, Plucky Liege and Relance, Sir Gallahad, Bull Dog, Admiral Drake, Bois Roussel, Pearl Diver and Fappiano.
The dam of Contributer is Serisia, winner of the Gr. 3 Deauville Prix de Psyche and Maisons-Laffitte Prix de la Seine, who has left five winners and is also granddam of stakes-placed Saint Gregoire. The next dam Seralia was stakes winner of the Deauville Prix Yacowlef at two. Her seven winners include two stakes winners.
The third dam Serafica was a winner and fourth in stakes who left five winners including Shaka, a three-parts brother to Serisia.
The next dam left nine winners including three stakes placed and is granddam of a Group winner. She is half-sister to Secret Form (Gr. 2 Longchamp Prix de l’Opera; 2nd French Oaks, French 1000 Guineas; ancestress of Group winners).
High Chaparral is bred on the classic staying nick of Sadler’s Wells and Mill Reef’s male line, in this case through the latter’s grandson Darshaan, and there is also a more remote Northern Dancer / Native Dancer cross, whilst Sadler’s Wells himself is a Northern Dancer / Hail To Reason nick.
Sadler’s Wells is balanced to Hyperion, whilst High Chaparral’s dam Kasora is similar to Hyperion, Umidwar, Relic and Tourbillon. High Chaparral is mainly balanced to Native Dancer, Hyperion and Tourbillon.
Contributer’s dam Serisia is balanced to Nearco, Hyperion, Princequillo, Ribot and Turn-to and is bred on a Northern Dancer (2) cross with Hail To Reason and significantly with Mill Reef’s sire Never Bend.
Damsire Exit To Nowhere is balanced to Tourbillon and the major broodmare Source Sucree, and granddam Seralia is the same to Nearco and Hyperion.
Contributer has sex balance to Natalma, Nearco, Native Dancer, Source Sucree, Princequillo, Hyperion, Tantieme and Tourbillon.
The introduction of further sex balance can be achieved through sons of Darshaan, Kris, Hugh Lupus, Halo and Bold Reason, whilst Northern Dancer line females especially Nijinsky and Northfields will be very useful.
Other daughters of Hail To Reason, Shirley Heights, Mill Reef, Sharpen Up, Djebel, Never Bend, Riverman, Irish River and Halo will also assist. Repetitions of the patterns in the pedigree are highly desirable.
Nijinsky is highly important and his close relatives like Storm Bird and The Minstrel often work well in conjunction with him. Nureyev and Sadler’s Wells work similarly in tandem. Redoute’s Choice and Danehill blood are also likely to work well.
A glance through prospective younger broodmare sires that will provide useful crosses with Contributer include for various very good reasons Alamosa, Bachelor Duke, Captain Rio, Chinese Dragon, Civics, Coats Choice, Fast ’n’ Famous, Handsome Ransom, Howbaddouwantit, Iffraaj, Ishiguru, Pentire, Sakhee’s Secret and Sir Percy, whilst Thorn Park, Golan and Falkirk mares also have strong appeal.
Such matings will give Mapperley’s new horse a good chance of success.