Tensig’s international pedigree

Tuesday’s very impressive debut winner at Sale, Tensig, has an interesting and topical international pedigree.

Tensig is a son of champion New Zealand stallion Zabeel (NZ) – pictured – from the imported Danehill mare Kerkira (IRE). The 3YO gelding, who scored a dominant win over 1400m, is trained by Rodney Douglas for prominent and prolific Melbourne owner Jonathan Munz.

Munz’s Pincecliffe Racing Syndicate paid a whopping $600,000 for Tensig, through the bid of agent and advisor Dean Hawthorn at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Beltara Stud.

It was the equal fourth highest price for a Zabeel yearling at the sale, which was topped by the $900,000 paid for a colt by Zabeel from La Quinta Gold by David Ellis of Te Akau Bloodstock. The colt races as the promising young stayer Heir Apparent. Heir Apparent, during the spring carnival, finished second in the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m, Geelong) before his ninth behind Monaco Consul in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m, Flemington).

Tensig’s granddam Kotama, by 1985 Epsom Derby winner Shahrastani (by Nijinsky (CAN), was bred by The Aga Khan and won the Listed Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial; she is a half-sister to Kasora (by Darshaan (GB)), the dam of the champion stayer and now exceptional young sire High Chapparal (by Sadler’s Wells (USA). Of course, High Chapparal, who shuttles to Windsor Park Stud, Cambridge, is the sire of the Derby winner Monaco Consul, and also the brilliant Group 1 Cox Plate winning colt So You Think.

The third dam of Tensig is Kozana (by Kris (GB)), the joint top filly in France in 1985, whose wins included the Group 2 Prix de Malleret at Longchamp, but her best performances were her second behind Rousillon in the 1985 Group 1 Prix du Moulin and third behind Rainbow Quest in the 1985 Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The Zabeel-Danehill cross has provided the champion Hong Kong star Vengeance Of Rain (ex-Danelagh) and his high-class sister Group 1 AJC Oaks winning sister Dizelle, although Zabeel hasn’t covered Danehill mares in great numbers and certainly not the best of the Danehill daughters, who are generally based in Australia.

Tensig’s pedigree has a triple cross of Northern Dancer (4×4x5) and, of course, Danehill is inbred to Northern Dancer’s family.

By nature the Zabeel breed are late developers; the fact that Tensig, with his stout international pedigree, was able to debut with a win against some fast opposition over 1400m, gives owner Munz a lot to look forward to.

Few people would begrudge Munz a good horse after his considerable buying and breeding of horses in the last 10 years so without the racetrack results to match. His best runner in that period was the ill-fated Group 1 Champagne Stakes winner, Meurice (by Strategic).

View Tensig’s pedigree.