A.P. Answer – The ‘Soundings’ Success

Peter Blyth of Clifton Stud is excited to report of the successes of sire Green Tune – who shares a dam-line with Clifton’s resident young sire, A.P. Answer. Green Tune died prematurely at stud in 2011, but his influence as a sire, sire-of-sires and broodmare sire are being felt in Group company all over the world.

Green Tune’s dam is Soundings, the second dam of A.P. Answer (whose dam was Europe’s Champion Filly, Pas de Reponse by Danzig). Soundings, responsible for much of the success of this dam-line was bred in Kentucky and foaled in 1983. She is by Mr Prospector out of Ocean’s Answer by Northern Answer, her dam a half-sister to sire Storm Bird. She won twice at the track and placed three times from 9 starts.

Green Tune’s grand-daughter, Rosdhu Queen, recently won the Gr 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in the UK on 29 September. An interesting parallel is Pas de Reponse who won this race as a two-year old. Rosdhu Queen also adds the Gr 2 Lowther Stakes and St Hughes Listed Stakes to her victories for the year.

Zagora, by Green Tune out of Zaneton by Mtoto, placed second on 29 September in the Gr 1 Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park in the United States. At the end of August the French-bred filly took home the Gr 2 Ballston Spa Handicap over turf at Saratoga. Zagora carries a very impressive racing resume, including wins in the Gallorette Handicap (Gr 3), Hillsborough Stakes (Gr 3), Endeavour Stakes (Gr 3), Diana Stakes (Gr 1), Prix de Psyche (Gr 3) and Prix Vanteaux (Gr 3).

A day earlier, three year old filly Foreign Tune, won the Prix Coronation Listed at Saint Cloud over 1600m, again a grand-daughter of Green Tune and a three-quarter sister to Rosdhu Queen, both by Invincible Spirit. Foreign Tune has also placed second in both the Prix de la Cochere (Listed) Prix de Lieurey (Gr 3).

In Australia on 15 September, his Irish grandson (by Montjeu) Green Moon, ran second by a nose in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (Gr 2) over 1600m. A Gr 3 winner, he has also taken home the Gr 2 Blamey Stakes this year. Green Moon won the Gr 1 Turnbull Stakes in Australia on 6 October again over 2000m, from a son of Galileo, Seville.

Another close relative to A.P. Answer is sire A.P. Warrior in America. Both stallions share a sire in A.P. Indy, and A.P. Warrior’s second dam is a half-sister to Soundings. His first crop to race has produced a Gr 2 winner and two Stakes Placed winners. A filly named Candy And Nuts out of a Storm Cat mare placed in the Canadian Chariot Chaser Handicap Listed on dirt. Three-quarter sister Thunder Moccassin won the Gr 2 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park on dirt, while A.P. Diva (another filly out of a mare by Storm Cat’s son Forest Wildcat) placed second at the all-weather track at Turfway Park in the Cinncinnati Trophy Stakes Listed.

Sunday Doubt, a half-brother to A.P. Answer by Sunday Silence, was conceived in Japan and born in the US. After his racing career which saw him to two wins and two places from six starts in France, included placing in the Gr 3 Prix de la Porte Maillot and winning the Prix du Pont-Neuf Listed, he was sold and exported to India for stud. He died prematurely in 2007 from colic at Dashmesh Stud, but he has produced dual-Gr 3 winner in Royal Blue Star over distances of 2800m as well as Gr 1 winner Ridgeway over 2400m and Gr 3 winning filly Practicallyperfect.

A.P. Answer’s first crop are now yearlings. A sire who has been enthusiastically received by breeders, he has produced an outstanding crop of foals and received a strong book of mares. We look forward to much more to come from this stallion in the near future. He stands at Peter and Jenny Blyth’s Clifton Stud for a fee of R10 000 live foal this season.

Contact Clifton Stud

Phone 033 267 7407
Email blyth@cliftonstud.co.za