Breeding Theories – Repeat Matings

Are repeat matings really "never as good"? 

There are more theories about breeding than there are pups in paddocks – writes Floyd Amphlett. 

By its very nature, breeding is a subjective subject, or at least it ends up that way. 

There are so many factors involved that objective opinions can seldom be based on the available facts. 

Illness, injury and luck will always muddy the picture. 

For years, many breeders were loathe to have a repeat mating between sire and dam.  

“They are never as good”. 

Others were only slightly more open minded, “I will go for a repeat but never without using a different sire between repeat matings.” 

In reality, the number of ‘disappointing’ repeat matings would be many times greater than those that do. 

But that is inevitable. The odds are loaded in favour of failure. 

For a start, the only reason for a repeat mating is because the first litter was good. If they were poor, the breeder may not breed again or will more than likely use a different sire. 

If we assume the first litter to be ‘very good’, for the repeat mating to be considered a success, it must rate as ‘very good’ or better. 

In the meantime, the dam is getting older and less fertile. It isn’t a rapid decline but nature definitely favours the younger brood. 

A fit healthy three year old mum producing ten pups has more chance of throwing a champion than she does as an eight year old producing a litter of six. 

Then there is the chance factor. The odds are that the first litter had its share of good fortune. 

Yet so often a breeder will tell you, ‘the next litter (repeat or otherwise), or dam, was hit by sickness’ or ‘the best pup of them all was in the second litter but broke a leg on the schooling track’ 

Personally, I have found no evidence to suggest that repeat matings are a bad idea. 

Over the years, there have been many champions from repeat matings including the likes of Daleys Gold, Palace Issue, Phantom Flash, Rio Quattro, Westmead Chick and Droopys Clue to name but six. 

Which leads to an interesting study on repeat matings from the cross between Droopys Sydney and Droopys Sweet, currently joint second on the open race dam’s table – with all her winners sired by Sydney. 

Sweet (by Droopys Biker) was out of one of Droopys Hilda’s least successful litters, her seventh, though there were only three pups in the litter.  

Hilda (dam of Droopys Buick, Droopys Addition, Roman Empire, Droopys Aoife, Droopys Neymar etc) would subsequently produce just one more litter, of two pups, by Droopys Davy.  

Cross 1 

The first Sydney/Sweet cross (3d 5b) was whelped in Jan ’22. The best of the dogs was probably the Irish stayer Droopys Comrade who was runner-up in last year’s Irish Cambridgeshire and also contested a Corn Cuchulainn final. The other two brothers run decent grade at Cork. 

There was quite a bit of stamina in the litter with Droopys Cherish, Intrepidity and Droopys Debonair all six bend open winners. The other two sisters have also won races giving the litter a 100% strike rate. 

Cross 2 

The second litter was similar size but also an even split of genders. You’ve probably heard of a few of them. The litter features English Derby winner Droopys Plunge. His UK based brothers include open winners Droopys Bookem and Droopys Maximus. Their UK based sisters included Droopys Doll, Lost and Sunbeam, are all minor open winners. 

The Irish contingent of the family is headed by Irish Juvenile Derby winner/Irish Derby third, Callaway Knegare. The remaining Irish sister Ballybough Olwyn is also a prolific winner in Ireland. Once again a 100% strike rate, of eight from eight. 

Cross 3 

A third Sydney/Sweet litter were whelped in October ’23 and are therefore still a long way from reaching their peak. 

As the biggest litter though (5d 5b) they must have huge potential. 

The first to show it was Droopys Bundle who was opnly 17 months old when winning the prestigious Brownstown Tango/NTSC Open Unraced Bitch Stake at Newbridge in 28.48. 

The litter also includes open winners, Droopys Alldeway, Droopys Stat, Underground Fizz, and Jazzy Mia. Nine of the ten have raced thus far, with one dog having trialled but not raced. 

As for the ‘repeat matings’ theories, with the second litter being the most successful to date, it is clear that ‘repeats’ can be successful. As for ‘second repeats’, that sounds like the start of a whole new theory 

The Forest Bell damline

Two weekends ago Drombeg Banner landed the Irish St.Leger at Limerick.  

This coming weekend will see his close relative New Destiny start as favourite to win her fifth Category One final at Monmore. 

Their connection is their grand dam Forest Bell, a decent graded bitch for Michael Scully back in 2012 within wins over three different distances at Newbridge. 

She went on to throw seven litters though, as happens more often than might be imagined, her most prolific line would be by the worst sire she went to, Swift Hoffman. 

A brilliant racer and Greyhound of the Year for Pat Rosney, Hoffman proved to be an extremely moderate sire. Nevertheless he produced a litter out of Forest Bell that included Coonough Dolly. 

Dolly was unraced and there was little in the litter, the pick probably being the Harlow minor open race winner Philfen Diva. 

Nevertheless, Dolly has gone on to throw Cat One winners in two separate litters with Coonough Crow picking up a Kent St.Leger and Grand Prix. 

Forest Bell produced two litters to Tullymurry Act. The first featured Coonough Bell, the dam of Northamptonshire Sprint runner-up Salthill Sniper. 

The second featured Kent St.Leger runner-up Beechgrove Bell who subsequently threw Irish Derby third Bens Teddy, plus TV Trophy runner-up Beach Babe and Grand National runner-up Chippy Brady. 

Hazelfield Echo, a fast winner over the sprint and ‘500’ at Tralee was from Bell’s Laughil Blake mating.