They are the closely related pair Brilliance (Thunder Gulch—La Gueriere, by Lord At War), who will stand at Wanganui’s Grangewilliam Stud, and Lord Of Warriors (Lord At War—Lady Winborne, by Secretariat) based at the recently restructured Selwyn River Stud at Springston, outside Christchurch.

Both newcomers descend directly from La Troienne and through her illustrious great granddaughter Priceless Gem (Hail To Reason—Searching, by War Admiral).

Foaled in 1926, La Troienne (Teddy-Helen de Troie, by Helicon) was a useful racehorse in Britain before being sold at auction to the USA. A prolific breeder, she soon had progeny based around North America and Europe and more recently developed an in-depth representation in Australia and New Zealand with her descendants.

Such is the La Troienne prepotency that the stallions Brilliance and Lord Of Warriors will have ample chance to utilize her bloodlines Down Under.

La Troienne traces from the mare Web, representing the No 1S family in the Bobinski Table notation. This has become among the world’s most effective female families in recent times.

At stud La Troienne produced Black Helen (Coaching Club American Oaks), Big Hurry (Selima Stakes), Bee Ann Mac (Selima St) and Bimelech (Belmont, Preakness St).

Other notables descending from this lineage have included Buckpasser (American Derby etc), Bupers (Futurity St), Boucher (Eng St Leger), Caerleon (Prix du Jockey Club), Personality (Preakness St) and Allez France (Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe). The list is seemingly endless.

Priceless Gem, who is particularly important in the La Troienne saga, left the champion New Zealand sire Noble Bijou (by Vaguely Noble) and his illustrious half sister Allez France (by Sea Bird), whose 13 wins to 2400m included the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Not only did Noble Bijou exude the great Priceless Gem blood but his sons and daughters throughout the country boast the vital ingredients to send the two new sires into orbit.

Mating a mare with Noble Bijou presences with either Brilliance or Lord Of Wars could utilise a Priceless Gem duplication, which could upgrade thoroughbred families quite significantly.

Other dam sires strongly representing the La Troienne factor are headed by Faltaat, Last Tycoon, Mellifont, O’Reilly, Woodborough, Personal Escort, Sir Godfrey, The Jogger, Al Akbar, Random Chance, and company. All are readily available and well established here.