Chef-de-Race: Indian Ridge
ch.h., 1985 (Ahonoora-Hillbrow, by Swing Easy)
(June 1, 2003)
by Steve Miller

Introduction:  The following analysis by Steve Miller results in the assignment of Indian Ridge as an Intermediate chef-de-race, the 200th in the series.

Indian Ridge Gets Peak Speed-Milers

INDIAN RIDGE (IRE) is a chestnut horse (1985) by Ahonoora (see Note 1) out of the Swing Easy mare Hillbrow. He stands at the Irish National Stud. 

He was the winner of five races from 5 to 7 furlongs including the Group 2 King Stand Stakes and the Jersey Stakes, as well as the Group 3 Duke of York Stakes. 

At stud Indian Ridge is a proven outcross for Northern Dancer. He was the sire of 252 winners of 762 races from his first nine crops, with some 43 black type winners. He is the sire of Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winners Ridgewood Pearl and Domedriver. In addition to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Ridgewood Pearl was Champion European Filly, winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Prix Du Moulin de Longchamp and the Coronation Stakes (all Group 1 events) as well as finishing runner up in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. 

Indian Ridge’s other Group winners include: Namid (champion European sprinter and winner of the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye and three Group 3 races), Compton Place (champion European sprinter and winner of the Group 1 July Cup), Cassandra Go (winner of the Group 2 Temple Stakes and King Stand Stakes, and the Group 3 King George Stakes, and runner-up in the July Cup), Definite Article (winner of the Group 1 National Stakes and Group 2 Tattersalls Gold Cup and runner-up in the Irish Derby), Munir (winner of the Group 2 Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes and Group 3 Greenham Stakes in 2001), Handsome Ridge (effective at a mile at Group level), Indian Rocket (winner at 5 and 6 furlongs, including the Turf Sprint Stakes at Churchill Downs), Nicobar (a Group winner at 7 and 8 furlongs) and Bardonecchia (winner of the Group 3 Prix de Psyche in France). 

Taking a wider sample of his winning progeny (three-year-olds and over in Great Britain and Ireland) shows a striking pattern, missing from his own sire Ahonoora’s progeny distribution. Indian Ridge’s average winning distance (AWD) for his progeny is a slightly sharper 7.6 furlongs than his sire’s 8.0 furlongs. This is where the similarity ends – the distribution of his winners gives us a clear signal of his aptitudinal prepotence that is not apparent in his sire:

5f, 20; 6f, 32; 7f, 52; 8f, 41; 9f, 14; 10f, 15; 11f, 3; 12f, 6; 13f, 0; 14f & 14f+, 2. 

From this sample of 185, almost 80% (145) won at distances up to and including a mile, with a particularly strong and unusual concentration at 7 furlongs (a trip far less common than mile or sprint races) in which he records no less than 52 (28%) of his winners. 

It would seem there is clear evidence that (unlike his own sire) he is showing a distinct aptitude for getting speed horses at just below a mile. This leads me to recommend Indian Ridge be included as an Intermediate chef-de-race. 

The Dosage figures for the majority of Indian Ridge’s offspring are as good as meaningless at the moment (two of this Group winning sample currently have no Dosage points at all in their profiles). 

With an Intermediate designation factored in for Indian Ridge we get: 

It should be noted that these figures are a distortion, as several show barely any other chef-de-race representation (and in two cases no other). However, for those with a higher number of points in the profile we begin to arrive at a basis for a meaningful reading. 

The Dosage readings for Definite Article and Ridgewood Pearl especially are not of use. The stamina that Definite Article possessed no doubt derives from an unacknowledged prepotent stamina source on his dam side. Interestingly he is inbred to Lorenzaccio/Klairon in his third/fourth generations. However, if there is an unacknowledged stamina source lurking here it is likely to be Reliance (FR) (see Note 2) who has an AWD for his progeny of 13.5 furlongs and is a son of the Solid chef-de-race Tantieme (who is in Definite Article’s fifth generation and therefore falls outside the scope of his Dosage reading). 

An amazing 73 (just over half) of Reliance’s winning sample of 142 won at 14 furlongs and 14 furlongs plus. Further research needs to be done to confirm that Reliance is a prepotent source for stamina, but I suspect this to be the case. Whatever the outcome Definite Article remains the anomaly as far as Indian Ridge’s Group-winning progeny are concerned – Indian Ridge’s other offspring tend to conform to the sub-mile/mile speed-horse type at both the Pattern and general level in striking frequency. 

It seems that there is enough clear evidence to make Indian Ridge a fully-fledged Intermediate chef-de-race sire – I could not support a case for his sire Ahonoora, however. 

I would also support the inclusion of Reliance on the Aptitudinal Guidelines list for non-chef-de-race sires under a dominant stamina designation until his suitability for a full chef-de-race status can be verified. 

Note 1: Ahonoora (GB) won seven times and was placed seven times from 16 starts, including victories in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, the Group 2 William Hill Sprint Championship, the Group 3 King George Stakes and the Goodwood Stewards Cup. He was also runner-up in the Group 2 King Stand Stakes. He died in 1989.

Among the Group winning performers he produced at stud are: Dr Devious (winner of the Derby), Don’t Forget Me (winner of the 2,000 Guineas and Irish 2,000 Guineas), Indian Ridge (subject stallion), Park Appeal (winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes), Park Express (winner of the Group 1 Phoenix Champion Stakes), Ruby Tiger and Inchinor. 

Note 2: With a Professional influence for Reliance (FR) factored into Definite Article’s reading his profile reads 0-16-0-0-2 = 18, DI 8.00, CD 0.60, which remains a highly unreliable reading as just two stallions are contributing to his figures (but this is an obvious improvement on none before). This begins to establish a basis for enhanced accuracy, however.