malvados progeny

One of the most influential sires in recent times has been Malvado. The Poonawalla Stud Farm owned Malvado played a significant role in lifting the profile of Indian blood stock. He not only sired champions but he was also a great broodmare sire. Mystical, one of all time greats of Indian racing who won back to back races at Dubai during the Racing Carnival was out of his daughter Mystic Memory.

Interestingly, India’s quest for glory outside the shores of the country began successfully with Malvado’s son Astonish who was the first Indian horse to be exported in the beginning of 90s after Balam made an unsuccessful foray in the 50’s. The Indian Triple Crown winner went on to stun everyone by writing a new chapter in the history of Indian racing by winning on debut at Hong Kong and then backing it up with another success. The victory of Astonish was what gave impetus for Indian breeders to successfully race their produce abroad in subsequent years. The performance of Saddle Up at Singapore and Malaysia and that of Adler at America capped by the brilliance of Mystical at Dubai were all built on the foundations laid by the champion sire.

Malvado (b 1972 by Nearctic out of Victory Chant by Victoria Park) sired 304 winners from 19 crops Given the comparatively low level of stakes when he commenced stud duties in 1978, the gross earnings in India of Rs 13,07,29,303 stand out, being the fourth highest till last three years. With 127 black-type earning progeny, of whom 55 were black-type winners, he was the Champion Sire five times.

Bred in Canada by Mr E P Taylor, Malvado raced 24 times in France. He won six races and placed 14 times including 2nd in the Gr 3 Prix de Guiche, Gr 3 Prix de la Coupe etc. His dam Victory Chant was the dam of 12 winners of whom seven earned black-type and each of her six fillies was a noteworthy broodmare in their own right.

The list of his best progeny is legion and it includes Astonish, Indian Triple Crown winner, unbeaten champion Exhilaration, Mystic Memory, Ministrella, Scintillating, Desert Warrior, Miss X’Olence, Oakmead, Solitaire, Veuvius, Vibrant and several others.

A feature of Malvado as a sire was the fact that he got the best athletes from mares who were from a wide cross section of families and who were also daughters of a wide cross section of sires. The dams of his 127 black type performers were the progeny of 73 different sires and came from 66 different families on their distaff side.

A sire of nine sires, Malvado also had 155 of his 172 fillies enrolled in the ranks of the Indian broodmare. A pillar of the Poonawalla Group of Farms, he was Maternal Grandsire of 99 black-type performers including Starfire Girl, Academic, Arsenal, Splendid Girl, etc. He was also the Champion Maternal Grandsire five times with gross earrings of Rs 18,58,71,291 at the end of year 2005.

If the Darley Arabian male line is so prominent in the modern thoroughbred, it is in no small measure due to the contribution of Nearco and his illustrious sons including Nearctic, the sire of Malavado. Malvado died at the age of 27 years in 1999 but his legacy lives on.