One of the more interesting pedigrees of this week belongs to French Listed winner Grand Glory.
Grand Glory has not had the best of luck, missing the last half of 2019 through injury and now held up by coronavirus however, her stylish win in the Listed Prix Zarkava (2100m) at ParisLongchamp suggests she can still win at Group level.
Grand Glory is the fourth stakes winner for Champion 2YO and Champion Miler Olympic Glory and her pedigree throws up an interesting duplication.
Olympic Glory is by Choisir (Danehill Dancer) out of a mare by Alzao (Lyphard – Lady Rebecca) and Grand Glory has Lady Rebecca as her third dam.
Inbred 4×4 to Lyphard (Northern Dancer), the lightly raced four-year-old Grand Glory finished second in the Listed Prix Rose de Mai at two and third in the Gr1 Prix de Diane last season before a throat problem curtailed her classic year.
Grand Glory is out of Madonna Lily (Daylami), a half-sister to Gr2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine winner Minakshi (Footstepsinthesand).
The granddam Maris de Luz (Machiavellian) won in France and North America and placed in the Listed La Coupe de Marseille at Salon de Provence. She is a three-quarter sister to Listed-placed Happy Heart (Exit To Nowhere), the dam of Gr1 VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer), whose daughter Miami Bound (Reliable Man) emulated her in winning the 2019 edition of the Flemington Classic.
Her third dam is dual winner Light Of Hope (Lyphard), a sister to Alzao, so making Grand Glory 3×3 to brother and sister.
Light Of Hope and Alzao are out of the Prix Vanteaux winner Lady Rebecca (Sir Ivor), herself inbred 4×4 to brothers Pharamond and Sickle (Phalaris – Selene).
Lady Rebecca’s best runner was 1984 Gr3 Premio Ellington winner Alzao as well as the Listed placed Embros (L’Emigrant). Another son Norman Pentaquad (Riverman) failed to deliver on the track but did sire the 1995 Melbourne Cup winner Doriemus.
Grand Glory’s fifth dam Pocahontas (Roman) won the Schuylerville Stakes over five and a half furlongs at Saratoga and left five feature winners including the 1965 Preakness Stakes winner Tom Rolfe (Ribot), Arlington Handicap winner and sire Chieftain (Bold Ruler) and Blandford Stakes winner Wenona (Larkspur).
Pocahontas is out of the 1951 Coaching Club American Oaks winner How, a sister to the 1954 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Cherokee Rose, the granddam among others of 1971 American Horse of the Year Ack Ack (Battle Joined).