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i l i 1 INBREEDING FOR CHASING * French Writer Discusses Recurrence of Hermit Strain. ♦ Lignite, Thiee-Year-Ohl Sensation of 1922 French Obstacle Rating. Shows Many Mat- ings of Close RelaliTes in Pedigree. In the leading trio of French jumpers of the present day, Heros XII., LYser and Lignite, all sons of Ex Voto. the last ramed represents the future. For this reason I shall devote this article to a discussion to him rather than to his relatives. Henri Coulon is a lucky man. Certainly the caprices of turf fortune have not distributed their favors equally as within the last year they have assured to him the possession of the two best jumpers in France, Heros XII. and I.ignit". It is only just to recognize the fact that he has found a valuable assistant in his trainer, Filippi. It was the latter who picked Lignite out of a yearling sale in August, 1920. for ,000. As a two and three-year-old Lignite ran several races on the flat which served as an index to his quality, though showing him to be a little below the top rank in his generation. His third behind Crillemont in the Prix du Connetable at Chantilly in October. 1921, gave evidence of his speed and tenacity. He confirmed this showing by his victory at Saint Cloud in 1922 over Uaffet and Monsieur le Iare-chal, half brother to Huis Clos. LIGNITE SHOWS 3IASTF.RY. Since his sensational debut over the jumps he has not ceased for a moment to demonstrate his mastery of his metier, a mastery, by the way, which is ordinarily acquired only after long years of training and effort. The six consecutive victories of Lignite in the most important hurdle races and steeplechase*; open to three-year-olds have established a permanent record. Finally this admirable series of victories, interrupted by a single defeat in the Prix Finot. has been followed by a convincing success in the Prix Virelan. In thoroughbred breeding there i almost always a constant and close relation between the degree of quality shown by a horse in his public performances and the corresponding values of bis ancestors on the paternal or maternal side. I shall examine rapidly with this in view the general value of the elements in the pedigree of Lignite. Lignite is by Ex Voto from I-a Lune. On the paternal side his pedigree contains the names of such noted thoroughbreds as Ex Voto, Le Sancy. Bend Or. Hermit, his daughter. Penance. Chaplet. brother to Rosictu-cian. Beadsman and Madame Eglentine. Compared to the French Derby winner of 1903. the name of La Lune appears quite humble. Foaled in 1905. the daughter of Codoman and Limonade by 1918 had no claim to a mating with Ex Voto except her breeding, but this was enough when one considers the value of her sire and dam and of her more remote ancestors. Her sire, Codoman. was a horse of high order. He should not have been beaten in the Derby of 1900. The same year he won the Prix du Conseil Municipal, ridden by Tod Sloan, in the line time of 2:31. which has never been approached before or since in that race. It was a bit of irony that Codoman should have become for this same Sloan an instrument of perdition and ruin in the Cambridgeshire, won by Berrill. La Limes dam, Limonade. gave ample proof during her turf career of a high quality coupled with phenomenal endurance. In 1901, from the beginning to the end of the Hat racing season, she contested racs at all distances from a mile to two miles and an eighth, showing the same admirable honesty and docility, whether ridden by her owner. Baron Foy. by Milton Henry or half a dozen other jockeys. She won six races, of which the most important was probably that which she scored over Amer Picon at Maisons-Laffitte. LIMONADE ANCESTRY. Limonade was a daughter of that admirable stayer. Lutin. one of the best products of the cross of Dollar and Monarch blood. There still remains engraved on my memory the scene of that historic struggle between Lutin and Callistrate at Chantilly in 1S95 in the Prix de Dangu, which resulted in victory for the former. The death of Lutin at the early ago of fourteen was a distinct loss to French breeding. Almost all of his daughters have done him honor. I have noted the individual influences which have impressed me as being the most important in the pedigree of Lignite. It only remains for me to review these which I attribute to the inbreedings which are found in his blood lines; the particularly strong inbreeding on Hermit, that on Strath-conan and on Beadsman and Madame Eg- lentine. I am cenvinced that, as in the case of Heros XII.. it is the inbreeding on Hermit which has been the principal element in giving to Lignite the particular aptitude for jumping which characterizes this son of Ex Voto. In Lignites rase it is the mom remarkable in that Feroza. his fourth dam, is inbred ineestuously through her sire. Hermit, and her maternal grandsir Strath-conan. on Newminster. whose remote influence is felt in still another channel through Petrarch and The Bard and their grandson. Codoman.— Lauzun, in Le Jockey. ♦ — . _
