Tinted Cloud - Still going strong

Tinted Cloud has always had a handicap as a sire. One of the bigger sons of In The Pocket you will find, Tinted Cloud passes that size on to his progeny. Big is a word that is used a lot when you talk to breeders about Tinted Cloud.

So not surprisingly his stock have never been the the get up and go two-year-old types. More often than not they appear as late three-year-olds and just get better as they get older which is a hard sell in today's stallion market.

Imported to NZ by Michael House, he served a large book in excess of 120 mares in his first season but those numbers slowly declined from that point on with most breeders not prepared to wait for his stock to mature . Not that his stock haven't shown from day one they are the real deal. Anna Livia -Chromatic - Chief Red Cloud are early examples of his siring ability. They are tough and durable and as the record shows, when you get a good Tinted Cloud, you get a beauty.

A good proportion of his stock have made their way to Australia and this is where he has really stood up as a sire. Headed by the ageless warrior, Smokin Up (1:48:2 $3,489,000)

Tinted Cloud has produced a series of horses who just seem to race on and on and on. Horses such as Jacka Clive ($483,000) - Richard Henry ($453,000) - Indian Giver ($283,000) and Tee Pee Village ($231,000) have all displayed that Tinted Cloud stamp of strength and durability.

With his stock doing so well in Australia and battling for mares in NZ, the stallion was sold to Australia in 2008. He has over 140 foals on the ground since his arrival and they are showing up now as they mature.

And the production line of top horses is still going with his latest star in NZ being the freakish Didjamakem Bolt who has been giving rare displays of speed and stamina this season and looks headed for the grand circuit.

While Smokin Up may be the best known of the stock of Tinted Cloud, he is only the equal fastest with his high class son Nemisis having gone 1:48:2 on the way to earning $181,303 in North America

Direct Scooter is renowned for his stock running early with plenty of his sons in Australasia leaving stock that do just that.

Tinted Cloud 's stock may be the exception but what he unquestionably does bring to the table as a sire is a double dose of strength and durability.

This is a series of stallion reviews that Harnesslink are doing with a view to sheading some light on some of the "forgotten"sires in Australasia.

Elsu - Redemption awaits

McArdle - The quiet achiever

Santanna Blue Chip - On the up and up!

Major In Art - Big and fast

Mr Feelgood - Dual hemisphere champion

Pay Me Christian - Blistering speed

Monkey Bones - All class