Roman Secret

It has taken thirty years and a nervous breakdown in breaking a code, and making sense of a 2000-year-old word. What am I talking about? A formula that everyone knows, but no one knows it’s meaning, its purpose is obvious once explained, which I will now try to do. The formula is a breeding plan.

Magical Breeding

What do we know about breeding? We know inbreeding fixes type; outbreeding installs vigour. These two proven rules depend on how we combine them that produces champions.

I believe two Italians, who not only bred their own horses, but trained them too, used this formula. Their successes in horse racing were outstanding. Who were they? Their names were Ginnistrelli and Tesio. I concluded that they had worked to a four-generation sequence, I reasoned they must have worked closely with the Italian government, who over the years brought three English Derby winners and the differences in their ages match the four-generation theory.

For years I thought Tesio’s use of our most famous studs was to cover up true pedigrees, I have now changed my mind. Reversing this idea and thereby concluding its purpose was to put the recorded matings beyond reproach. So what is this formula and how does it work?

The period in history when these Italians practised, the horse was king, especially for military use. Once the Italian government conceded that the thoroughbred was superior, up until then Italian and Spanish bloodstock was the best in the world. It was time to put a secret formula to work; Ginnistrelli was selected to beat the English at their own game. Ginnistrelli came to Newmarket with a string of very poor horses. Bred a mare to St. Simon who was a prodigy of an outstanding filly who later at stud produced Signorinetta who won both the Derby and the Oaks in 1907. Considering what he started off with, questions must be asked. Tesio much later bred Nearco, one of the world’s most influential stallions.

A small amount of deception was needed to protect the secret formula. It was only needed every four generations where in Italy Derby winners and their sons were available as the government was involved wrong entries in the Italian stud book was well within their capabilities.

If read line by line it forms the word "ABRACADABRA".

A = Female family chain;
B = Proven stallion;
R = Random mare;
C = Best son of “B”
D = Stallion with no blood connection with “A”
A1 and A2 have the best racing possibilities. A2 possibly the better
* = To restart the sequence repeating the formula.