Black Ray (GB)
1919 – 1942
Black Jester (GB) x Lady Brilliant (GB), by Sundridge (GB)
Family 22-d
"GENETIC GEM"
1919 – 1942
Black Jester (GB) x Lady Brilliant (GB), by Sundridge (GB)
Family 22-d
"GENETIC GEM"
Black Ray was not much of a race mare but has influenced Thoroughbred breeding around the world through her descendants, which include Classic winners in Australia, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, as well as the American champions Lady's Secret (the 1986 Horse of the Year) and Hansen. While the successes of this family have been somewhat sporadic, they also include the important sires Blushing Groom, Khaled, King Kamehameha and Mill Reef.
Race record
2 starts, 1 win
Raced only as a juvenile.
As an individual
A brown mare, Black Ray had a well-sloped shoulder, prominent withers and a long, sloping pelvis.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Black Ray produced 19 foals, of which 10 won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Bred by Jack Joel at his Childwick Bury Stud, Black Ray was sold to Marshal Field III as a 6-year-old and became the foundation mare of his Irish breeding operation. She was humanely destroyed in 1942 due to a tumor on her udder.
Pedigree notes
Black Ray is inbred 3x4 to 1885 Derby Stakes winner Melton, 4x4 to the good Cup horse and 1887 English/Irish champion sire Hampton and 5x5 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English/Irish champion sire Hermit. Sired by 1916 St. Leger Stakes winner Black Jester (by Polymelus), a horse with a difficult and unreliable temper, she is a full sister to Black Gem, whose great-granddaughter Imprudence won the One Thousand Guineas, Oaks Stakes and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) in 1947.
Black Ray and Black Gem are out of the minor stakes winner Lady Brilliant, whose half sister Sweet Lassie (by Orme) produced Criterion Stakes winner Sunfire (by Sundridge). Lady Brilliant, in turn, is out of 1903 Oaks Stakes winner Our Lassie (by Ayrshire), a half sister to 1908 St. Leger Stakes winner and two-time Argentine champion sire Your Majesty (by Persimmon). The next dam in Black Ray's tail-female line, the Melton mare Yours, is a full sister to Our Grace, dam of 1910 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Or du Rhin (by St. Damien).
Last updated: January 7, 2024
Race record
2 starts, 1 win
Raced only as a juvenile.
As an individual
A brown mare, Black Ray had a well-sloped shoulder, prominent withers and a long, sloping pelvis.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Black Ray produced 19 foals, of which 10 won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Eastern Light (1923, by Allenby) is the second dam of the high-class steeplechaser Cottesmore, a two-time winner of the Grand National Steeplechase Handicap (American Grand National). She is also the third dam of 1963 Japanese Horse of the Year Ryu Forel and of English Group 2 winner Legal Eagle.
- Jacopo (1928, by Sansovino) shared the high weight on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1930 and the juvenile championship of that year with Portlaw; both were rated at 133 pounds. Exported to the United States after his 4-year-old season, Jacopo sired 11 stakes winners from 354 named foals and had some influence as a broodmare sire.
- Eclair (1930, by Ethnarch) was the co-champion English 3-year-old filly of 1933. She is the dam of Khaled (by Hyperion), who won the 1945 Middle Park Stakes and 1946 St. James's Palace Stakes before becoming an important sire in the United States. She is also the dam of stakes winners Lady Electra (by Fairway; second dam of 1956 Gimcrack Stakes winner Eudaemon) and Eclat (by the Hyperion horse Stardust). In addition, she is the dam of Vicenzia (by Sansovino), dam of stakes winner Drama II (by Nearco); of Celaeno (by Fairway), second dam of three stakes winners including 1964 Suburban Handicap winner Iron Peg; and of stakes-placed Emali (by Umidwar), second dam of four stakes winners including French Group 3 winner Afayoon and third dam of multiple French champion and influential sire Blushing Groom and 1977 Oaks d'Italia (ITY-G1) winner Zabarella.
- Sans Lumiere (1932, by Sansovino) is the second dam of 1956 Princess Pat Stakes winner Splendored and the third dam of two-time Santa Margarita Handicap winner Curious Clover and Grade 3 winner What Brilliance.
- Foray II (1934, by Tetratema) was the English champion juvenile male of 1936. He was exported to the United States but proved a major disappointment, siring just one stakes winner.
- Dawn Ray (1935, by Ethnarch) produced multiple English stakes winner Golden Gleam (by Bobsleigh) and the stakes-winning steeplechaser Culworth (by Link Boy). She is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Ferly.
- Infra Red (1936, by Ethnarch) won the 1938 Great Surrey Foal Stakes and the 1939 Princess Elizabeth Stakes. She produced the minor stakes winner Red Briar (by Owen Tudor) and the useful sprint handicapper Magic Red (by Link Boy), whose primary significance is as the broodmare sire of the great steeplechaser Red Rum. Infra Red is also the second dam of 1956 English champion 2-year-old male Pipe of Peace, a successful sire in Australia, and of 1959 Italian champion 3-year-old male Exar. In addition, Infra Red is the third dam of 1976 Two Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1) winner Wollow, 1965 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Berkeley Springs, Grade 2 winner Dubassoff, Spanish Group 3 winner Edu Boy, and 1962 Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Tzigane, and is the fourth dam of the great Mill Reef, winner of the 1971 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1).
Connections
Bred by Jack Joel at his Childwick Bury Stud, Black Ray was sold to Marshal Field III as a 6-year-old and became the foundation mare of his Irish breeding operation. She was humanely destroyed in 1942 due to a tumor on her udder.
Pedigree notes
Black Ray is inbred 3x4 to 1885 Derby Stakes winner Melton, 4x4 to the good Cup horse and 1887 English/Irish champion sire Hampton and 5x5 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English/Irish champion sire Hermit. Sired by 1916 St. Leger Stakes winner Black Jester (by Polymelus), a horse with a difficult and unreliable temper, she is a full sister to Black Gem, whose great-granddaughter Imprudence won the One Thousand Guineas, Oaks Stakes and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) in 1947.
Black Ray and Black Gem are out of the minor stakes winner Lady Brilliant, whose half sister Sweet Lassie (by Orme) produced Criterion Stakes winner Sunfire (by Sundridge). Lady Brilliant, in turn, is out of 1903 Oaks Stakes winner Our Lassie (by Ayrshire), a half sister to 1908 St. Leger Stakes winner and two-time Argentine champion sire Your Majesty (by Persimmon). The next dam in Black Ray's tail-female line, the Melton mare Yours, is a full sister to Our Grace, dam of 1910 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Or du Rhin (by St. Damien).
Last updated: January 7, 2024