The New Horses #15: Single Cask

I was just going through the Carrot Club list to see which ones were still available from the 2011 crop, paying particular attention to those I'd already bought into just in case someone wanted to join me - Joyful Step, Sophisticate, Classic Curl and Glint Moment are still listed.
As it happens, Joyful Step (profile #14) was supposed to be the last of them as far as I was concerned, but as I was scanning the listing, a name leapt off the page - Single Cask. Anyone that knows me well knows I have a deep love of Scottish single malt whisky, and seeing that name brought a smile to my face. I had to have her!

Courtesy Carrot Club

Checking into the bloodlines revealed a real bonus - the kind of DNA I always lean towards, with Japan Derby winner Tanino Gimlet as the sire, meaning Brian's Time, Roberto and Hail To Reason blood (as good as it gets in my book). The damsire was Crystal Palace (winner of the Prix du Jockey Club - the French Derby, in effect), and going back further on Tanino Gimlet's dam line brings in the legendary Sea-Bird, who won the Epsom Derby and the L'Arc de Triomphe. 

Single Cask's mother is Specialize, who won three races. She was sired by Special Week, a track superstar we looked at when we profiled Irish Harp, with Special Alert as her dam. This brings Gulch, Mr Prospector and Lyphard blood into the mix, although Special Alert was actually a strong horse in her own right. I've never bought a horse because of its name before, so this will be fun. She will be based at Miho TC's Kurita Stable...