The mechanics of naming

By Ross Stanley

A guide to the workings of thoroughbred registrations.

With the onset of a new racing season, a large cohort needs names before their debut.

Although there are a myriad of fertile approaches to pick from, a common starting point is an exploration of the pedigree page.

Below are pointers about the process and potential sources for names.

The focus is close to home. Thumbnail sketches are provided for the 34 sires covered comprehensively in the Queensland Stallions Directory 2023. This annual booklet, prepared by the Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland Association, is available in hard copy and online via the organisation’s website at www.queenslandbreeders.com.au.

Another reference avenue is the Australian Stud Book (studbook.org.au) with its access to a huge range of information including a list of all the named progeny of a horse.

STEP ONE

The first gear to engage is the one that activates the Racing Australia website (racingaustralia.horse).

The clutch pin to check out is the Registrar Of Racehorses at the top. The vital cog that appears in its menu is Registering A Horse, the section that houses the crucial Naming Policy.

A number of general rules must be followed.

For example, the maximum length is 18 characters including spaces and apostrophes.

Other stipulations are outlined under the following headings: References to Persons; Letters, Grammar, Numbers; Company Names; Unacceptable Names; Similar Names and International Restrictions. 

The Horse Name Availability machinery is a vital tool. Selections could be ruled out because of the following criteria.  

• CURRENT: No repetition for 17 years after the year of birth of the horse with this name.
• STUD: No repetition for 20 years after the birth of the youngest named progeny.
• CERTAIN MAJOR RACE WINNERS
• PERMANENT: This applies to the super stars.

 

THE LINE UP

Barbaric (at Lyndhurst Stud)

Sire: I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit-Cannerelle), Dam: Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart-God Love It).

When Mia Smith was a little girl, her annual Christmas wish-list informed Santa that she wanted a racehorse to be named after her.

Mimi Le Brock was the nickname that Mia’s father Les gave her. It stemmed from the 1984 romcom Woman In Red that starred Kelly Le Brock.

Les and his wife Susan fulfilled their daughter’s dream when they bought a Magic Million’s yearling for $170,000.

Mia was 14 when her namesake, prepared by Bart Cummings, saluted in the 2007 Magic Millions Classic. 

Rat of Tobruk and Sir Douglas Bader could be grist to the mill with the invincible spirit aspect. Surprisingly, Kokoda Courage is on the reject list because it was offensive. Fuzzy Wuzzy may be worth a try.

Barbary Coast piracy and the infamous barber Sweeney Todd touch on the “barb” syllable.

 

Better Than Ready (at Lyndhurst Stud)

Sire: More Than Ready (Southern Halo - Woodman’s Girl), Dam: Sally’s World (Agnes World-Sally Magic) 

The maternal side is all about the daughter of John Singleton, the breeder-owner who is Strawberry Hill Stud’s principal.

Sally, a singer-song writer who married the lawyer Pierre Hawach, recorded Cupid, Tomorrow and Over Now. Her mother is Belinda Green, the 1972 Miss World. 

Bayonets Fixed, Chief Scout, Baden Powell, Eager Beaver, On The Blocks, Drawn Sword, 

Really Ripe, Heightened Alert and Fully Primed are available names but All Systems Go, Raring To Go, Hot To Trot, Green Light and Cherry Ripe are out of reach. 

 

Defcon (at Boyne River Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Choisir (Danehill Dancer-Great Selection), Dam: Nuclear Force (Encosta de Lago-Nuclear Dance).

The US Armed Forces select a Defence Ready Condition level to match current circumstances.

Defcon 5 is green for normal peacetime. The Exercise Term is Fade Out. Defcon 4 is blue and Double Take. Yellow and Round House describe Defcon 3. Defcon 2 is Orange and Fast Pace and Defcon 1, with its red colour and Cocked Pistol tag, means war is critically active.

The nuclear motif also underpins the movies Def-Con 4, Defcon 2012 and War Games. Bunker Button and Strategy Game are available. For a different angle, delve into famous Danish dancers.

 

Dracarys (at Oakwood Farm)

Sire: Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice-Snippet’s Lass), Dam: Nocturnelle (Elusive Quality- Dama de Noche).

Snitzel’s owner Damion Flower was involved in a car crash at age 17. Both legs and a hip were broken and his face was seriously grazed. A mate said he looked like a schnitzel.

Dracarys is a Game of Thrones command used by Targaryens when they want dragons to breathe fire.

Dama De Noche, whose dam was Daisy Bates (Ire), means lady of the night. The term pertains to the night-blooming jasmine Cestrum Nocturnum.

 

Encryption (at Eureka Stud)

Sire: Lonhro (Octagonal-Shadea), Dam: Guelph (Exceed And Excel-Camarilla)

Lonhro, whose foaling was described as “tiny bit perfect”, is an intentional misspelling of Lonrho, the stock exchange code for the London Rhodesia Mining and Land Company. Roland “Tiny” Rowland served as the conglomerate’s highly effective head.

The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty. Guelph, the city in Ontario, is tabbed as The Royal City.

Camarilla is a small room in Spanish. Because scheming cliques were likely to meet in confined spaces behind a closed door, camarilla evolved to describe such a group. 

Cifrado, the name of Encryption’s BRC Sires Produce Stakes winning son, is Spanish for data encryption. 

Enigma, Bletchley Park, Encoder, Plaintext, Ciphertext, Cryptography, Morse, Dashing Dot and Hacker are already taken. Cabal may be risky but Telegrapher, Cryptic Wordsmith, Cybersecurity, Cryptology, Data Defender and Concealer are open spheres.

 

Exosphere (At Oaklands Stud)

Sire: Lonhro (Octagonal-Shadea), Dam: Altitude (Danzero-Highest)

The main layers of the Earth’s atmosphere are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and finally exosphere.

Atoms and molecules are rare in the outermost section of a planet’s atmosphere. They can travel hundreds of kilometres before touching each other.

Names to probe include Ultimate Limit, Thermopause, Mariner Ten, Gee Jay Storey and the concocted word Neverest. Magnetosphere comes into reckoning in 2024.

 

Glenfiddich (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: Fastnet Rock (Danehill-Piccadilly Circus), Dam: Nothin But A Dream (First Defence-Darling Alice) 

Glenfiddich is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Gleann Fhiodhaich words meaning Valley of the Deer.

The head and antlers of a stag form the logo for the renowned Glenfiddich whisky distillery established by William Grant and Sons at Dufftown in Scotland.

Tipple your selection time with Grants Distillery, Malt Whisky, Nose For Scotch, Scotch Dream, Scotch For Glen and Deer Of The Valley. 

 

Goodfella (at Hopetoun Farm and Hazelwood Partnership, Murray Webster)

Sire: Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice-Snippet’s Lass), Dam: Movie (Red Ransom-Strawberry Storm)

The Ransom of Red Chief was the title of movies released in 1959, 1977 and 1998. Strawberry Storm is a grand-daughter of the globetrotting Queenslander Strawberry Road.

Goodfellas was a multiple award winning 1990 gangster movie directed by Martin Scorsese.

It was based on Wiseguy, a book by Nicholas Pileggi about the life of Henry Hill, a Mafia figure turned informant. The film starred Robert de Niro. 

Thumbs are down for Jolly Good Fellow and So Say All Of Us but up for Birthday Singer, For Heeze and Heeze Jolly.

 

Heroic Valour (at Raheen Stud)

Sire: Fastnet Rock (Danehill-Piccadilly Circus), Dam: Myrrh (Nassipour-San Pauli Girl)

The 1979 Fastnet Race was hit by an horrendous storm. Although there were fatalities, the rescue efforts, particularly by the helicopters from the Culdrose Royal Navy Air Station, were magnificent. Fittingly, the handicap winner was Tenacious. 

More courage in adversity encased the 1838 feat of Grace Darling and her lighthouse keeper father William when they saved folk from the shipwrecked Forfarshire.

Myrrh, which is another term for sweet cicely, is well known as one of the gifts the Three Wise Men presented at Bethlehem.

Awesome With Oars, Darling Grace, Darling William, Star of Courage, Bravery Medal, Veecee and De Eff Cee can be requested.

 

Invader (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice-Snippet’s Lass), Dam: Flame of Sydney (Encosta de Lago-Flame of Atlanta)

Invader’s daughter Sunshine in Paris coincidentally rekindles the fact that Sydney and Atlanta were Olympic host cities.

Accordingly, Free Woman relights the torch. Flame of Atlanta evokes memories of the legendary 1939 movie Gone With The Wind.

Clay Hero, the mare’s sire, is an anagram of his trainer Rick Hore Lacy’s surname.

Space Invaders, the 1978 arcade video game, fires up chances such as Laser Cannon, Defence Bunker and Mystery Ship.

The Vikings were influential invaders with Longshipman and Orkney potentially usable names. Oslo hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics at Bislett Stadium.

 

Jonker (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: Spirit of Boom (Sequalo-Temple Spirit), Dam: Hearts And Arrows (Kempinsky-Villa Igea)  

The massive 727 carat Jonker diamond was discovered by Johannes Jacobus Jonker in 1934 at Elandsfontein in South Africa. Hearts and Arrows is a diamond cut. Both of her parents descend from Eight Carat.

Alternative pathways to follow include The Jonker Walk in Malacca City’s Chinatown; the coach of Netherlands’ Women’s 2023 World Cup team is Andries Jonker; and a young untitled member of nobility in the Middle Ages was called a Jonker. 

 

Jungle Cat (at Telemon Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Iffraaj (Zafonic-Pastorale), Dam: Mike’s Wildcat (Forest Wildcat-Old Flame)

Jungle Cat is a specific breed as well as a general term. It is tough finding fresh names.

Swamp Lynx, Bob The Cat, The Lynx and Orono (the Jungle Cat World near Toronto) can be listed but made-ups such as Leonynx (a hybrid creation of Leo and Lynx), Paguar and Oceluma are definitely not active.

Chibolera can be a word for a woman with romantic designs on younger males. Zafon appears to be Spanish for a slip up. 

 

Kellstorm (Thunder Ridge Stud) 

Sire: Galileo (Sadler’s Wells -Urban Sea), Dam: Another Storm (Gone West-Storm Song) 

Because Galileo Galilei is a person whose knowledge and skills span a substantial number of subjects, he is regarded as being a polymath.

Gone West, a son of Mr Prospector, ties in with vocabulary related to the California Gold Rush.

A variant of Kellstorm is Kellstrom Aerospace, a global company that specialises in supplying aviation parts.

With the vaguest of connections, Duke Kell’s book Light In The Storm pops up as does Kell House, a 112 year old mansion-cum-museum in Witchita Falls that was damaged by a storm in 2021! Hellstorm, Polymath and Tells Mork, the anagram of Kellstorm, can be tossed around too.

 

Kobayashi (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit-Cannarelle), Dam: Woodstock Hussey (Hussonet-Explosive Love)

Takeru Kobayashi proved unbeatable for ages in food-devouring competitions. The somewhat slightly built Japanese consumer was a frequent champion at Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest. His 2001 record was 50 in a dozen minutes.

Kobi, victorious in the 2005 Alka -Seltzer US Open of Competitive Eating, also diced digestively with dumplings, pork buns, hamburgers, bratwurst and lobster rolls.

Saw Jaw, Sore Jaw, Smorgasbord, Guinness Book, Dagwood Dog, No Dunking, Glutton Bowl and Full To The Brim are appetising suggestions. 

Wonder if Kobayashi’s progeny are good doers?

 

Lean Mean Machine (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: Zoustar (Zou Zou), Dam: She’s Meaner (Falvelon-She’s A Meanie)

The tag Mean Machine was coined by journalist Ian Hanson for the Australian gold medal swimming relay team of Greg Fasala, Neil Brooks, Michael Delaney and Graeme Brewer at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. The quartet had all shaved their heads.

The label was aired earlier in the The Longest Yard, a 1974 comedy film featuring Burt Reynolds.

Sharp Razor, Gymtastic, Gymtoner, Spindly, Workout, Spotter, Personal Trainer, Triathlete, Calorie Deficit and Fabrewney could exercise the mind.

Love Conquers All (at Clear Mountain Fairview)

Sire: Mossman (Success Express-Lichen Lady), Dam: She’s A Meanie (Prince Salieri-Shekanwyn)

For Better Or Worse, Supreme Bliss, Spite Free, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Perpetual Passion, Kenarbie and Heavenly Ordained can be proposed. Affair to Remember is taken so Kerrgrant could be a substitute. There are a number of songs with the Love Conquers All title.

 

Neorealism (at Grandview Stud)

Sire: Neo Universe (Sunday Silence-Pointed Path), Dam: Tokio Reality (Meadow Lake-What A Reality)

 A facet here is the Neorealism movement in Italian literature and cinema in the 1940s. Director Federico Fellini and writer Italo Calvino were two involved figures.

Honshu’s Lake Motosu, Lake Ashi and Lake Yamanaka along with Armarcord, Quiet Vespers, Calvino, Bicycle Thief, The Layabout, Riso Amaro, Bitter Rice and La Terra Trema are prospects.

 

Pariah (at Oaklands Stud)

Sire: Redoute’s Choice (Danehill-Shantha’s Choice), Dam: Secluded (Hussonet-Cloister)

Bowerbird, Retreat, Sanctuary, Outcast, Leper are all out of commission. Estranger is a possible construction to imply secluded isolation.

Hussonet’s dam Sacahuista is an evergreen perennial in the Lily family.

Redoute is a type of earthworks outside a fortress so The Buffer is slight chance. La Redoute is associated with French fashion. Pierre-Joseph Redoute Belgian painter with a flair for floral subjects.

The Great Court, an allusion to the cloisters at the University of Queensland, Monks Retreat, Tatterdemalion, Waif and Deportee are not in use.

 

Power (at Oaklands Stud)

Sire: Oasis Dream (Green Desert-Hope), Dam: Frappe (Inchinor-Glatisant)

Sandy Palms, Desert Well, Qanats, Productive Pump, Pumped Iron, Kraftig, Stroom, Tarzantic, Zeuatlas, Beastly Glatisant, Iced Coffee, Power Aide, Mighty Mirage, Snowy Scheme, Power Grab, Steam Rocket and surnames of champion power lifters such as Berglund and Tarinidis are eligible entries.

Frappe is a drink but can also be French for an attacking strike.

 

Prince Fawaz (at Oaklands Stud)

Sire: Fastnet Rock (Danehill-Piccadilly Circus), Dam: Lady Paget (Testa Rossa-Lady Capel)

Capel is a spot in the Bunbury-Busselton area in Western Australia. Sir James Paget was an English surgeon. Testa Rossa is a Ferrari sports car and is also Italian for redhead.

Fawaz is a family name in Lebanon. Indications are that in Arabic it signifies winner and that it might tie in with the personal name Victor.

Edgware Road (London venue for Lebanese food) and Lebanon Wins are two names that are possible.

 

Ready For Victory (at Pascoe’s Oakey Vet Hospital, Will Loudon)

Sire: More Than Ready (Southern Halo-Woodman’s Girl), Dam: Crillon (Zabeel-Espadon).

Crillon is an historic, plush Parisian hotel. Espadon is French for swordfish or a huge sword used by soldiers and executioners.

Forget On The Mark, Match Point, Primed, Dad’s Army, Drum Roll, Trigger and Trigger Finger but ponder Trigger Happy, Bayonet Fixed, Sword Poised, Game Fish and Sharp Axe.

Rothesay (at Lyndhurst Stud)

Sire: Fastnet Rock (Danehill-Piccadilly Circus), Dam: Schiaparelli (Woodman-Canny Lass)

Rothesay is located on the Isle of Bute adjacent to the Firth of Clyde. There are claims that its castle is haunted by the Green Lady. She supposedly threw herself from the parapet rather than be compelled to wed a Norse monarch.

The Stuart of Bute tartan is burgundy, teal, white and black.

Elsa Schiaparelli, a Parisian fashion designer from an Italian aristocratic background, collaborated artistically with Salvador Dalí. Creations included the wrap dress and the trouser skirt, controversially worn on Wimbledon courts by Lilí Álvarez in 1931.

You Bute, Catwalk Art and Creative Catwalk can be picked. 

 

Sensei (at The Grove Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Dream Ahead (Diktat-Land of Dreams), Dam: Schiaparelli. (Woodman-Canny Lass)

Sensei is a Japanese Martial Arts teacher. Put Black Belt, Red Belt Dan, Wong Jack, Hackleman, Kimura and Agrella on the list.

Diktat is an order or decree imposed without popular support by an authority. Spartan Discipline, Guru Demands, Controlled Body and Binding Blueprint fit the bill.

 

Sidestep (at Telemon Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Zacinto (Dansil-Ithaca), Dam: Avoid (Cullen-Haughty Miss)

Paternally, there is a Greek flavour. Ithaca is an island in the Ionian Sea where Odysseus was king.Zacinto is the Italian version of Zakynthos, the son of the Arcadian chief Dardanus.

Zorba’s Dance, Sirtaki, Ninepin, Barn Dancer, Dosado, Do Si Do, Half Sashay and Weave The Ring can be requested but it is not so for Campese, Larkham, Defence Breaker, On The Wing, Square Dancer, Hoedown and Quadrille.

 

Sooboog (at Clear Mountain Fairview)

Sire: Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice-Snippet’s Lass), Dam: Monte Rosa (Fraar-La Nebbia). 

The story goes that Sooboog is a Chinese term for giver of golden gifts. In Greek mythology, Atalanta was a huntress who would only wed a suitor who could down her in a foot race. She eventually lost when she stopped to pick up the three golden apples tossed down by Hippomenes.

Monte Rosa, which translates as Mount Rose, is Italy’s second highest mountain near The Matterhorn in the Alps. La Nebbia is Italian for fog.

Wedding Ring, Gilt Wrapped, Gold Vase, Rose In The Mist can be put forward.

 

Spirit Of Boom (at Eureka Stud)

The famous Victorian train, the Spirit of Progress, matches well for the bay. That name is in use but Progressive Spirit is free.

The Gold Rush era ties in. Although Edward Hargraves is credited with being the primary discoverer of gold specks near Bathurst in 1851, the apt article Eureka! The Rush For Gold (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/eureka-rush-gold/rumours-gold) paints a wider picture.

The Boomers (the Australian Mens Basketball side), Baby Boomers and Heavy Metal music are topics worth considering. The Boomtown Rats certainly were a Number One success while Gas Rigger and Oil Rigger touch on a resources boom.

Lingham and Sankara both link in to the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Spirit of Boom’s name is a spin off from that of his half-brother Temple of Boom.

 

Stronger (At Aquis Farm)

Sire: Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice-Singles Bar), Dam: Star Pupil (Starcraft-Ain’t Seen Nothin’).

Foreign translations may be handy. Starker (German) is simple. Less so are Plus Forte (French), Piu Forte (Italian) and Mas Fuerte (Spanish).

Keener, Smarter and Stauncher are three easy ones. Beefier may be a prime choice for graziers.

Sporting types will recall that the Olympic motto of Citius, Altius and Fortius means “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. Currently, the name Citius Fortious is not taken. 

The Dux, Perfect Prefect, The Jock, Aristotle (Plato’s pupil), Plato (Socrates’ pupil), The Protege and Pe Haitch De (for Ph D) might score a tick.

Sun City (at Telemon Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Zoustar (Northern Meteor-Zouzou), Dam: Roulettes (Flying Spur-Discretion)

Yanchep Sun City Country Club is a classy golf course north of Perth. Elsewhere, Sun City is an upscale resort near Pilansberg National Park in South Africa.

The Cox Plate hero Surfer’s Paradise can be ruled out but Caloundra could be requested as can Tonatiuh, the Aztec Sun God.

The Roulettes is the RAAF aerobatic team formed in 1970 to celebrate the body’s 50th Anniversary.

 

The Mission (at Aquis Farm)

Sire: Choisir (Danehill Dancer-Great Selection), Dam: My Amelia (Redoute’s Choice-Carry On Cutie)

The monicker Mission Artemis is ideal for a filly with its connection to Apollo’s twin sister. One of NASA’s aims with this project is to land the first female and the first non-white person on the Moon. 

Tranquil Eagle, Apollo Module, Apollo’s Eagle, Apollo Crusader, Dambuster Mission, Dunkerque can also be submitted. Another option is Lockheed Vega. In 1932, Amelia Earhart made her historic, nonstop solo transatlantic flight in that model plane.

 

The Odyssey (at Telemon Thoroughbreds)

Sire: Better Than Ready (More Than Ready-Sally’s World), Dam: Jessica’s Hope (Snitzel-Barents Sea)

Willem Barents, the Dutchman who explored the Murmean Sea between Norway and Russia in the 16th century, was honoured with its name change in 1853. Sailors apparently called the sea the Devil’s Dance Floor.  

Synonyms for odyssey include voyage, trek, quest and pilgrimage. Homer's Composition, Camino De Santiago, Bodh Gaya, Lough Derg, Trojan War and Pilgrim’s Progress are available names. Iliad are Croagh Patrick are not.

 

Thunder Fantasy (at Oaklands)

Sire: Lucky Owners (Danehill-Miss Priority), Dam: Pink Pier (Galileo-Danlora)

Art Union, The Squatters, Pink Jetty, Thortastic, Reindeer Donner, the Finnish god Ukko, the Basque god Orko, Jeudi (French for Thursday), Noisy Dreamer, Thunderbug, Thrips and the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt can be contemplated but forget about the movie Tropic Thunder, Thunder Bay, Thunderhead, Thunderdome, Thunderclap, Thunderbird and Golden Whistler.

 

Top Echelon (at Oakwood Farm)

Sire: Umatilla (Miswaki-Dancing Show), Dam: Advisory (Kingston Rule-Swank).

The 2014 Stradbroke hero River Lad is the veteran grey’s best advertisement. The Umatilla River meets the Columbia River in Oregon in the USA. Miswaki is a village in Tanzania. Kingston Rule is the American-bred winner of the 1990 Melbourne Cup.

Yes Minister, Top Dog, Top Rung and Element of Surprise’s son Leadership Spill are off limits but The Board, Department Head, Sir Humphrey, The Cabinet, Committeeman and The Courtier appear to be possibilities.

 

Winning Rupert (at Grandview Stud)

Sire: Written Tycoon (Iglesia-Party Miss), Dam: Winaura (Show A Heart-Miss Bonnie Can)

Keith (Rupert Murdoch’s father), Anonymous Source, Control Freak, Dictated Democracy, Media Baron, Media Magnate, Top Dog, The Courier and Scoop are already in circulation.

Dictionary sources suggest that a Rupert could refer to “an army officer, especially a young one from a privileged background” or to someone in the United Kingdom’s upper class.

Prince Rupert and Rupert’s Land are significant in Canadian history.

The Germanic personal name of Rupert is built from “hrōd” meaning renown and “berht” denoting bright. Rupert Bear is a British cartoon character. Rupertia is a type of flowering plant in the legume group.

 

Worthy Cause (at Clear Mountain Fairview)

Sire: Choisir (Danehill Dancer-Great Selection), Dam: Tahnee Tango (Grand Lodge-Tahnee)

The Salvation Army’s General Booth and the likes of De Paul Salvo, Vincent, Red Cross and Hollows are up for grabs. Flying Doctor, used for a gelding by True Hero from No Doctor For Me, can now be reprised as can Pink Ribbon. The Blue Beyond and Orange Sky. Sweet Charity, Philanthropist, Endeavour, Altruist cannot be approved just yet.

The information above about 32 stallions due to work in breeding barns this season covers only half of the past. Naturally, the lineage of the newcomer’s dam will furnish a multitude of  leads.