JOHANNESBURG (USA) (c by Hennessy (USA)), Champion 2yr old in Europe and U.S.A. in 2001, won 7 races at 2 years and £269,377 including Prix Morny Casinos Barriere, Deauville, Gr.1, Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Belmont Park, Gr.1, Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, Phoenix Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, Anglesey Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3 and Norfolk Stakes, Royal Ascot, Gr.3, placed once viz second in Castlemartin & La Louviere Gladness Stks, Curragh, Gr.3; sire.

1st Dam.
MYTH (USA) (f by Ogygian (USA)), won 1 race at 2 years in U.S.A.;
dam of five winners including-

JOHANNESBURG (USA) (1999 c. by Hennessy (USA)), see above.

2nd Dam.
YARN (USA) (f by Mr Prospector (USA)), won 1 race; Own sister to PREACH (USA);
dam of five winners including-

MINARDI (USA) (c by Boundary (USA)), Champion 2yr old in Europe in 2000, won 2 races

at 2 years and £201,940 viz Middle Park Stks, Newmarket, Gr.1 and Phoenix Stks, Leopardstown, Gr.1, placed third in Irish 2000 Gns, Curragh, Gr.1; sire in U.S.A.

TALE OF THE CAT (USA) (c by Storm Cat (USA)), won 5 races at 3 and 4 years in U.S.A.

and £217,097 including King's Bishop S., Saratoga, Gr.2, placed 3 times viz second in Whitney H., Saratoga, Gr.1 and third in Vosburgh S., Belmont Park, Gr.1; sire in U.S.A.

SPUNOUTACONTROL (USA) (f by Wild Again (USA)), won 4 races at 3 and 4 years in

U.S.A. including Singing Beauty Stakes, Laurel Park; dam of winners:
SPUN SILK (USA) (f by A P Indy (USA)), won Ride Sally Stakes, Aqueduct, R.

3rd Dam.
NARRATE (USA) (f by Honest Pleasure (USA)), won 8 races in U.S.A. and $188,856 including Falls City Handicap, Churchill Downs, Gr.3 and Princess Doreen Stakes, Arlington Park, placed second in Arlington Oaks, Arlington Park, Gr.3, Pucker Up Stakes, Arlington Park, Gr.3, third in Shuvee H., Belmont Park, Gr.2, Smart Deb H., Arlington Park and fourth in Spinster S., Keeneland, Gr.1;
dam of seven winners including-

PREACH (USA) (f by Mr Prospector (USA)), won 4 races in U.S.A. and $304,656

including Frizette Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.1 and Bourbonette Stakes, Turfway Park, L., placed 5 times viz second in Gallant Bloom Stakes, Saratoga, L., third in Spinaway Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.1, Test Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.1, Prioress Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.2 and Aladancer Stakes, Aqueduct, L.; dam of winners:

PULPIT (USA) (c by A P Indy (USA)), 4 races at 3 years in U.S.A. and £433,452

including Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, Gr.2 and Fountain of Youth Stakes, Gulfstream Park, Gr.2, placed once viz second in Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, Gr.1; sire in U.S.A.

Tell It (USA) (f by Storm Cat (USA)), 4 races at 2 to 4 years in U.S.A. and

£102,524 and placed 4 times including third in Nicole Stakes, Hawthorne.

CONVENT (USA) (f by A P Indy (USA)), 2 races at 3 years in U.S.A.; dam of

NUNNERY (USA) (f by Forest Wildcat (USA)), won Waya Stakes, Saratoga, L., R., placed third in Fairway Flyer Stakes, Belmont Park, L.

Seize (USA) (c by Conquistador Cielo (USA)), won 11 races in U.S.A. and $99,957

placed second in Southfield Stakes, Detroit.

Ledford (USA) (c by Forty Niner (USA)), won 5 races in U.S.A. and $114,555 placed

second in Rushaway S., Turfway Park, L., Screen King S., Saratoga, L.

Lecture (USA) (c by Seeking The Gold (USA)), won 4 races in U.S.A. and $176,405 and

placed 8 times including second in Cradle Stakes, River Downs, L.

Although Johannesburg’s second dam is by MR. PROSPECTOR, his notably successful early crops confirm that he is very well suited by MR. PROSPECTOR line mares, as were his sire Hennessy and grandsire Storm Cat. As many as 9 of his Graded winners have a second line of Mr. Prospector. The great Mr. Prospector sired the dam of the Gr.1 winner Scat Daddy, plus the second dams of Gr.2 winner Teuflesberg and Gr.3 winner Rabatash. Johannesburg’s English Gr.2 winner Hamoody is out of a GULCH mare, and so is the Gr.3 winner Baroness Thatcher, who nearly won the Gr.1 Ballerina Stakes.

It must be significant that Johannesburg has followed in Hennessy’s footsteps by siring Graded winners from daughters of CARSON CITY and WOODMAN. CRAFTY PROSPECTOR sired the second dam of one of Johannesburg’s stakes winners.
The FAPPIANO branch also comes into the picture, as the very speedy La Traviata is out of a mare by his son UNBRIDLED. This is interesting as Johannesburg’s broodmare sire Ogygian is out of a half-sister to Killaloe, the dam of FAPPIANO.
For the record, Scat Daddy is inbred 4 x 2 to Mr. Prospector, whereas African Skies, Baroness Thatcher, Eaton’s Gift, Hamoody, Rabatash and Teuflesberg are all inbred 4 x 3 while Jupiter Pluvius and La Traviata are inbred 4 x 4.

Mares by other sons of Mr. Prospector, such as GONE WEST, KINGMAMBO and SEEKING THE GOLD would be very interesting options.

It is reasonable to expect Johannesburg to shine with mares with ALYDAR blood. Mares by ALYDAR and his sons have a striking record with Storm Cat and Hennessy, with SARATOGA SIX, the broodmare sire of Hennessy’s Gr.1 winner Madcap Escapade, being just one example. Alydar’s son TURKOMAN sired the second dam of Fernando Po, one of Johannesburg’s early stakes winners.

Johannesburg comes from one of the most successful families of recent years - a family which traces to Monarchy, a stakes-winning full-sister to the Champion sire ROUND TABLE. His dam Myth is a half-sister to European champion 2-y-o Minardi (by Big Brown’s sire BOUNDARY) and to the champion 2-y-o sire Tale Of The Cat (by STORM CAT). He now has two smart winners out of BOUNDARY mares, including the Gr.3 winner Jupiter Pluvius. Boundary is by DANZIG, as is DANEHILL, the broodmare sire of Johannesburg’s Gr.3 winner Ten Meropa.

Johannesburg has a stakes winner inbred 3 x 3 to STORM CAT.

Johannesburg’s second dam Yarn is a full-sister to the Gr.1 winner Preach, who in turn is the dam of Pulpit (by A.P. INDY). Mares by A.P. INDY have to be considered as Hennessy’s Gr.2 winner Toasted is out of a daughter of SEATTLE SONG, while the Graded winners Sunray Spirit and Mary Delaney have SEATTLE SLEW mares as their second dam.

Two of Johannesburg’s early winners are out of mares from the HALO line. The stakes-winning Fernando Po is out of a daughter of SOUTHERN HALO, whereas Teuflesberg has a DEVIL’S BAG mare as his dam. DEVIL’S BAG also sired the second dam of La Traviata.

It could be worth adding more DAMASCUS blood in Johannesburg’s mates as his Gr.3 winner Jupiter Pluvius is inbred 4 x 4 to Damascus, while the stakes winner Private Dreams is inbred 4 x 3.