Vice Regal: There is probably no more important influence in the bottom half of Don Tristram’s pedigree than Vice Regal (3E), the second damsire, who has been a pivotal part of the equation in producing many top class racehorses, including the Kensington Gardens/Blackfriars family, and the Richebourg/Romanee Conti/Grand Echezeaux/Ethereal family. An important presence in Vice Regal’s pedigree is Le Filou who trails from the 16C family, so critical in the makeup of successful stallions such as Zabeel. The successful Zabeel/Vice Regal cross can to a large extent be attributed to the splendid line-breeding to the 16C family member, Boxeuse (1931).

Descendents of the No.13 family: Sir Tristram and his sons have picked up well with other lines of the No. 13 family, all descending from Shotover, her sister Penitent, and their 3/4 sister Magdalen. Broodmares containing Sans Tares (Wilkes and Worden), Sovereign Edition, Mr. Prospector, Tourbillon, Djeddah are expected to blend well. This cross produced champions Sovereign Red and Gurner's Lane. Star Way and Vice Regal also contain lines of No. 13. The cross with Vice Regal is all the more potent because of the mirrored lines in Diomedes (in Le Filou) and Admiral Drake (damsire of Turn-to). Reinforcements of No. 13 family members help to explain the success of Rhythm when crossed with Sir Tristram mares.

Selene: Mares demonstrating affinities with Selene (6e) lines would be the first included in any mating plan involving Don Tristram. Sir Tristram carries multiple lines of Selene (as does Star Way), which explains why Selene’s descendants work so well with Sir Tristram and his sons (eg; Zabeel).

Gondolette: An important factor is Gondolette who also provides, in tail-female line, Don Tristram’s third damsire, the champion progenitor Fair’s Fair. Gondolette is one of the best broodmares of modern times, not only as ancestress of Selene, but also through the very fast filly Myrobella, who produced 2000 Guineas winner and champion sire Big Game, sire of NZ champion stallion Faux Tirage.

The flying 9C family of Eight Carat: The proven affinity of Sir Tristram and his sons with the Eight Carat family can easily be capitalized upon with Don Tristram. This famous 9C Mumtaz speedline is present in numerous positions in Don Tristram. Don Tristram's damsire Prince Echo has no less than three lines of Mumtaz Mahal, and Don Tristram’s damline contains a sire called Lucky Bag (sire of 4th dam Rag), another from this immediate family (9C). Out of Sun Princess, Lucky Bag is thus a half brother to Eight Carat's 3rd dam Tessa Gillian, as well as Royal Charger (5th in Don Tristram's sireline and also appearing in Prince Echo's pedigree). There are three lines of Sun Princess in Don Tristram’s first six generations. The Sir Tristram/Eight Carat “nick” has produced numerous champions including Octagonal, Danewin, Viscount, Tristalove, Kaapstad, etc.

Pretty Polly: Another important influence that can be reinforced in a mating plan is that of Pretty Polly, ancestress of many champion performers around the world. Prince Echo’s Italian-bred damsire, Don, traces directly in tail-female to Dossa Dossi who is line-bred 3x4 to the great progenitor. It is pertinent to note that Eight Carat's second dam Courtessa is by a sire who traces directly to Pretty Polly.

Marchetta/Lavendula: Sir Tristram carries two lines of this prepotent female influence, through Sir Gaylord's sire Turn-to, and My Babu, sire of All My Eye. Duplications of this line have proven effective in crosses with Sir Tristram, with no better example than Eight Carat who carries Marchetta through her damsire, Klairon. Inbreeding to Lavendula in Don Tristram, and/or her daughter Source Sucree will be a valuable breeding strategy.

Padua: Don Tristram's dam has a sex-balanced duplication of Padua, through Raise A Native and Bismark II. Padua is an all-important influence in modern thoroughbred pedigrees through Blue Larkspur, who is linebred 3x4 to her.

Quiver: Don Tristram’s second dam Tupelo Honey contains three lines of Quiver, to give further line-breeding opportunities. Quiver is ancestress of the grand mare Cinna, to whom Vice Regal's second dam, Waft, is closely inbred (via Whistling Wind and Illustrious). The are many more occurrences of Quiver by virtue of her being the second dam of Polymelus who is well represented throughout the pedigree. As a prime example of the power of these lines, the five-time Gr.1 winner Tristarc is by Sir Tristram from a mare carrying Gondolette, Pretty Polly and Cinna close up in her pedigree.

Don Tristram is an X-factor carrier: For those who follow the large heart syndrome/ X factor, a score of 130 for Don Tristram has been recorded. Clues as to where X trail to the large heart (not a proven theory - just a plausible one) may come from LUCKY BAG (4th damsire), a member of the 9C Mumtaz family. Another likely source is Prince Echo, the damsire of Don Tristram. Prince Echo traces tail-female to Woodbine (1860), a daughter of Pocahontas's son Stockwell. The 5th dam of Prince Echo, Tetrabbazia, is a daughter of The Tetrarch who has a line of Pocahontas in the sire of his second dam. In addition, Don, the damsire of Prince Echo, traces to Pretty Polly (14C), whose 4th dam Wallflower (1869) is a daughter of Pocahontas's son Rataplan, so in Prince Echo there is multiple line-breeding along the X-trails to the source of the so-called X-factor, Pocahontas. The Tetrarch occurs in multiple positions, especially in Mary Poppins's pedigree.