In a-y reds eumelanine bearing hairs are restricted in location to the dorsal portions of the body and eumelanine is restricted to a band on the tip of the hairs but the black pigment is not diluted or paled.
a-y reds have black noses, eye rims and lips unless there is some dilution gene present to pale out the eumelanine. a-y reds are most commonly confused with the intensified e-locus red seen in irish setters and a few other breeds.
If dominant black really is an A locus gene then it is dominant over a-y, otherwise a-y is the most dominant gene on the A locus.
On the left is a year old male Borzoi with fairly strong contrast between the dorsal portions of the pattern and the ventral portions. He has a good scattering of black hairs in the dorsal portions of the head, neck and body (termed sabling). On the right is a 2 year old Borzoi female 'clear red' a-y a-? with few black hairs on the head and body. Black hairs still occur around the ear edges and along the dorsum of the tail.