Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every Friday brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.

An Amazing double

Amazing Dream, a four-year-old daughter of the American sire Bettor’s Delight, who stands at Woodlands Stud, was the star of the Queensland winter carnival.

She won the two plums of the series – the inaugural Group 1 $250,000 Rising Sun over 2138 metres and the Group 1 $250,000 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship over 2680 metres. She has won 22 races including nine at Group 1 level and $1,252,410 in stakes.

Amazing Dream is closely related to an earlier top racemare in Western Dream, who won 14 races and was twice placed for $334,987. She also raced in Australia.

Amazing Dream is by Bettor’s Delight from Christian Dreamer, by Christian Cullen, an In The Pocket horse who was the leading sire in New Zealand for many years. Christian Dreamer, who was unraced, is also the dam of the former NZ 2YO Colt of the Year Let’s Chase The Dream 1:49.9 ($604,589), now racing successfully in North America, Dream Major (1:59.7) and Catch The Dream (1:59.8).

Christian Dreamer was out of Dreamy Atom 1:59.2 ($108,810), a dual NZ Sires Stakes champion and by Soky’s Atom from the Lumber Dream mare Lumber Lie, who established a good winning branch of the Berthabell family that included pacers of the calibre of Soho Lennon 1:51 ($726,562), Western Cullen (WA Golden Slipper), Tisadream (1:50), the Treuer Memorial winner Lochinver, Real Stride (1:51.6) and others.

Queensland Derby winner

The Auckland colt American Dealer who firmly clinched his claim to being the best three-year-old of the season when he won the $102,000 Queensland Derby, is a member of one of NZ’s top ranking standardbred families.

American Dealer, who has now won 10 races and $305,261, is a colt by the Western Ideal horse American Ideal, who stood his early seasons at Woodlands Stud in NZ and has been located at Northern Rivers Equine in Victoria while at the stud in Australia.

American Ideal has been most successful in Australia. His stock include the champion Bling It On, a prolific winner on the Grand Circuit and now siring winners in NSW.

American Dealer is out of Maddison’s Delight, by Bettor’s Delight from Pacing Grace (1:57.7), by In The Pocket from Jessie Grace, by Vance Hanover and tracing to the taproot Verity, founder of NZ’s greatest classic winning family.

Maddison’s Delight, who was unraced, is also the dam of Sweet Maddison (1:57), a winner of nine races in WA. She is a half-sister to a top flight NZ juvenile in Pacing Major 1:52 ($636,036), the Group winner All U Need Is Faith 1:49.8 ($415,347), Our Amazing Art 1:57.4 ($165,363) and Grace Way (1:56.8), dam of the Victoria Metropolitan Cup winner Three Ways 1:54.1 ($248,406), Make Way 1:51.7 (Redcliffe Derby) and the smart pacers Forgotten Highway (1:55.6) and Shanway (1:55.7).

Pacing Delight, a sister to Maddison’s Delight, was the dam of the SA Derby winner Aladdin 1:57.5 ($187,331), the Group 2 winner Virgil 1:52.3 ($146,257) and Mason’s Delight (1:51.9).

At the last National yearling sales a colt by Downbytheseaside from Grace Way, a half-sister to Maddison’s Delight, was purchased by Stonewall Stud for $55,000.

Momentslikethese’s family background

Momentslikethese, who won the $102,000 Queensland Oaks at Albion Park, is a Victorian bred filly with an interesting and successful family background.

Bred by Harvey Kaplan, of Melbourne she was got by Art Major from Mint Julep, a northern Victorian bred mare by the Cam Fella horse Presidential Ball. Momentslikethese, who took a new lifetime mark of 1:55.7 in the Oaks, has run up a tidy score of seven successes and nine placings from 25 starts for $146,825 in stakes.

Momentslikethese’s dam, Mint Julep, was an unraced mare by Presidential Ball, a Meadowlands Pace winner from the Mary (by Bay Pilot family), and who proved a successful sire in both North America and Australia. Mint Julep was out of a champion racemare in Jadah Rose, who took a record of 1:49.6, won 31 races and $465,424 in stakes and became the dam of winners in Guaranteed 1:50.4 ($856,316), a dual Vicbred champion and Kilmore Cup winner now siring winners in Victoria, Jadahson 1:53.9 ($277,390), a multiple country cups winner, Bettes Rose (1:57.8), who won five, and Real Diamond (1:59.2).

Jadah Rose was a Totally Ruthless mare from Karamea Toastime, by Armbro Aussie from the American-bred Toast To Missy, by Bret Hanover. Besides Jadah Rose, Karamea Toastime, who was unraced, left two high class Tasmanian pacers in Scooterwillrev 1:55.5 ($252,188), who won 29 races, and Karalta Shine 1:52.6 ($168,973), who won 42, Timeseel 1:52.7 (22 and $169,530), He’s Real (1:57.1) and also Elegant Outlook, a Dream Away mare who became the dam of winners in Karalta Kruise 2:01.8 ($110,243) and Ajay Breezy Rose (1:56.7), who won twice at Redcliffe recently.

Triad winning line

The QBred Triad Final winner, Awaywego, is a two-year-old half-brother by Sunshine Beach to last year’s Triad 2YO Final winner Big Wheels 1:54 ($130,084) and the recent Triad 4YO Final placegetter Blacksadance 1:52.7 ($108,546).

The trio were all bred and are raced by Taree (NSW) dairy farmer John Polson.

Their dam, the NZ bred Washington Lass, was a Washington VC mare from Supreme Duchess, by Son Of Afella from Sparkle Bret, has a 100 per cent record at the stud. Since producing Awaywego in 2018, she has left a weanling brother to him and is carrying a positive test to Captaintreacherous.

Washington Lass, who took a record of 1:55.6 at Menangle, was a half-sister to the good Gloucester Park winner Julius Supreme (1:58.6). This has been one of the most successful branches of the First Water family, Supreme Duchess being a half-sister to the exported Supreme Fashion (1:56.4) and the Victorian winner Superior Fashion. Other close family members have been the Paleface Adios Classic winner Cifersky (1:58.4), Taurus Durham (Albany Cup) and the Albion Park winner Vilovance.

Brothers win at Young

It was no mean feat for the full brothers Crime Time and Crime Dont Pay to win consecutive races at the recent Young midweek meeting.

Both are by the Artsplace horse Sportswriter (a leading sire in Australia) and were bred by the Xerri family’s Sloy’s Company.

Married To The Mob 1:56.1 ($119,775), the dam of Crime Time and Crime Dont Pay, was out of a capable racemare in Desperatehousewife, who took a record of 2:00.8. Besides Married To The Mob, winner of the NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Final, she was also the dam of four-time winner Luda Can Dance (1:57.9), dam of the promising Roll Play (1:56.6).

Desperatehousewife was out of the handy racemare Scoots Away (2:02.7), who became the dam of the 2003 2YO Filly of the Year Self Denial 1:57.6 ($446,069), the Moonee Valley and Gloucester Park winner Dhoni 1:56.2 ($165,437), the Harold Park victor Full Fantasy and the Leeton Cup winner Tea House (1:57.4).

One of her daughters, Bettor By Far, left the NSW Breeders Challenge Regional winner Mister Jay Cee 1:52.4 ($209,390) and the Australian Gold heat winner Bettor Sport (1:55.8).

Other members of this family have been the NSW Evolution winner and multiple Group placegetter Vincenzina 1:51.8 ($112,495), the NSW Pink Bonnet winner Beach Fantasy (1:57.2) and Dusty Delight (1:53), a winner of 15 races, and Sixteen Carat (1:55.5).

Star four-year-old by Sportswriter

One of the most capable young pacers racing in WA at present is See Ya Write, who was a most impressive winner of the $30,000 John Higgins Memorial Final at Gloucester Park. ­

See Ya Write has a wealth of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being a four-year-old by Sportswriter from Lucasta Midfrew (2:01.8), by Mach Three from the Greymouth Cup winner Lucinda Midfrew (1:56.9).

Lucasta Midfrew, who won twice, was a half-sister to the outstanding racemare Libertybelle Midfrew 1:53.9 ($640,497), whose 19 successes included the WA Oaks, Golden Nugget and a heat of the Inter Dominion, Lulli Midfrew (1:56.8), the Gloucester Park winner Loves Me Like A Rock (1:58.8) and Lulabelle Midfrew (5 wins), who became the dam of the NZ Breeders Stakes winner Luisanabelle Midfrew 1:52.2 ($225,107) and the Menangle winner Letsgotothehop (1:52.5).

See Ya Write, who was bred by John and Rebecca Mooney, of Midfrew Farm, West Melton, Christchurch, ranks as a half-brother to the WA Derby heat winner and final placegetter Eyre Crusher 1:55.7 ($127,123).

Soho Bollinger is Derby material

Soho Bollinger, who won the $30,000 Winter Championship Final at Kilmore and is regarded as Derby material of the highest order, is a three-year-old colt by Bettor’s Delight from Soho Champagne, a handy racemare who took a record of 2:06.3.

He is a member of an old-time NZ family, his dam Soho Champagne being an Artsplace mare from Miss Maddy Jay NZ, by In The Pocket from Highland Park, by Tuapeka Knight from Giselle, a mare by Armbro Hurricane.

Giselle was the dam of the Tasmanian Pacing Championship winner The Suleiman 1:52 ($521,270), the Moonee Valley winner Waingaro Orphan (1:58.7) and the Queen of the Pacific winner Highland Park 1:58.5 ($173,032), the dam of the metropolitan winners Anvil Tornado (1:59.4) and The Mysta.

Soho Bollinger ranks as a sister to the Tatlow Memorial winner Soho Angel 1:53.3 ($168,430) and a half-sister to Soho All Shook Up (1:56.8), both being bred from in WA.

Wildwest’s half-sister

A bright future is being predicted for the American Ideal three-year-old filly Leer, whose runaway success at her Australian debut at Kilmore recently was her third winning run from five starts.

Leer is a half-sister to the talented WA pacer Wildwest 1:53.9 ($133,522), the winner of 10 races including the WA Governor’s Cup and Pinjarra 4YO Classic, being out of Bay Jet, by Jereme’s Jet from Fake’s Dream (1:59.5), by Fake Left from Clipjoint, by Lumber Dream from the Out To Win mare Bonnie Win, a daughter of Bonnie Averil, the dam of the 1971 NZ Cup winner True Averil, a high class pacer in Garrison and others.

Bonnie Averil was a half-sister to the Taranaki Cup winner Val Averil and a member of the same family as the top Australian pacers Rollon Bigred, Dillon Light and Elixir.

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink