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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. 
Tintin’s son wins Sapling
The $50,000 NSW Sapling Stakes, the first Group race for open two-year-olds in NSW, and run at Menangle, was won narrowly by Rippin Rupert, a gelding by Tintin In America from the smart racemare Rupeeno Cullen (by Christian Cullen), who took a mile record of 1:52.9.
Rippin Rupert was an Australian Pacing Gold purchase in 2021 in Sydney, and was bred and offered by Yirribee Pacing Stud, Wagga, who stand his sire, the former NZ 4YO of the Year and Breeders Crown champion Tintin In America.
Rippin Rupert is the last foal of Rupeeno Cullen. The winner of 13 races and $145,990, she was by Christian Cullen from the lightly raced Rippon Holme, by Holmes Hanover from Rupeeno, by Lopez Hanover from Pageantry, by Bachelor Hanover from the Morano mare Ceremonial.
This family has produced some useful pacers over the years. It includes the Victoria Ladyship Cup winners Spellbound and Our Stretto, Royal Cee Cee 1:49.6 ($1.1 million), the top Kiwi stayer Henry Hubert, Major Occasion (1:48.2), Honkin Del (NSW Pink Bonnet), the dual Queensland Christmas Cup winner The Emcee and Ouch (Vic. Casey Classic).
Rippin Rupert, who is raced by Wayne Loader and trained by Bernie Hewitt, looks a top youngster.
Gold Bracelet winner by Huntsville
The Somebeachsomewhere horse Huntsville, who stood a season at the stud in Victoria, before returning to North America, is leaving smart two-year-olds from his only Australian crop.
Flametree, who won the Group 3 Gold Bracelet at Gloucester Park, is a filly by Huntsville from the Panorama mare Party Date 1:56 ($256,003).
Huntsville, a former USA 2YO Colt of the Year, established himself as an early speed sire last season in America when one of his two-year-olds in Caviart Camden equalled the mile two-year-old record of 1:48.6 and a filly in Early Action (1:49.8) took out the $386,000 Governor’s Cup.
Flametree’s dam, Party Date, a Victoria Ladyship Cup winner, belongs to a noted family. She was by Panorama from Boom Or Bust, by Kawartha Robust from Boom Boom Baby, by Pure Steel from Morris Queen, by New Morris from the Aachen mare Gay Lark.
Gay Lark established a very successful branch of the Ruby Pearl family. It included such winners as the Fremantle Cup winner Golden Gears, Golden Goddess (WA Empress Stakes), the brilliant but unsound pacer General Dodge, Social Aspect (WA Champagne Classic), Dial A Honey (WA Sires Produce), Rockin The Boys (1:50.2) and Main Morris.
Flametree ranks as a half-sister to the cups winner Bettor Party 1:53.5 ($351,417) and the WA 2YO Sales Classic winner Rocknroll Whitby 1:55.6 ($235,641) and Pierre Whitby 1:56.1 ($151,644).
590 on millionaire pacing list
There are 590 pacers throughout the world to have earned $1 million or more, according to the website www.classicfamilies.net
The leading sire of million dollar earners is Bettor’s Delight with 44, the premier broodmare sire is Artsplace with 53 and the No. 1 family is Miss Duvall on 45.
Foiled Again, by Dragon Again from an Artsplace mare, is top of the prizemoney list with ($7,635,588). He is followed by McWicked ($4,930,967), the Australasian bred pair Blacks A Fake ($4,575,438) and Im Themightyquinn ($4,567,456), Gallo Blue Chip ($4,260,959) ad Bettor’s Delight’s leading son Lazarus ($4,026,140).
Rounding out the top 10 are Mister Big ($4,008,257), Wiggle It Jiggleit ($3,945,839), Won The West ($3,939,836) and Eternal Camnation ($3,748,574).
The list includes 35 Australian-bred pacers and 61 New Zealand breds.
Siblings win at Geelong
It was no mean feat for the half-brothers Celestial Trekker (by Safari) and Celestial Gossip (by Tell All) to win consecutive races at Geelong recently.
Both were bred and are raced by Steven and Michael Byrne, of South Australia.
Celestial Diamond, the dam of Celestial Trekker and Celestial Gossip, was out of a smart racemare in Celestial Gift, whose four successes included the Southern Cross 3YO Final. Besides Celestial Diamond, she was also the dam of Celestial Presence (1:59.3) and Celestial Daybreak (1:57.3), who won at Broken Hill on the same night that Celestial Trekker and Celestial Gossip won.
Celestial Gift was sired by a cup class pacer in Ritual from Celestial Glow, by Tarport Low from Stella, by Bon Adios from Astrella, by the Italian import Floridoro (sire of the great Dusty Miller) from the Raider mare Gipsy’s Moon.
Other members of this family have been the SA Golden Nursery winner Bon Jara, Aachoo (SA ANA Cup) and the Globe Derby Park free-for-all winner Celestial Knight.
Gawler Cup record
A fresh Gawler track record for the 2550 metres standing start was established by the Art Major gelding Stratofortress NZ of 3:07.5 (a mile rate of 1:58.4) – bettering the previous record of 3:09.7 held by Grey Maverick by 2.2 seconds – when he won the Gawler Pacing Cup.
Stratofortress, who has now won 11 races – including 10 in Australia – is a member of the same family as the top Victorian racemare Techy’s Angel.
Stratofortress ranks as a half-brother to the Globe Derby Park winner Better Go Hurry (1:59.5) and Altimeter (1:55.9), being by Art Major from the Bettor’s Delight mare Better Hurry whose dam Hurry Doon was by Admiral Halsey (son of Meadow Skipper) from Hurry Donna, by Berry Hanover from Donna Charles, by Young Charles.
Better Hurry was a half-sister to the Geelong Cup and NZ 3YO Flying Stakes victor Country Ways 1:59 ($211,220), Hurry Sir (1:54.2), the Harold Park winner Enter Hurry Zone, Knapdale Guy (1:57.1) and Clancy Girl (dam of Dependlebury 1:50.6).
Their dam, Hurry Doon, won four races and left eight winners.
In the back removes of Stratopfortress’ pedigree are pacers of the calibre of the dual Oaks winner Barynya, Lombo Navigator (WA Governor’s Cup), Blue Water (Nevele R 3YO Fillies Series), the prolific Perth winner Mynameskenny, Crimson Lake and the Queensland Derby winner Oneinamillion (1:49.6).
Well related three-year-old
Repelling, an impressive winner at Melton last Saturday, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he took out a semi-final of the Vicbred Super Series.
He has maintained his solid form as a three-year-old and will be well in line for the major juvenile classics later in the season.
He is a colt by the Mach Three horse Somebeachsomewhere from the top racemare Repelem, the best of whose several progeny has been the Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Joanna 1:53.8 ($306,003).
Repelem, who won 41 races and $266,346 in stakes, was out of Lombo Limelight, by Classic Garry from the Windshield Wiper mare Lombo Boucheron, a sister to former 2YO of the Year Mazzini Magic and a half-sister to the APG 2YO Final winner Smooth Sensation.
Up-and-coming trotter
The Majestic Son mare Majestical Belle, a double trotting winner at Melton this season and the newest addition to the ‘$100,000 Club’, was bred by the late Leo Newbound and is a member of one of Australia’s most successful families.
Majestical Belle could well have distinguished herself as a pacer as her dam, Avid, a good winner as a trotter, was sired by Modern Art, a leading sire of pacers in Victoria for some years.
Africorn, the unraced dam of Avid, was a half-sister to the NSW Breeders Plate winner Sure To Impress, being by The Unicorn (by Vance Hanover from the Black Watch tribe) from Africano, by Windshield Wiper from the noted producer Mozambique, by Gay Reveler.
Mozambique was the dam of the metropolitan winners Jilliby Rise and Lourenco Marques and the Vicbred Final placegetter Chinde and the grand-dam of the Australian Oaks winner Newbold Penny, the Vicbred 3YO champion Jilliby Melody, Forest Glory (AUSSCO 2YO Classic) and the prolific Gloucester Park winner Clear The Rain.
Mozambique was also the third dam of the mighty Lennytheshark 1:49.2 ($3 million), the Breeders Crown champion Led Suitcase, Nolarama (Vic. Ladyship Cup), Burling Game (APG 2YO Final), the Inter Dominion heat winner Penny Veejay, Portofino (1:51.6) and Blissfull Boy (WA 2YO Sales Classic).
