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.

Classic winner by Betting Line

The Bettor’s Delight horse Betting Line, whose frozen semen is available from Empire Stallions in Victoria, is leaving smart two-year-olds from his second crop.

Soho Seraphine, who led throughout to win the Allied Express 2YO Classic at Melton, is a filly by Betting Line from the Mach Three mare Angel Bromac.

Betting Line, a world champion three-year-old, established himself as an early speed sire last season when four of his two-year-olds in and My Ultimate Levi (APG Brisbane Gold), Saint Veran (NSW Breeders Challenge Regional), Lightning Jash (Tas. Debutante) and Whataretheodds (WA De Campo Memorial) won juvenile classics.

Soho Seraphine’s dam, Angel Bromac, belongs to a noted family. She was by Mach Three from Amaretto Bromac, by Falcon Seelster from Arma Class, by Talk About Class from the NZ Oaks winner Ar Miss.

Ar Miss established one of the most successful branches of the Lady Antrim family. It included such winners as Armalight (NZ Cup), Spankem (Miracle Mile), the Victoria Derby winners Ohoka Punter and Muscle Factory, None Bettor (1:48.8), Majestic Mach (2YO and 3YO of the Year), Excel Stride (NSW Derby), Arma Xpress (2YO Filly of the Year), Our London Pride ($606,165), Honolua Bay and many others.

Half-sister to Expensive Ego

Diamond Shooz, a Betting Line three-year-old filly and a winner of the $50,000 Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic Final at Melton when having only her fourth start, is out of Art Start, a capable racemare with a record of 1:58.2 who is proving a successful broodmare.

Art Start is also the dam of the outstanding pacer Expensive Ego 1:48.6 ($816,317), the QBred Triad winner Art’s Treasure 1:50.9 ($152,542), now at the stud, the retired Bodhi Tree 1:52.1 ($192,854) and Golightly (1:54.5).

Art Start was a Perfect Art mare from the Queensland Oaks winner Sweet Clementine (1:59.6), by Land Grant from the Jerry Adios mare Sue Adios, winner of the inaugural NSW Ladyship Mile.

Art Start was a sister to the Albion Park winner Spy Hunter (1:56.7) and a half-sister to the Albion Park winners Stage Coach Kid 1:56.5 ($139,575), who won 23 races, Famous Clementine (1:57.8) and Ok Zeke (1:59.1).

Their dam, Sweet Clementine, won nine races and left eight winners. She was a half-sister to the multiple Group winning filly Sweet Liberty 1:57.9 ($102,706), dam of the Group 2 winner My Liberty Belle 1:57.5 ($185,333) and the grand-dam of Philadelphia Man 1:52.6 ($559,135), a Breeders Crown and Vicbred champion now at the stud in NSW, and the outstanding matron Beninjurd, dam of former 2YO of the Year Centenario, the Vicbred champion Tough Tilly and Lightning Dan (APG Gold Bullion).

Diamond Shooz was bred by Gisborne enthusiasts Ian and Kath Sutherland, who race her in partnership with Sydneysider Terry Reid.

WA 4YO and 5YO Championship winner

A bright future is being predicted for the Bettor’s Delight five-year-old Doc Holliday, whose success in the $50,000 4YO and 5YO Championship at Gloucester Park was his seventh winning run in 16 starts on Australian soil.

He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood than most. Apart from being by Bettor’s Delight, Doc Holliday is out of the Western Terror mare First Western, a half-sister to the Traralgon Cup winner Hurricane Stride 1:56.6 ($137,234) and the Invercargill Cup winner Maverick 1:56.7 ($124,465).

Their dam, Kate’s First, won four Group 1’s including the Auckland Cup and NZ and Queensland Oaks and $624,023 in stakes and left six winners. She was a half-sister to the standout NZ pacer and sire Christian Cullen, the prolific Albion Park winner Ina Great Place 1:53 ($203,023), the successful colonial sire Julius Caesar and to the dams of the NZ 2YO of the Year More The Better 1:49 ($851,689), Rockstar Angel 1:51 ($438,053), Beach Shack (1:53.2), Heez Orl Black 1:51 (NZ Welcome Stakes) and Chevron’s Champion (1:55.9).

Doc Holliday ranks as a brother to the NZ Great Northern Oaks winner Best Western 1:57 ($171,976) and the NZ three-year-old winner John Wayne (1:59.7) and a half-brother to the Menangle victor Marion Keisker (1:54).

Won Homegrown Classic

Denny Rocks, a three-year-old by Rock N Roll Heaven from Jodi Lindenny, by Mach Three from Jodi Vance, by Vance Hanover, failed to win a race in 11 starts as a two-year-old last season.

But the gelding has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old racing, and he won the $50,000 Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic at Melton in a 1:55.1 rate for 1720 metres.

It was Denny Rock’s first success and his 1:55.1 effort was put up when he had nothing in his favour, drawing the outside of the front row and being several lengths from the leaders at one stage. He is a very promising youngster.

Noted family of trotters

Watts Up Majestic, who won the Trotters Marathon at Albion Park and has won his way back to an NR 89 mark – on the verge of cup class – is raced by his breeder Bradley Watts, of NSW and is a member of one of Australasia’s most successful families of trotters.

He is a four-year-old gelding by the Angus Hall horse Majestic Son, who has been the leading sire of trotters in Australia and NZ for many years. He has sired such winners as the Australian Trotting Grand Prix winners Majestic Man and Majestuoso, Glenferrie Typhoon, Majestic Player, One Over Da Moon, Illawong Helios, Im Stately and other top trotters.

Rainbow Maori, the dam of Watts Up Majestic, was by Maori’s Idol, a champion trotter and who also distinguished himself as a sire of trotters, from Diamond Ski, by Toliver Hanover from the Johnny Globe mare Ski Girl, a sister to the Inter Dominion trotting champion Bay Johnny and a top flight racemare in Snow Globe.

Watts Up Majestic is a half-brother to Rainbow Jay Jay 1:59.2 (a winner of 14 races) and Watts Up Maori (1:58.6), both good winners at Menangle.

Other members of this family have been the Dullard Cup winner Joanie Toliver, Jag’s Invasion (1:56.5), Jack The Capricorn, Keepyaguardup, Jumanji Franco (NZ 2YO Filly Trotter of the Year), In The Valley, and an outstanding pacer and NZ Cup winner in Hands Down.

Siblings win at Redcliffe

It was no mean feat for the siblings The Casual Goose (by Pet Rock) and Call Me Trish (by Always A Virgin) to win on the same night at Redcliffe last Saturday.

Both were bred by Darry Nutley and G. La Spina.

Madrina Dee, the dam of The Casual Goose and Call Me Trish, was out of the unraced Abbey Dee, by Abercrombie from Rosie Dee, by Vanston Hanover from the New Zealand bred mare My Madrina, dam of a string of Queensland winners including the dual QBred Triad winner He’s Poplar 1:56.8 ($117,337), Grandma (Seymour Nursery), The Supreme Quality 1:56.2 ($101,042), Maddy’s Girl (1:56.7) and McQuilty (1:58).

Abbey Dee was a half-sister to the Triad winner Cam Dee 1:55.8 ($127,723) and the Albion Park winner Maldini (1:59.5).

Vultan Tin tops $1 million

Vultan Tin has joined the growing list of Australian bred horses to reach the seven figure stakemoney mark. He sent his earnings beyond $1 million when he was successful in the Narrogin Cup last Saturday.

By the Western Ideal horse Dawn Ofa New Day – a top pacer himself – Vultan Tin is from Ellevarac, by Pacific Fella (a son of Cam Fella) from Carravelle, by the Direct Scooter horse Armbro Intercept, a successful sire in WA for many years.

Vultan Tin was bred and is raced by Phil and Daniel Costello.

From family of Franco Tiger

Ira Poole, a most impressive winner at the Ballarat midweek meeting, is three-year-old Falcon Seelster gelding from the same family as that which produced the Miracle Mile winner Franco Tiger.

Bred in NZ, Ira Poole won twice at the Victorian provincials as a two-year-old last season and has now won three of his eight starts.

Ira Poole is out of the unraced Turiya Bromac, by Mach Three from Tangier Franco, by Live Or Die from Tango Franco, by El Patron from Tempest Tiger (1:58.5), a one-time holder of the NZ mares’ mile record.

Tango Franco was the dam of two high class NZ racemares in This Time Franco 1:57.9 ($249,151) and There’s A Franco 1:57.7 ($217,588) and the prolific Perth winner Franco Thunder 1:51.4 ($199,928).

Daughters of Tango Franco bred on with distinction and her family included top winners in Franco Totem (1:48.2), Motu Crusader (QLD Sunshine Sprint), the multiple Cups winners Motu Premier and Motu Meteor, Three Blind Mice (WA Derby), Tralee Bromac (1:50.9), and Ocean Ridge (WA Winter Cup).

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink