Weekly spotlight on breeding

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

Top two-year-old by ‘Captain’ 

The Captaintreacherous colt The Lost Storm firmly established himself as the top Victorian two-year-old pacer of the season when he won the $130,000 Vicbred Super Series final at Melton. 

Actually he was a class above his rivals, and was not seriously tested in running out the 2240 metres in 2:36.1, a mile rating of 1:52.2. 

It was his third success on end, and he soundly trounced the best two-year-olds in the State in the Vicbred final after being required to overcome a difficult barrier draw. In nine starts The Lost Storm has now won seven and been twice placed for $143,560 in stakes for Ballarat breeder Justin Baker, who part-owns him.  

The Lost Storm is out of Ayshe Whitby, by Rocknroll Hanover from Miss Worthy Whitby, by Bettor’s Delight from the American-bred mare Spirited Storm, by Artsplace. Spirited Storm, the dam of seven winners including former crack juvenile The Storm Inside, who won his first 11 starts and is now standing at Alabar Bloodstock, is a member of the same maternal family as champion sires in Panorama, Safely Kept, Grinfromeartoear, Rocknroll Hanover and Four Starzzz Shark. 

The Lost Storm was one of three Vicbred champions on the night sired by Captaintreacherous, the others being the three-year-old Catch A Wave and the four-year-old Captain Bellasario. 

Joyful’s family background 

Joyful (Always B Miki), who won the $130,000 Vicbred Super Series final for two-year-old fillies, was bred in Victoria but belongs to one of New Zealand’s most successful maternal families. 

Bred by Alabar Bloodstock, she was got by Always B Miki from Joyfuljoy, a Southland bred mare by the Matt’s Scooter horse Mach Three. Joyful, who holds a record of 1:55.8, has run up the tidy score of six successes and five placings from 15 starts for $113,875 in stakes. 

Joyful’s dam, Joyfuljoy, was a top racemare who took a mark of 1:51.6 in America and won 17 races and $480,442. She was out of a capable racemare in Joyfulbelle (1:56.3), who won eight races and $58,798 and became the dam of winners in Bettor Joy 1:50.2 ($613,164), a Group winner in NZ and who later competed successfully in America, Vergeofgreatness 1:52.8 ($123,555), Joyfuldolly (1:56.5) and Jumpforjoy (1:55.8), a Bettor’s Delight mare who figures as the dam of the WA cup class pacer Jumpingjackmac (1:55.2), a winner of 16 races and $361,891 to date.  

Another daughter of Joyfulbelle was the unraced Pride N Joy (by Mach Three), who left four winners including the WA Diamond Classic victor Majorpride 1:58 ($139,245) and the talented Riverina pacer Sportingjoy. 

A yearling sister to Joyful will go under the hammer as Lot 91 at the Nutrien Equine sale at Warwick Farm in March. 

Third Group winner 

When the Love You gelding Locksley Lover outsprinted his rivals to capture the $100,000 Vicbred Super Series final for four-year-old trotting entires and geldings at Melton he credited his dam, the CR Commando mare Elusive Charm, with her third Group winner. 

Others from Elusive Charm to taste Group success have been the Vicbred winner Is That A Bid (by Andover Hall) and The Redwood winner Cognati (by Majestic Son).  

In all, Elusive Charm, a Redwood winner herself, left five winners from five foals, four of which took records of 2:00 or better and three have earned in excess of $100,000 

They were all bred by Cranbourne identity David Scott. 

Doug’s Babe is well bred 

Doug’s Babe, who downed a top field in the $130,000 Vicbred Super Series mares’ final at Melton, is a Western Terror four-year-old expected to graduate far beyond her present rating. 

A member of Geoff Webster’s Bannockburn team, she has a good deal more in her favour on the score of blood than most. Apart from being by Western Terror, and one of his second last Australian crop, Doug’s Babe is out of a smart racemare in Doug’s Courage (1:58), an Oaks winner by Courage Under Fire from Winsome Glory, by Soky’s Atom from Gavil Girl, by Gaviland from Sans Pareil, by Lock Up and tracing to the Rey de Oro mare Parisienne, whose family today is one of the best in the NZ stud book. 

From the Sans Pareil branch of it and to which Doug’s Babe belongs, others in the Victorian country cups winner Phoenix Prince ($323,030), Udoit, the Vicbred champion Part Of Glory, Triumph Lad (Vic. Sires Produce) and the top Tasmanian stayer Swishinon are also members. 

 Bred by the late Doug Webster, Doug’s Babe ranks as a half-sister to Doug’s Platter (1:55.6), a Vicbred and Breeders Crown finalist. 

 Breeding feat by Pat Driscoll 

Rather a notable breeding feat was credited to Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll on Vicbred Super Series Finals night at Melton on New Year’s Eve, when he bred four winners of Group 1 $100,000 races. 

Driscoll, who trades as Yabby Dam Farms, bred and races the winners of both three-year-old finals in the gelding Cravache Dor (by Orlando Vici) and the filly Revelstoke (by Quaker Jet). He also bred the winner of the two-year-old colts and geldings final in The Locomotive (by Muscle Mass) and the winner of the four-year-old mares’ section, Visionary (by Orlando Vici). 

In all, Driscoll bred 16 Vicbred finalists for four winners, a second, two thirds, a fourth and a and eighth unplaced. 

 Vicbred winning line 

The Vicbred Super Series 2YO trotting colts’ winner, The Locomotive (Muscle Mass), is a son of the champion racemare La Coocaracha, who won the Vicbred Final herself and left a Vicbred champion in Reina Danzante. 

The Locomotive’s win was his fifth success on end. “I always thought I had the fastest horse in the race,” his driver Nathan Jack said. 

By Muscle Mass, The Locomotive also ranks as a half-brother to the outstanding racemare and thrice Group 1 winner Dance Craze 1:55.6 ($551,780), the NZ Group winner Mataderos and the exported La Grange (1:54.2), all trotters of some worth. 

La Coocarcha, the 2002 Australian and NZ Trotter of the Year, was a half-sister to the Harold Park pacing winner Blake Castle 1:53.2 ($265,498), being by Safely Kept from Poetry, by Kentucky from Morley Doll, by Royal Dollar from the SA Oaks winner Sheffield Morley, by Sheffield Globe – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it. 

The trotter Berriesandcherries, a winner at Echuca on New Year’s Night, is also a member of this fine family. 

 Classic success for siblings  

Two of Australia’s star pacers at present, and both recent classic winners who promise to be a force next season, are Firerockfireroll (Courage Under Fire) and Idealrockidealroll (American Ideal). 

Both bred by Warren Stewart are out of Rocknrolla 1:57.1 ($287,351), a dual Group winner herself, and who has left another Group winner in Somerocksomeroll (1:53.3). 

Rocknrolla was by the Artsplace horse Grinfromeartoear from a fine racemare in Nightn Georgia, by Safely Kept from She’s Our Angel, by Classic Garry. 

This is the family which produced horses the calibre of Menin Gate, Smooth Showgirl, Fourbigmen and Kasey John and the trotters Aleppo Sunrise, Aleppo Midas and Alpha Male. 

 Promising sire’s absence a loss 

Racing at the Vicbred Super Series further demonstrated the loss of Aldebaran Eagle to breeders. 

With only a few representative racing, he sired Rockinwithattitude, who won the $100,000 final for two-year-old fillies and looks one of the best young trotters in the country. She has won nine of her 14 starts and $130,000 – a season’s high for her age, gait and sex. 

Dichotomy, who finished third in the Breeders Crown, the Vicbred Silver winner Aldebaran Boyd and Aldebaran Dexta, winner of the SA Parker Classic, have been other smart performers sired by Aldebaran Eagle. 

In all, Aldebaran Eagle has sired seven winners from 17 starters to date. 

 Bathurst sales winner 

Studleigh Melise, who won the Graeme Board & Co Graduate Sale Race at Bathurst and is regarded as a youngster of some potential, is a two-year-old filly by Huntsville from Calculating. 

STUDLEIGH MELISE REPLAY

She is a member of an old time NZ family, which was represented by a winner at Leeton in Here Comes Bobby on the same night as Studleigh Melise won. Here Comes Bobby won again at Leeton on New Year’s Night. 

Calculating, who was unraced, was a Modern Art mare from the smart racemare Rosalind (1:55), by Fake Left from the grand producer Grecian Robin, by Golden Greek from the American-bred mare Candelaria, a granddaughter of the inaugural Miracle Mile winner Robin Dundee. 

Rosalind ranked as the dam of the Australian Pacing Gold winner Rosa Mach 1:56.2 ($239,588), Studleigh Mark (1:56) and the unraced Art Express (by Art Major), dam of Sam’s Express (1:54.5), who won the Bathurst Sales Classic in 2016. 

Bred by Mal Moody, Studleigh Melise is a half-sister to the Menangle winner That’s Ideal (1:53.5). 

 Blue blooded filly 

Miss Hornigold, who won her first race at the Penrith midweek meeting, is a two-year-old filly whon can claim some worthwhile blood. 

MISS HORNIGOLD REPLAY

By Captaintreacherous, by Somebeachsomewhere from Worldly Treasure, by Artsplace, she is out of the Art Major mare Louvre 1:54.5 ($402,665), a thrice Group 1 winner whose dam, My Ami Lee, left a string of classic winners including Miss Hazel (NSW Oaks), Renaissance Man (SA Derby) and My General Lee. 

Louvre left earlier winners in Delightful Lou (1:55) and Vinci Vinci. 

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink