Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America brought to you by Yabby Dam Farms & Racing!

Yabby Dam Racing, principal Pat Driscoll’s dream to breed and race world class trotters was born after seeing a billboard on the Champs Elysees in Paris advertising the famous trotting race the Prix d’Amerique. Driscoll attended the Prix d’Amerique and immediately a love affair with the trotter was formed.

Driscoll spent the next five years visiting world class trotting establishments in Europe before embarking on his own venture here in Australia where he has lead the charge in the significant advancement of Southern Hemisphere trotting.

Along the way Driscoll formed friendships with many of Europe’s leading owners and breeder.

Siblings star on same night

Two of Australia’s top pacers at present, and both winners last Saturday night who promise to be a force in this year’s Inter Dominion series, are Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) and his half-brother Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven).

Leap To Fame hoisted a fresh track record rating of 1:55.5 for the 2647 metres standing start winning the Listed $32,376 Flashing Red, while Swayzee romped home in open company at Menangle.

LEAP TO FAME REPLAY

Both bred by Wagga horseman Paul Kahlefeldt are out of Lettucereason 1:55.9 ($180,073), a smart pacer herself, and who also left the Group 2 winner Maximus Red 1:51.6 ($375,107), who is racing successfully in America.

Lettucereason was by the Artsplace horse Art Major from the grand producer Left For Me (1:59), by Fake Left from Our Lady Delwin, by Lordship.

Aardie’s Express is leading NSW mare 

Aardie’s Express (Always B Miki) advanced strong claims to being the best female pacer in NSW today when she scored and end-to-end win in the $30,600 Ladyship Stakes at Menangle last Saturday.

It was her third win on Australian soil from as many starts. At her previous start she disposed of Ladies In Red and others in the $200,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile in 1:49.9, and before that she downed a class field in the Group 3 $50,000 Sibelia Stakes in a sizzling 1:48.9.

Aardie’s Express has not done a great deal of racing, having averaged seven starts a season. In three seasons of racing Aardie’s Express has won 16 races and has been twice placed from 22 starts for $345,064.

By the world champion Always B Miki, she is out of the smart racemare Tatijana Bromac 1:54.2 ($198,481), by Rocknroll Hanover from the Group 1 winner Tandia’s Courage 1:53.6 ($305,236), by Stoneridge Scooter from Talk To Me, by What’s Next.

Aardie’s Express is a sister to the Group 3 winner Aardie’s Flash 1:51.7 ($158,145) and Aardie B Miki (1:54.9) and a half-sister to the Menangle and Albion Park winner Mohs Em Down 1:53.5 ($150,225).

Pure Steel winner

Paul Edward, who won the Pure Steel at Gloucester Park, edging out his highly fancied stablemate Hale Saint Louie, has now won 10 races and is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class.

He ranks as a five-year-old half-brother by Always B Miki to the millionaire pacer and dual Vicbred champion in David Hercules (1:52.7) and the exported Kerrin Joseph 1:52 ($226,190).

David Hercules, an Artesian horse, won 39 races including 28 at Gloucester Park.

Like A Dame, the dam of Paul Edward and David Hercules, was a Golden Greek mare from Hold Tight, by Embrace Me from the top racemare Stormy Port, and has proved a most successful broodmare. She is also the dam of the Breeders Crown Graduate Cup victor Hugh Victor (1:54.9), James Hercules (1:57.5), Gran Tarino (1:57.8) and Isabella Jane (1:57.5).

Like A Dame was only a moderate but she was a half-sister to the WA 2YO Sales Classic winner Fake Embrace 1:53.4 ($240,249), Go By Jet (1:58.3) and to Endless Journey, dam of the former Australian 2YO Colt of the Year Never Ending (1:54.6), a dual Group 1 winner of $577,565 to date.

This has been one of the most successful branches of the Royal Empress family, Hold Tight being a half-sister to the dual Derby winner Albuquerque 1:58.6 ($322,630), the NSW Tatlow victor Port Talbot and to Janoela Star, who produced the top flight pacers Cosmic Flight and Cosmic Legacy.

Paul Edward was bred by leading Perth breeder Steve Johnson, who also owns him.

Some American is some youngster

Some American (American Ideal), who toyed with a handy field at Melton last Saturday, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he finished second in the finals of the Breeders Crown and Vicbred Super Series.

He has opened his three-year-old season on a winning note and will be well in line for the major juvenile classics.

Some American is a colt by the Western Ideal horse American Ideal from the Group 3 winner Somerocksomeroll (1:53.3) and is her first produce.

Somerocksomeroll ranks as a half-sister to the Group 2 WA victor Firerockfireroll 1:55 ($175,416) and the Vicbred Silver winner Idealrockidealroll (1:54.9), being by Somebeachsomewhere from the dual Vicbred champion Rocknrolla 1:57.1 ($287,351), by Grinfromeartoear from the Sapling Stakes winner Nightn Georgia ($116,605), by Safely Kept from She’s Our Angel, by Classic Garry.

This is the family that produced the dual QBred Triad winner For Real Life, Sky Tower (Devonport Cup), Kasey John 1:50.6 ($253,991), Soho Eros (Tamworth Cup), Tight Rope ($204,098) and many others.

Won Treuer Memorial

District Attorney, who won the $50,000 Treuer Memorial, the main race of the season at Bankstown, is a Courage Under Fire five-year-old half-brother to the NZ Cup winner and millionaire pacer Cruz Bromac.

District Attorney, who was an APG Gold Bullion and Tasmanian Derby placegetter as a three-year-old, has been a difficult horse to produce at his peak, but he has shown up as a very useful pacer, and it was a strong field he beat at Bankstown.

Bred by Bromac Lodge, he is out of the Life Sign mare Crown Defender, whose dam, Classic Blue Jeans, was by the top Canadian pacer Camluck from the American bred Oh Please, by Albatross.

Classic Blue Jeans left the Franklin Cup winner Attorney General ($323,098), who took a record of 1:48.4 in America, the Group 3 WA winner Crown Bromac and the Victoria Youthful Stakes and Premiere Stakes winner Cullen Bromac.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Jimartee in 1:50.1

The seven-year-old gelding Jimartee (Sportswriter) put up the second fastest mile in Albion Park history when he recorded 1:50.1 in a Band 5 race last Saturday.

The winner of over $170,000, Jimartee is by the Artsplace horse Sportswriter out of Vienna Bromac (1:54), by Courage Under Fire from Universal Woman, by Caprock from the Overtrick mare Winsome Tricks, who founded a very successful branch of the Accident family.

Winsome Tricks, who was only lightly raced, left seven individual winners including Coma Berenices (NZ Thames Nursery) and was the ancestress of top horses the calibre of the NZ Kindergarten Stakes winner Sir Clive, Nandolo (1:48.6), the Breeders Crown champion Just Cala, Posh Jaccka 1:51 ($331,155), Can Return Fire (Pinjarra Cup), Valedictorian (APG Gold Bullion) and Blue Chip Adda (Westbred 3YO Classic).

NSW trotter has strong bloodlines

My Ultimate Sunny, the winner of the NSW Trotters Foundation Final for three-year-olds at Menangle, is regarded as one of the best young square-gaiters in the State.

He has a background of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being by  Majestic Son out of the Bacardi Lindy mare Ultimate Daiquiri, who won seven races including two at Albion Park and took a record of 1:59.7.

Ultimate Daiquiri, who was bred in NZ, was a half-sister to an outstanding trotter and thrice Group 1 winner Majestic Man 1:53.5 ($786,118)and Sol Invictus ($124,563). Their dam, Love Hate Revenge (by Holdonmyheart), was out of the NZ 2YO Trotter of the Year Gee’s Pride, by Pernod Eden from Gee Du Jour, a winner of 17 races and $252,027 including the Rowe Cup and a heat of the Inter Dominion.

Other trotters further back in this pedigree have been the Bill Collins Mile and Dullard Cup winner I Didn’t Do It ($455,554), Montrose Kid, Makarewa Monarch and Ainthatrightmacca.

My Ultimate Sunny was bred by well known Brisbane identity Greg Mitchell.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink