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.

Vicbred Platinum winner is well bred

Captain Perfect (Captaintreacherous), winner of Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic at Melton, is a two-year-old colt of some potential.

He has an all-American breeding background and one which has been most successful. By Captaintreacherous, he is out of the Art Major mare Perfect Sense (1:55.5), who won nine races including the Vicbred Silver and $143,530 in stakes.

Perfect Sense, who was bred in Victoria, was out of O Narutac Bella (1:51.2), a mare imported from America by Ballarat breeder Bruce Edward and by Western Ideal from Yankee Venice, by Life Sign.

O Narutac Bella, a winner of $154,536, ranks as the dam of the Auckland Cup and Harness Jewels winner Turn It Up 1:51.8 ($928,525) and others in the Vicbred Platinum winner Narutac Prince (1:52.6), the SA Southern Cross victor Treasure (1:54.9) and Illawong Bella, dam of the Victoria Oaks and Vicbred Final winner Sweet Bella 1:51.3 ($332,600).

WA Christmas Gift winner

Brickie’s Dream, who won the $50,000 Christmas Gift, main race at Gloucester Park last weekend, is a Rock N Roll Heaven gelding from the same family as that which produced a champion New Zealand pacer and sire in Christian Cullen.

Brickie’s Dream, who was placed in the Easter Cup in March, has only been sparingly raced, but he has shown up as a very useful pacer, and it was a strong field he beat at Gloucester Park.

A five-year-old gelding, Brickie’s Dream is out of Kate De Goldie (2:00.6), a moderate racemare by Bettor’s Delight and is her first foal. Kate De Goldie was a half-sister to the Menangle winners Bridget Blue Chip (1:51.4) and Major Rocket (1:51.6), being out of Kate’s Rocket, by In The Pocket from the outstanding racemare and Auckland Cup winner Kate’s First 1:57.2 ($624,023), a half-sister to Christian Cullen and Julius Caesar, both successful sires.

Others from this fine family include the NZ 2YO Colt of the Year More The Bettor (1:49), Rockstar Angel ($438,053), the Vicbred champion Without You, Best Western (NZ Great Northern Oaks) and the Group winning racemares Younggiftedandblack and Princess Meritaten.

From Larrakeyah Lady family

The Always B Miki filly Looks Perfect, who won the Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic at Melton, is another member of the celebrated Larrakeyah Lady tribe.

Bred by Peter Gleeson, who part-owns her, Looks Perfect, who is undefeated in two starts, is out of the Art Major mare Perfect Look (1:53), who produced earlier winners in the Menangle winner Debonaire (1:53.8) and How Sweet (1:55.7), a winner of six of her nine starts this season.

Perfect Look, a Southern Cross winner, was a sister to the Group winners Perfect Major (1:53.4) and That’s Perfect (1:52.1) and a half-sister to the Breeders Crown champion Perfect Class 1:51.7 ($386,010).

Their dam, Perfect Life (1:58), was a half-sister to the NSW Derby winner Major Secret 1:55.1 ($464,872), now siring winners in South Australia, the Victoria Oaks winner Beauty Secret 1:52.4 ($425,921) and others.

This has been one of Australia’s most successful families over a long period. It was established in Victoria by the NZ bred more Hot Foot, who became the dam of 10 winners including Larrakeyah Lady, a Vicbred champion who left the Hunter Cup winner Safe And Sound and the Tatlow victor The Good Times.

A star from Claudy’s Princess

A promising young trotter in Victoria is Claudy’s Hero, who was bred and is raced by trotting scribe Gus Underwood and trained by former En Zedder Kyle Marshall.

A colt by What The Hill, he is out of a champion racemare in Claudy’s Princess 1:55.5 ($401,803) and the first of her produce to win. He won at the Ballarat midweek meeting and looks a two-year-old with the potential one would expect of his breeding.

Four wins on end

Calling Buddy, a son of the American sire Rock N Roll Heaven, who stands at Alabar, has been the star of the summer racing at Albion Park.

He has won his last four starts – all over the 1660 metres sprint distance – rating 1:51.7, 1:52.2, 1:52.3 and 1:55.2.

Calling Buddy is a member of the same family as a smart NZ pacer in Fake The Moment, who won 22 races and $243,639. He also raced in America where he took a record of 1:51.8.

Calling Buddy is by Rock N Roll Heaven from Courageous Call (1:57.4), by Courage Under Fire, an In The Pocket horse who won a record six Derbies. Courageous Call, a Group 2 placegetter, was out of Bad Girl (1:59.6), a winner of six races and by Troublemaker from Star Of The Moment, by Soky’s Atom from the New York Motoring mare Tender Moment.

Lost 25 metres – and won!

The highlight of the Christmas meeting at Melton was turned on by Alrighty (Skyvalley), who broke soon after the start of the Haras Des Trotteurs Vicbred Platinum Classic and gave the leaders a 25 metres start.

The gelding recovered his gait and settled down third in the seven-horse field. Alrighty was switched down onto the passing lane and sprinted brilliantly to win by two lengths. 

Alrighty’s performance was an expceptional one in every respect. He is a son of the Muscles Yankee horse Skyvalley, a top trotter himself and who has been the leading colonial based in his field for almost a decade.

Why Maori, the  dam of Alrighty, was a Ganymede mare from the Inter Dominion champion Sumthingaboutmaori, by Pine Chip from the Entrepreneur mare Maori Princess, a granddaughter of the prized matron Maori Miss.

The most distinguished member of this family was a champion trotter in Maori’s Idol, who won 40 of his 46 starts including a record 24 wins in succession. He later became a leading sire.

Alrighty was bred and is raced by Bryan Healy, who drove Maori’s Idol throughout his brilliant career.

Vicbred winning line

The Vicbred Platinum Homegrown Classic winner Iron Women (by Quaker Jet) is a daughter of Val Gardena (1:59.9), a Breeders Crown champion who left a Vicbred Final winner in Gardena Ronda (1:57.4).

Iron Women’s Homegrown Classic win was her second success from five starts.

Val Gardena, a winner of 12 races, was got by the USA Trotter of the Year Kadabra (a successful sire in Australia with only a few starters) from Let’s Be Happy, an Andover Hall mare imported from America by renowned Victorian breeder-owner Pat Driscoll.

Besides Val Gardena, Let’s Be Happy is also the dam of Chateaubriant (1:56), Verbier (1:59.6) and Endsin A Party, all trotters of some worth.

Yearling sale catalogues available

Catalogues for next year’s Australian yearling sales are now available in hard copy and online.

Australian Pacing Gold have 528 entries across sales in five States commencing with Melbourne on February 2, followed by Brisbane (February 9), Sydney (February 16), Perth (March 2) and South Australia (March 23).

Nutrien Equine will offer a total of 372 lots in Sydney on March 9 and Melbourne (April 13).

The yearlings include some royally-bred youngsters by leading sires in Bettor’s Delight, Art Major, Captaintreacherous, Sweet Lou, Always B Miki, American Ideal, Somebeachsomewhere, Rock N Roll Heaven and Majestic Son. Among the first crop sires represented are the American imports Cattlewash, Century Farroh, Dancin Lou and On A Streak and the thrice Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink