Big breeders reap rewards in Vicbred Super Series

Many of Victoria’s leading harness racing breeders were to the forefront in the heats of the Alabar Bloodstock sponsored Vicbred Super Series for two, three and four-year-old pacers conducted at Bendigo, Kilmore and Melton last week.

Well known Maryborough breeder Peter Gleeson led the vanguard with three winners in the two-year-old colt Always Hot, the three-year-old colt Best Deal and the four-year-old entire High Above, all tracing back to the Windshield Wiper mare Larrakeyah Lady.

A Vicbred champion herself, Larrakeyah Lady has been the ancestress of five Vicbred Final winners in the three-year-old colts Petracca (2023) and Out To Play (2019), the three-year-old filly Rocknroll Magic (2016), the two-year-old colt Major Secret (2013) and the four-year-old entire Safe And Sound (1998).

Gleeson also bred last week’s four-year-old heat placegetters Perfect Class and Compete and the two-year-old runner-up Go Miki, giving him six Vicbred semi-finalists from a total of 15 horses he bred that are currently two, three or four-year-olds.

“Actually, the best filly I bred Very Pretty didn’t even make it to the series,” Gleeson said.

Ballarat breeders Bruce and Vicki Edward, the owners of Durham Park, were the only other breeders with multiple heat winners. They brought out a pair of three-year-old winners in Sir Jimmy and the filly Draw A Dream.

Other prominent Victorian-based breeders to taste success in the Vicbred heats were Helen Head (Eureka Jo), Margaret Lee (Keayang Tokyo), Danny Zavitsanos (Fox Dan), Louise and Alana Toulmin (Miss Disturbia), Paul Lewis (Roadmaster), Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul (Sahara Breeze), the Big Wookie Racing Group, Clayton Tonkin and Ben Prentice (Storms Collide) and the late Martin and Kaye Hartnett (Sweet Bella).

Among the sires Art Major reigned supreme with seven heat winners, while Captaintreacherous (4), Always B Miki (3) and American Ideal (2) were the only other stallions to produce multiple winners.

Australian Pacing Gold will conduct next year’s SA Yearling Sale on March 23 at the Magic Millions Complex, Morphettville. Entries are now open and will close next week

Swan Hill breeder-owners Todd and Wendy Rivett look to have unearthed another handy money-spinner in Wendy’s Wish, a Somebeachsomewhere mare who led throughout for her seventh success at Melton

Well known harness identity Judith Ferrie is enjoying a wave of success with Hez Harrywho, who has won his last three outings at Shepparton

Avant Gard, a smart trotting winner at Shepparton, was bred by Bendigonian Leigh Graham, the Executive Officer of the Racing Education Centre

by Peter Wharton, for Harness Racing Victoria