Tassies heading across the straight to APG

Tasmania has been the birthplace of so many Champion Australian Pacers from Logan Derby, the first Inter Dominion winner in 1936, to Beautide who won two Inter Dominions in 2014 and 2015. 

As a breeding ground for producing outstanding Pacers, Tasmania “punches well above its weight“ compared to most other Australian States. 

Buyers at the 2024 Melbourne APG Sale on 4th February should factor in these statistics when perusing the Catalogue for another Group One winner. 

This year four Tasmanian Vendors will be represented at the Inglis Complex at Oaklands Junction – with two of them, Jamie Cockshutt and Susan Maine, consigning their yearlings to accomplished Kilmore horsewoman Monique Burnett to put the final polish on them. 

Jamie, an ex-pastry cook, has two passions in his life – Harness Racing and the Melbourne Demons Footy team.  The date of 25th September 2021 will live in his memory forever, as well as the memories of every other Melbourne Dees supporter in the Country. 

Jamie has been breeding horse in Tasmania for many years, mainly in partnership with Barry Cooper and usually has raced the progeny of his mares. 

However, in 2022 he really upped his sights in terms of Stallions he has patronized by breeding two of his mares, Vouvray Beach and Belliciouslips to Tall Dark Stranger and Captaintreacherous respectively. 

The resulting progeny are now Lots 102 and 119 at the APG Melbourne Sale on 4th February. 

Lot 102 combines the blood of two of the most exciting horses to grace North American tracks this Century in Tall Dark Stranger and Somebeachsomewhere. 

Vouvray Beach, the Somebeachsomewhere dam of Lot 102 won the Blue Bonnet and Tasmanian Sweepstakes as a 2 year old and her first foal Chenin Beach proved to be in the top echelon of 2 year olds in Tasmania last season. 

Chenin Beach, by Betting Line, won his Heat of the Evicus Stakes and was only beaten a half head in the $60,000 Final.  He was never out of the money in 8 starts at two. 

The Granddam of Vouvray Beach, Racy Dragon was imported from USA by noted Shepparton, Vic breeder Ross Gange.   She was a half sister to the outstanding Broodmare Three Mile Island, who amongst her multitude of winners was the USTA 2 Year Old Pacing Colt of the Year Island Fantasy 1.50.2. 

This colt, a December foal, is loaded up with 2 year old speed.  He is the first of only 2 colts by Tall Dark Stranger in the Melbourne Sale so remember the old saying – “the early bird catches the worm“. 

The second of Jamie’s and Barry’s offerings is Lot 119.  This Filly, also a December foal, is by the Super sire Captaintreacherous from a ten time winning mare in both Victoria and Tasmania. 

Captaintreacherous has taken the Breeding World by storm in both hemispheres sine retiring from the racetrack in 2015.  He is one those extraordinary stallions whose female progeny are as good as his colts.  In Australia five of his richest 10 progeny bred in this Country are fillies including Encipher, Tough Tilly and Jewel Melody. 

It is fair to say that this filly, Lot 119, is sired by quite easily the best stallion her Dam has been bred to. 

Both the Dam and her half sister Ima Miss Molly showed above average athletic ability winning 19 races between them, so the fillies from this pedigree know how to win. 

There are only 5 fillies by Captaintreacherous catalogued across four APG Sales this year.  Here is an opportunity too good to let pass by. 

Susan Maine has been breeding Standardbreds in the rich Devonport area of Tasmania’s north for many years. Now her daughter Melissa and her husband Gareth Rattray are carrying on a breeding and training enterprise at their Faithful Park property, not far from the Devonport airport. 

Susan has sent two geldings across the Bass Straight to be offered on 4th February at the Inglis Complex. 

Both are sired by sons of the Champion sire Art Major – LOT 110 is a son of Ride High and Lot 220 is sired by Vincent. 

It could easily be argued that Ride High and Vincent are amongst the five fastest horses sired by Art Major anywhere in the World. 

Lot 110 is the first foal of an 8 times winning mare sired by Betterthancheddar. 

The Granddam of this tall, athletic gelding is a daughter of the wonderful Broodmare for the Rattray Family in Barrington Lass.  She must surely have set some sort of record for a Broodmare, producing 20 foals, 15 of them being winners including Barrington Belle 1.51.6 $247,747 and Gorse Bush, the dam of dual Inter Dominion winner Beautide 1.50.2 $2.18 million. 

This Lot 110 has the honour of being the first male horse sired by Ride High to be offered at a Yearling sale in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Lot 220 is the second of Susan’s consignment and is by a Sire on the move in Vincent. He is now rapidly establishing himself amongst the top echelon of Stallions available to Australian breeders. 

His dam, Tisu Holly 2.00.9, was a mare with an imposing record on Tasmanian racetracks. She took on all the best fillies in Tasmania as both a 2, 3 and 4 year old winning on nine occasions, whilst banking an impressive total of $82,746. 

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the 2024 Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales please visit our Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer now.

From APG Ltd