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.

Petracca stakes a claim

Petracca, a good looking Captaintreacherous colt, is rated Victoria’s top two-year-old to date this season, particularly after his win in the Group 2 $50,000 Tatlow Stakes, one of the season’s major two-year-old classics. He has won five and been placed once from seven starts.

In the Tatlow, he was never really extended in running out the 2240 metres in 2:44.4, a mile rate of 1:58.1, the last 800 in 54.9 and the final 400 in 26.

Petracca ranks as a sister to the outstanding racemare and multiple Group winner Treachery 1:53.5 ($285,799), being out of Lovelist 1:53.2 ($222,889), a top racemare by Always A Virgin from Lifeline, by Classic Garry from the Windshield Wiper mare Larrakeyah Lady, who established a great winning line for Victorian breeders Peter Gleeson and Bruce and Craig Cameron.

Lovelist, a Breeders Crown champion, was a half-sister to the Southern Cross winner Punch Line (1:54.2), dam of the talented He’s Ideal, a winner on the same card at Melton as Petracca won.

Lifeline figures as the grand-dam of the NSW Derby winner Major Secret 1:55.1 ($464,872), now at the stud in South Australia, the Victoria Oaks and Breeders Crown winner Beauty Secret 1:52.4 ($425,921), the Listed winner Somewhere Secret (1:53.8) and the Group 3 victor Ample Power (1:53.6) and the third dam of the Vicbred champion Out To Play 1:53.3 ($363,407), the dual Southern Cross winner That’s Perfect 1:52.1 ($167,078), a cup class pacer in Perfect Major 1:53.4 ($284,878), Rogue Wave (1:52.3) and many others.

Siblings win at Melton

It was no mean feat for the half-sisters Ladies In Red (Mach Three) and Our Little Jet (Bettor’s Delight) to win two of the feature races at Melton last weekend. Another half-sister, Perfect In Pink, finished an unlucky second on the same night.

Both bred by Anne and Bill Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock are out of the American-bred mare Kabbalah Karen B 1:52.8 ($285,098), a Western Terror mare who earlier left the Victoria Derby winner and dual Breeders Crown champion Our Little General 1:49.8 ($765,566) and a capable pacer in Kasbah Kid 1:53.1 ($185,520).

Kabbalah Karen B, a winner in North America and Victoria, was out of a handy racemare in Mib Hanover, who took a record of 1:55.6. Besides Kabbalah Karen B, she was also the dam of a top colt pacer and later successful sire in Cammibest 1:50 ($1,071,775) and the Stakes winners Marietta Hall 1:51.2 ($603,207), It’s That Time 1:49.4 ($505,573), Tomy Terror (1:50.4) and Only The Best (1:50.8).

One of her daughters, Party Planner, left the crack racemare Not Enough 1:49 ($1.3 million) and also Party Animal, who became the dam of the top juvenile Carnivore (1:50.6).

Bettor Isolate in 1:49.5

Bettor Isolate has joined the growing list of horses to enter the 1:50 list in Australia. He recorded 1:49.5 when he was successful in a NSW Breeders Challenge heat at Menangle recently.

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight, Bettor Isolate is out of the former outstanding racemare Ashlee’s Babe 1:57.3 ($334,117), by Armbro Operative from Ashlee, by Kentucky, a Canadian Derby winner from Tricky Miss, by Overtrick from Newport Colene, a half-sister to Ringo, a top free-for-all pacer in the Harold Park era.

Ashlee’s Babe, dual Vicbred champion and Queensland Oaks winner, left earlier winners in Scarlet Babe 1:52.2 ($196,163), a Group 3 victor, Gypsy Babe (1:53.8) and Artegra (1:57.8).

Other members of this fine family include the Devonport Cup winner Outback Mach, He’s Apples (Tas. Golden Slipper) and the good Menangle winner Aalesund (1:53.1).

Ashlee’s Babe was 18 when she left Bettor Isolate.

Tempting Tigress unbeaten two-year-old

The Bettor’s Delight filly Tempting Tigress, who is Breeders Crown bound, won the Group 2 $50,000 Tatlow Stakes at Melton to keep her unbeaten record in tact. She won at her only previous start at Kilmore in slaying style.

A well developed filly, possessing both speed and stamina, Tempting Tigress is a particularly ‘easy going’ juvenile, and is the sixth Tatlow fillies’ winner trained by Emma Stewart, who prepared the quinella pair. Tempting Tigress’s earnings total $33,060.

Tempting Tigress is the first produce of Reklaw’s Gem, a Christian Cullen mare from the grand producer Silksngems, by Falcon Seelster from the Holmes Hanover mare This Time Franco 1:57.9 ($249,151), a four-time Group winner and one of the best fillies of her era.

Reklaw’s Gem, a winner, was a half-sister to the top Tasmanian pacer Motu Crusader 1:52.9 ($361,343), the dual Derby heat winner Motu Meteor 1:55.4 ($252,295) and the prolific Perth winner Motu Treasure 1:55.9 ($191,566) and to Motu Pocket O’Jewels, dam of the cups winner Motu Premier 1:53 ($424,308) and the Group placegetter Caitlyn Clarke 1:53.7 ($108,222).

Tempting Tigress was bred by John McKenzie’s Kelvin Home Holdings.

Well related three-year-old

Mahomes, a three-year-old by Tintin In America from Esther’s Light (1:54.3), by Jenna’s Beach Boy from Stagename, by In The Pocket, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he won a heat of the APG Gold Bullion.

But the gelding has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old racing, and he won a semi-final of the NSW Breeders Challenge in 1:51.7 from the mobile barrier. It was a fresh lifetime record, lowering his best previous mark by 0.9 of a second.

It was Mahomes’ eighth success from 10 starts this season and his mile in 1:51.7 was put up when he had nothing in his favour, drawing a wide gate and being several lengths from the leaders at on stage. He is a very good youngster.

Bred by Wagga breeder Jake Stockton, who stands Tintin In America at his Wingate Farm, Mahomes was sold for $50,000 at the 2020 APG sale in Sydney. He has earned $80,975 to date.

Tricky Miki is Derby material

Tricky Miki, who won the $50,000 Western Gateway Pace and is regarded as WA Derby material of the highest order, is a three-year-old gelding by Always B Miki from Harriet Elisabeth, a useful racemare who took a record of 1:57.4 and banked $114,348.

He is a member of an old-time NZ family founded by Millie C, whose descendants include the recent QBred Triad 4YO winner Aunty Bella, Himself (WA Marathon) and the Hamilton Cup winner Rackemup Tigerpie.

Harriet Elisabeth was a Modern Art mare from Jane Elouise (2:00.6), by Beach Towel from Shy Amazon, a top Tasmanian juvenile by Atashy from Scottish Lea, a mare by Scottish Command.

Jane Elouise, a WA Sales Classic winner, left a string of winners for Perth breeder Steve Johnson including the exported Soho Jackman 1:50.6 ($368,278) and the Melton Mares Championship victor Nikki Louise (1:53.2).

Jane Elouise was a half-sister to the Tasmanian Sweepstakes and Youthful Stakes winner Robway Magic, Robway Bay (1:58.8) a winner of 30 races and $143,790 in stakes, and the Gloucester Park winner The Tin Shed (1:57.8).

Tricky Miki ranks as a half-brother to the Perth victor Orlando Blue 1:55.1 (8 wins to date).

Inter Dominion graduate

Bought for $100,000 and now a winner of $600,185, Mach Dan became the latest qualifier for the Inter Dominion Championship when he won the $60,000 Geelong Pacing Cup, rating 1:57.5 for 2570 metres.

By the Matt’s Scooter horse Mach Three, Mach Dan is out of the dual Listed winner Bettor Give It 1:57.4 ($138,061), a Bettor’s Delight mare who also left the three-year-old winner Offload. Bettor Give It was out of Giveitawhirlgirl, by Jenna’s Beach Boy from Impish (1:54.9), a Falcon Seelster mare from the noted Jessie Pepper family.

Bettor Give It was a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Feels Like Magic 1:51 ($261,728) and the NZ Sires Stakes champion Twist And Twirl 1:56 (283,258), dam of the dual Horse of the Year and Grand Circuit champion King Of Swing 1:47.9 ($3.3 million), now at the stud in NSW, and the Harness Jewels and dual Oaks winner Bettor Twist 1:52.1 ($518,600).

Their dam, Giveitawhirlgirl, was a half-sister to a capable racemare in The Fascinator 1:53.9 ($155,122), Simon 1:55.9 ($110,852) and to the Life Sign mare Imprint (1:58.4), who became the dam of the Caduceus Club Classic winner Am Opulent 1:54.9 ($269,515), the NZ Southland Oaks victor Dibaba 1:51.6 ($254,748) and Idealindiamonds 1:56.2 (WA The Warwick).

The Jessie Pepper tribe had a terrific influence on ‘down under’ breeding through several branches.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink