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.

Kilmore Cup meeting double

One of the most interesting features of the Kilmore Cup meeting was the fact that two of the main winners, Major Moth (Kilmore Pacing Cup) and Meteor Moth (Reg Withers 3YO Classic), both belong to the same family.

The duo trace back to the Jerry Adios mare Mystic Moth, an unraced mare who became the dam of five winners.

Major Moth is an Art Major entire from Macy Lila (1:58.6), by Presidential Ball from Majestic Moth, by Riverlea Jack (winner of the 1988 Kilmore Cup) from Mystic Moth.

Mystic Moth is the grand-dam of Lively Moth 1:53.1 ($232,585), a Live Or Die mare who numbered the Vicbred 2YO Final and Edgar Tatlow Memorial among her 16 successes

Meteor Moth, a three-year-old colt, was gotten by American Ideal from the Group 3 winner Flying Moth 1:53.1 ($123,355), by Art Major from Moody Moth, a half-sister to Majestic Moth, the second dam of Major Moth.

Major Moth and Meteor Moth were bred and are raced by Maryborough couple Len and Irene Parker.

Cyclone Jordy leading two-year-old

When he won the Group 1 $150,000 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park the Art Major gelding Cyclone Jordy proved himself the top two-year-old of the current season.

It was his third success on end, and his second at Group 1 level – he won the $106,150 Cardigan Bay Stakes at Auckland – and he soundly trounced the best two-year-old in Western Australia in the Golden Slipper after leading throughout from the pole.

In seven starts Cyclone Jordy has now won five and been once placed for $179,926 in stakes.

He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Art Major, Cyclone Jordy is out of the Mach Three mare Cyclone Kate 1:50.3 ($341,723), a Breeders Crown champion and multiple Group winner and dam also of a capable racemare in Cyclone Charlotte 1:55.5 ($178,744).

Cyclone Kate, a winner of 21 races, was a sister to Cyclone Prince (1:57.1), who won the 2013 Cardigan Bay Stakes, was a half-sister to Artemis (1:51.3) and to the dam of the recent Eureka winner Don Hugo 1:49.6 ($1.2 million), being out of Eyre To The Throne (1:58.9), by Presidential Ball from Erin Brockovich, a sister to the superstar pacer Courage Under Fire.

In the back removes of Cyclone Jordy’s family are pacers of the calibre of the Oaks winner Stylish Memphis (1:49.2), Delightful Memphis, the top NZ juvenile Jesse Duke, Texas Terror (1:50.2), Adios Dream and Black Jack Baby.

Cyclone Jordy was bred by Mark Lyon, Anthony Strachan, Kyle and Heath Mills and Gareth Dixon.

By Volstead

Two of Victoria’s most outstanding young trotters, Derek The Jet and Keayang Zahara, who are both undefeated, are by the Cantab Hall horse Volstead, the leading sire of two and three-year-old trotters in Australia this season.

Both scored dominant wins in their heats of the Need For Speed series at Melton and are overwhelming favourites for the Group 2 $50,000 finals next Saturday night.

Derek The Jet, who is unbeaten in eight starts, is out of the dual Group 3 winning Majestic Son mare Cyclone Jeter (1:58.4) and is her first produce. Cyclone Jeter, a winner of 10 races, ranks as a sister to the Great Southern Star victor Glenferrie Typhoon 1:53.5 ($561,169) and a half-sister to the double Jewels winner Cyclone U Bolt 1:54.5 ($230,225), Cyclone Jake (1:55.6) and  Cyclone Dream (1:58).

Their dam, Cyclone Vance (6 wins), was a half-sister to the Tontine Trotting winner Atlas Alliance 1:51.2 ($286,090), being by Safely Kept from Cyclone Betsi, by Vance Hanover.

Derek The Jet was bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms.

Keayang Zahara, who is undefeated in seven attempts, is from the former smart racemare Keayang Yankee (1:55.4), by Muscles Yankee from Dream Interest, by Dream Vacation from Maorimoon and tracing directly to Maori Miss whose family is one of the best in the Australian stud book.

Bred by Marg and Paddy Lee, Keayang Zahara is a half-sister to the Vicbred Platinum winner Keayang Xena 1:59.4 ($138,779).

Curly James is Cups material

Curly James, who won the fast class race at Menangle on Saturday and is regarded as Cups material of the highest order, is a six-year-old gelding by A Rocknroll Dance from Someone To Love, an unraced mare by Somebeachsomewhere. He has now won 14 races and $266,619 in stakes.

He is a member of an old-time North American family, which was represented by a winner at Wagga a day before Curly James won in Renewal, a three-year-old American Ideal half-sister to the Menangle victor.

Someone To Love was a Somebeachsomewhere mare from the grand producer Kabbalah Karen B, by Western Terror from the Tyler B mare Mib Hanover, the dam of the successful Queensland sire Cammibest.

Kabbalah Karen B, a winner in America and Australia, became the dam of six winners including the champion racemare and seven-time Group 1 winner Ladies In Red 1:51.9 ($1 million), the Derby and Breeders Crown winner Our Little General 1:49.8 ($765,566) and Kasbah Kid (1:53.1).

Curly James was bred by Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock.

Won Launceston Show Cup

The most important race in Tasmania last weekend, the $20,000 Show Cup run at Launceston, was won by the Bettor’s Delight gelding High Flying Harry, who downed a smart field.

High Flying Harry, who was bought for $40,000 at the NZ National Yearling Sale at Auckland in 2019, showed some real ability early in his career winning five races as a three and four-year-old. He was later sold to NSW interests and won two races in Victoria before being shipped to Tasmania.

A six-year-old gelding, High Flying Harry is out of High Society Gal (1:57.7), a moderate racemare, by Mach Three who is also the dam of Bita Banta (1:56.5), who won five races at the NSW provincials.

High Society Gal was out of the good producer Affairs Of State, by Presidential Ball from Under Cover Lover, a triple Oaks winner and one of the best racemares ever produced in NZ.

High Flying Harry was bred by Ken and Karen Breckon, of Breckon Farms.

Up-and-coming trotter

One of the most promising young square-gaiters racing in Australia at present is the Creatine mare Virginia Clowers, winner of the $33,000 Trotters Cup at Menangle last weekend. A four-year-old, Virginia Clowers is in her second season of racing, but from 30 starts she has won 10 and been six times placed.

Virginia Clowers has a background of trotting blood second to none. Her sire, Creatine, has left the Oaks winner She’s Ruby Roo and other smart trotters in More Wanted, Hot To Trot, Lady Adelia and Itzfergietime. Her dam, Gina, is by Sundon, the leading sire of trotters for many years.

Virginia Clowers ranks as a half-sister to the useful trotters Clifden Clowers, a winner of 13 races and $114,093, and Tine In A Bottle (9 wins and $101,554).

Gina, who was only lightly raced, was a sister to The Great Pretender, dam of the Melton winner The Great Redeemer (1:58.3), being out of Miss Theegee, by Gee Whiz II from Culpepper, by Game Pride from Royal Bond, a mare by the dual-gaited Gerry Mir.

This family, who traces to the thoroughbred mare Jane Hunt, produced a champion trotter in Johnny Gee, who won 28 races including the Dominion Handicap, and other good trotters in the Derby winners Blonde Brigade and Bonny Regina, Melpark Magic and Is That A Bid.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink