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.

WA Derby winner

When he won the $200,000 WA Derby at Gloucester Park, Christopher Dance (Sweet Lou) proved himself the top three-year-old in Western Australia of the current season.

CHRISTOPHER DANCE REPLAY

It was his third success from as many starts on Australian soil, and he soundly trounced the best three-year-olds in the State in the Derby after being required to overcome a difficult barrier draw.

In 10 starts Christopher Dance has now won five and been three times placed for $205,582 in stakes.

Christopher Dance was a NZ National Weanling Sale purchase in 2021 at Karaka, and is a colt by the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou from Just Dance (1:56.8), by Bettor’s Delight from the Fake Left mare We Love To Party, a half-sister to the A. G. Hunter Cup winner Another Party and the NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Party Party.

Christopher Dance was bred by Woodlands Stud.

Barbary Tales’ family background 

Barbary Tales (For A Reason), who won the $60,000 Evicus Final at Hobart, is a Tasmanian bred filly from a family that has distinguished itself for the number of top juveniles it has produced.

Bred by Andrew Rawlings, she was got by For A Reason from Angkristy, a Victorian bred mare by the Western Hanover line horse Ponder. Barbary Tales, who holds a record of 1:57.5, has run the tidy score of three successes and a placing from five starts for $54,105 in stakes.

Barbary Tales’ dam, Angkristy, a winner of six races, was by Ponder, a world champion from the Minnehaha family, and who proved a successful sire in America and Australia.

Angkristy was out of the lightly raced Beach Barbie, by Jenna’s Beach Boy from Armbro Sunshine, by Armbro Operative from the Good Humor Man mare Sunshine Blue, who established a great winning line for well known Victorian breeder-owner Kevin Burns.

It includes the Oceania El Dorado and VHRC 3YO Cup winner Sky Strike, Cullen’s Crown (Vic. Sapling Stakes), Rocky Creek (NSW Regional Championship) and the SA Breeders Plate winner True Happiness.

Inter Dominion prospect

One of the stronger Inter Dominion candidates, particularly among the youthful brigade will be Cantfindabettorman (Sweet Lou), who has proved himself in the top flight and has won his way back to cup class with three recent Melton successes.

His latest winning run in the Group 3 $50,000 4YO and 5YO Championship (2240 metres) from the second line of the mobile barrier was a terrific performance. He looped the field in the middle stages and finally won decisively at a 1:52.9 mile rate.

A tough customer, Cantfindabettorman is a five-year-old gelding, being by Sweet Lou from Bettor Be A Lady (1:59.4), dam also of useful winners in She’s No Lady 1:56.3 (NZ Delightful Lady 2YO Classic) and Wicked Wanda (1:54.4).

She’s No Lady was sired by Bettor’s Delight from Lady Retton, by Crouch (son of Abercrombie) from Positive Lady, a Party Ahead mare tracing to a noted foundation mare in Mavis Wood.

Lady Retton, a NZ Matriarch Stakes winner, left the good Melton and Menangle winner Liukin (1:54.3).

Okanui Beach top Tasmanian colt

Okanui Beach, a good looking Downbytheseaside colt, is rated Tasmania’s top two-year-old this season, particularly after his success in the $58,800 Dandy Patch Final, one of the season’s major juvenile classics. He has won twice and been four times placed from eight starts.

In the Dandy Patch, he was never really extended in running out the 2090 metres at a 1:59.6 rating with the last 800 in 58.3 and the final 400 in 28.7 – figures which he could have sharply improved.

Okanui Beach has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Downbytheseaside, and one of his second crop, Okanui Beach is out of the Sportswriter mare Sporty Max, a half-sister to the Menangle winner Spirit King (1:53.8), being out of Spirit Of Beth, by Soky’s Atom from the Able Bye Bye mare Tabella Beth, whose family today is one of the best in the NZ stud book.

It includes the standout NZ pacers Lazarus and Self Assured and others such as Spirit Of St Louis, the four-time Derby winner Stars And Stripes, Light And Sound, Betterzippit (1:48.6), Star Galleria and Aardiebytheseaside.

Okanui Beach was bred by prominent Devonport breeder Mick Maxfield.

Tasmanian Derby winner’s deeds

Kingman (Always B Miki), who is proving himself a smart three-year-old – he has won five of his 12 starts this season – was an effortless winner of the $40,000 Tasmania Derby at Hobart.

Bred and raced by Sydneysider Mick Harvey, Kingman is a colt by the Always A Virgin horse Always B Miki from the Melton winner Gotta Go Dali Queen (1:52.8) and is her first foal.

Gotta Go Dali Queen, a winner of eight races, was by Dali (a millionaire son of Real Artist) from the Harness Jewels winner Gotta Go Harmony 1:55 ($205,909), by Christian Cullen from the Australian Derby winner and triple Oaks champion Elect To Live.

This is the family which produced Gotta Go Cullect, a Group 1 winning sire in Queensland, Captn Me (NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO), Bittersweet (Bathurst Gold Tiara), I Am Serengeti (1:51.2) and the top flight Queensland racemare Chynchilla (1:51), a winner of eight of her past 10 starts.

Well related three-year-old

Attachment (Sunshine Beach), the runaway winner of the $52,000 Peak of the Creek at Albion Park, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he won heats of the APG Gold Bullion and QBred Triad.

But the Sunshine Beach gelding has taken his career to a new level as a three-year-old, winning eight races and sending his stake tally beyond the $100,000 plateau.

Attachment ranks as a half-brother to a grand pacer and Albion Park track record holder in Blacksadance 1:49.2 ($410,180), Big Wheels 1:50.6 ($408,328) and a brother to Awaywego (1:49.2), being out of Washington Lass (1:55.6), by Washington VC from Supreme Duchess, by Son Of Afella.

Attachment was bred and is owned by Taree (NSW) dairy farmer John Polson.

Waterfront wins Tasmania Oaks

The Victorian filly Waterfront(Downbytheaside), who firmly clinched her claim to being one of the best three-year-old fillies of the season when she won the $40,000 Tasmania Oaks at Hobart, is a member of one of NZ’s top ranking families.

Waterfront, who has now won nine races on end, is a filly by the Somebeachsomewhere horse Downbytheaside, who stands at Woodlands Stud in the north island of NZ.

Downbytheseaside has been most successful in Australia. His stock include the Oaks winners Aardiebytheseaside and Coastal Babe, Waverider, The Bettor Side and Okanui Beach, who won the Dandy Patch on the same card as Waterfront.

Waterfront is out of Callmemaybe, by the great American sire Artsplace, from Dale Elinor, a Waikato bred mare by In The Pocket from Megaera, one of the top NZ racemares of her day.

Dale Elinor was the dam of the Perth winner Shoot Through and the grand-dam of the Group 2 Stratton Cup winner Shandale 1:53.7 ($305,028), the Menangle winners I’llavabubbles 1:49.8 ($198,481) and Shandance (1:53.1) and the Albion Park victor Bob’s Your Uncle (1:55).

Megaera, a thrice Group winner, ranks as the dam of the exported Penthouse Pete (1:54.2) and the second dam of Cash N Flow 1:49 ($695,435), the winner of a record 28 races at Menangle, and the Breeders Crown champion Katy Perry 1:51.1 ($517,733).

Waterfront was bred by the 2021 NZ Breeders of the Year Ken and Karen Breckon.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink