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.

John Higgins Memorial winner

The most important race at Gloucester Park last Friday (Jul. 29), the Group 3 $30,000 John Higgins Memorial, was won by the Bettor’s Delight gelding Mr Fantastic, who has won three of his four starts this season.

Mr Fantastic was back in the field in the early running but raced to the front on the home turn and finally won decisively from Markham Eyre and Moonlite Drive.

Bred by Auckland veterinarian Dr Petra Hazlitt, he is a four-year-old gelding by Bettor’s Delight from It’s All On, by Art Major from Rare Class, by In The Pocket from Rare Gift, by Lordship – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it.

Mr Fantastic is the second foal of It’s All On whose family includes such horses as the WA Derby winner Ace Of Spades, Bettor Get It On 1:56.5 (WA Empress Stakes), the exported Flask 1:53.4 ($133,873), Presido 1:56 ($153,575), Sound Of Thunder 1:57.4 ($134,841) and McBeth’s Boy (Gore Cup).

Inter Dominion trotting prospect

One of the stronger Inter Dominion trotting candidates, particularly among the youthful brigade will be Ollivici, who has proved himself in the top flight and has won his way back to the verge of cup class with three recent successes.

His latest winning run in the Group 2 $30,000 Winter Trotters Cup Final (2150 metres) at Bendigo was a terrific performance. He was pressured in the lead several times, but finally won decisively at a 1:57.9 rate.

A tough customer, Ollivici is a four-year-old gelding, being by the French horse Orlando Vici from Belle Galleon ($116,144), dam also of millionaire trotter Stent (1:54.5), the dual Oaks winner Arya 1:58.3 ($288,406), the Tontine winner Izmok (1:59.6) and Belle’s Son.

Belle Galleon, a former NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year, was sired by Sundon, the leading trotting sire in NZ and Australia for many years, from Viola Chiola, by Chiola Hanover from the Game Pride mare Primula.

The family traces back to Coronella (by Lincoln Yet). Viola Chiola left a smart trotter in Mistercool Sea Eyre 1:55.4 ($373,536), a Group winner at Menangle and who is still racing successfully in America, the Victorian provincial winner G S Ado and others.

Blazing Home unbeaten two-year-old

Riverina trainer David Kennedy, who has a grand record in producing star juvenile pacers, produced a smart two-year-old at Menangle last Saturday (Jul. 30) in Blazing Home.

After racing near the rear, the gelding unleashed a paralysing finishing burst to win by open lengths in 1:54.5. He was clocked to run his final 800 metres in 56.5.

It was his fourth win from as many starts and his third for the month.

A well developed youngster, possessing both speed and stamina, Blazing Home is a particularly ‘easy going’ juvenile and will be a threat in the remaining two-year-old classics.

By the Rocknroll Hanover horse Rock N Roll Heaven, Blazing Home is out of Capture My Heart, an unraced mare by Bettor’s Delight from the handy racemare Bury My Heart 1:59.2 ($105,758), by In The Pocket from Toast Of New York, by New York Motoring.

Capture My Heart was a sister to the NZ Sires Stakes 3YO Championship winner and millionaire pacer Texican, who took a mile mark of 1:50.2 in America, the Melton winner Better Exclusive (1:56.2) and Derringer 1:58.5 (11 wins) and a half-sister to the promising Step It Up A Notch (1:58), a winner of three races on NZ’s South Island this season.

Blazing Home was bred by prominent North Island horsewoman Michele Carson.

Well related three-year-old

Petillante, who won the three-year-old fillies’ race at the Bendigo metropolitan meeting, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when she finished second to Irish Black Label in the APG Gold Bullion.

She has opened her three-year-old season in devastating fashion winning her last four starts and will be well in line for the major juvenile classics.

Petillante is a daughter of the Mach Three horse Somebeachsomewhere from Art De Triomphe, the best of whose several progeny has been the Melton winner Goodtime Grace (1:54.6).

Art De Triomphe ranks as a sister to a top colt pacer and now successful colonial sire in Follow The Stars, being by Art Major from the American-bred mare Smyrna Duruisseau, by Cam’s Card Shark from Secret Date, by Abercrombie from the breeding influence Dateable.

This is the family of top American pacers the calibre of Historic (Metro Pace), the Canadian Mare of the Year Seven O’Clock, Digger Almahurst (Breeders Crown 2YO) and the Woodrow Wilson winner Dontgetinmyway ($1.4 million).

A star from Just Cala

A smart four-year-old in Queensland so far this season is Ballerini, who was bred and is raced by Crookwell (NSW) identity Joe Picker.

A mare by Bettor’s Delight, she is out of the Breeders Crown champion Just Cala (1:55.4) and the second of her produce to win. Her first foal, Cala Jane, has won 10 races to date.

Ballerini has won three races at the Brisbane winter carnival and looks a four-year-old with the potential one would expect of her breeding.

Future Assured is well bred

Future Assured, who won his second race from as many starts this season at Albion Park and is regarded as well above the average, is a three-year-old gelding by Always B Miki from French Charm.

He is a member of an old-time NZ family, which was represented by a winner at Redcliffe in the three-year-old Magical Maya two days after Future Assured won.

French Charm was an Art Major mare from Faith Prevails, by Fake Left from Girl From Ipanema, by Vanston Hanover from the Queensland Oaks winner Goldrush Girl, by Transport Chip. Goldrush Girl was the dam of the top racemare Good Lookin Girl (1:53.7), who won two Group 1’s, and Girl In A Million, a multiple Listed winner.

Girl From Ipanema, a QBred Triad winner, was responsible for a most successful branch of this family. She left seven winners including the Triad winners Guitarzan 1:56.9 ($216,956) and Forever After 1:56.2 ($172,808) and the brilliant but ill-fated Famous Forever (1:57.8), who later sired winners.

Faith Prevails (1;58.1), a Fake Left mare from Girl From Ipanema, became the dam of a fine racemare in Fame Assured 1:50.8 ($318,537), the Triad victor Frankie Rocks 1:52.2 ($264,648) and the multiple Group 1 placegetter Feel The Faith 1:53.1 ($171,323). She was the second dam of the Victorian Listed winner Struve 1:53.5 ($121,602) and Tay Tay (Vicbred 3YO Silver).

Future Assured ranks as a half-brother to the dual Triad finalist Frontliner (1:56.5).

Lazarus stocks on the rise

A feature of the North American sires’ statistics to date this season is the performance of former NZ superstar Lazarus, who is second to Stay Hungry as the leading first crop sire. He is in sixth position on the overall two-year-old list, ahead of Sweet Lou, Always B Miki and Sportswriter.

Lazarus has sired the winners of $587,819 with 92 foals for 53 starters, 16 in 2:00 and five in 1:55 including the $240,000 New Jersey Sires Stake Final quinella pair Voukefalas (1:50) and Life’s A Puzzle (1:50.8).

Voukefalas, who has banked $137,400, is the fastest two-year-old and the richest two-year-old colt in America in 2022.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink