Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every Friday brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.

Ilikemebettor in 1:50

Ilikemebettor has become the 98^th Australian bred horse to enter the 1:50 list, according to the website classicfamilies.net He recorded 1:50 when he was successful in the Group 3 Christmas Gift Final at Menangle last Saturday.

Ilikemebettor was an Australian Pacing Gold purchase in 2018 at Sydney, and is a four-year-old by the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight, the flagship stallion at Woodlands Stud, NZ.

Arty Chick, the dam of Ilikemebettor, was only a moderate, winning one race and being three times placed. She was by Art Major from Karen Donna, by In The Pocket from the top racemare Megaera, by Butler B G.

Arty Chick was a half-sister to two high class pacers in Cash N Flow 1:49 ($599,061, a winner of 35 races) and the Breeders Crown 2YO and Tatlow Memorial winner Katy Perry 1:51.1 ($517,733), the Menangle winner Pitch Perfect 1:49.8 ($134,114) and to Pistol Packing Mama, the dam of several winners including the WA Oaks winner Our Major Mama 1:55.6 ($163,911) and Bite The Bullet 1:56.8 ($112,141).

Ilikemebettor can claim a doubling of Abercrombie blood in his pedigree. His sire Bettor’s Delight and his maternal sire Art Major represent two of the most successful branches of the male line of Abbedale.

Ilkikemebettor was bred by Benstud Standardbreds, Katunga (Vic.).

Cranbourne Cup winner

The Bettor’s Delight five-year-old Supreme Dominator, who won the $75,000 Cranbourne Pacing Cup – Amazing Dream and Rick Reilly filled the placings behind him – is regarded as Grand Circuit material of the highest order.

He is a member of an old time NZ family, which was represented by Duke Of Cornwall, a two-year-old winner in a slick 1:52.6 at Wyndham (NZ) a few days before Supreme Dominator won.

Galleon’s Supreme, the dam of Supreme Dominator, was a Christian Cullen mare from Galleon’s Cheer (1:57.4), by Albert Albert from Not Again Franco, a mare by OK Bye.

Galleon’s Cheer, a winner of five races, was the dam a top racemare and NZ Oaks winner in Cheer The Lady 1:55.1 ($279,222), who won 11 races, the Albion Park winner Galleon’s Warrior (1:55.4) and also of Galleon’s Honour, a Christian Cullen mare who left several winners including the Melton Plate winner Duke Of Wellington 1:53.6 ($109,360).

The family traces back by top sires such as El Patron, Light Brigade, Quite Sure and Guy Parrish to the noted foundation mare Trilby, the ancestress of Inter Dominions in Cardigan Bay and Bay Johnny.

Supreme Dominator ranks as a brother to the NZ Oaks and Jewels winner Spanish Armada 1:52.1 ($787,470), a six-time Group 1 winner, the WA Listed winner Bettor Be Supreme 1:55.6 ($130,750) and Santa Maria (1:58.3).

Hat trick to Jimmy Locke

Jimmy Locke won his third race inside 1:53 in the space of eight days at the Christmas meeting at Menangle. He clocked 1:52.1 for the flying and earlier won in 1:51.3 and 1:52.3.

Bred by Ian and Kath Sutherland, Jimmy Locke is a six-year-old by the Rocknroll Hanover horse Rock N Roll Heaven, sire of a top NSW pacer in Expensive Ego.

Jimmy Locke is out of Indigenous Art, by Art Major from the What’s Next mare Kathian Princess, a daughter of For The Future, the dam of Not John (Tas. Breeders Plate and Sweepstakes), a high class Tasmanian pacer in Future Wipe and others.

For The Future was a half-sister to the Victoria Youthful Stakes winner Quisquillas and a member of the same family as the dual Inter Dominion champion Beautide, Ignatius (1:49.4) and Chip And Gale.

Malakie, a three-year-old half-sister by Roll With Joe to Jimmy Locke, won in 1:55.3 at Cobram recently.

Captain’s Pick top three-year-old

One of the best three-year-olds in Queensland this season is Captain’s Pick, winner of the Albion Park Members Cup and who is expected to go on and develop top-ranking form.

A member of the first crop sired by Captaintreacherous (son of Somebeachsomewhere), he is out of a Group 1 winner in Charming Allie 1:53.9 ($266,329), by the Inter Dominion winner Mr Feelgood from Charm Personified, by Perfect Art from Charming Reminder, by Vanston Hanover from the Tempest Hanover mare Call Girl, who established a great winning line for Kevin and Kay Seymour.

She left a Queensland Oaks winner in Goldrush Girl and a useful pacer in Destiny Call.

Charming Allie, the dam of Captain’s Pick, was a half-sister to a grand stayer and Victoria Cup winner in Colt Thirty One 1:51.2 ($1,019,165), the recent APG Gold Bullion winner Class To The Max (1:55.1) and Charms On A Roll (1:53.5). Their dam, Charm Personified, was a half-sister to the dual Oaks winner Cherry Cheer 1:56.7 ($278,372), the dam of three $100,000 earners, and to the Seymour Nursery winner Rhapsody In Red 1:56.8 ($167,715), dam of the Group winners Rani Major, Raring To Go, Rich Heritage and Red Charmer.

Left In The Red, a brother to Cherry Cheer and Rhapsody In Red, won the Members Cup in 2000.

Sahara Storm in top form

Sahara Storm, a filly bred by Harness Racing Victoria board member Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul, is proving herself a three-year-old of some worth in WA. She won her third race from four starts in her adopted State when she easily accounted for older, more experienced rivals at Gloucester Park last Friday.

Sahara Storm has a background of blood to back up her claims to further promotion, being by Captaintreacherous from Sahara Sunrise (1:59.9), by Art Major from the smart racemare Sahara Miss (1:54.4).

Sahara Sunrise, a Melton juvenile winner, is also the dam of recent two-year-old winner Prince Sahara (1:58.7). She ranks as a sister to the Traralgon Cup winner Sahara Tiger (1:56.3) and a half-sister to the APG 2YO Consolation winner Sahara Sirocco 1:53.8 ($134,120) and the Vicbred Home Grown 2YO Classic victor Starofsahara (1:56.2).

Their dam, Sahara Miss, a winner of 13 races, was out of the APG Final placegetter Macranda (by Classic Garry), who proved a very successful broodmare. She was the dam of 14 individual winners – eight in 2:00 – including the Vicbred two-year-old champion and Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Distant Memory 1:55.1 ($173,155), who, in turn, became the dam of the Group 2 winner How’s The Memory 1:50.1 ($154,424), Beach Memories (1:53.4) and Delightful Angel (1:53.5).

Red Ochre winner is well bred

Former NZ mare Sweet Heaven, who won the $30,600 Red Ochre Filles and Mares Classic at Dubbo – her sixth success from 15 starts on Australian – is a four-year-old expected to graduate far beyond her present rating.

One of the first crop sired by the world champion Sweet Lou, Sweet Heaven has a wealth of breeding on her dam’s side, being out of the Rock N Roll Heaven mare She’s Heavenly, a member of the prolific Dusky Morn family.

She’s Heavenly, who was unraced, was a half-sister to Mr Henry (1:57.1), a winner of five races in WA. Their dam, Close Escape, was a sister to the dual Oaks winner Tosti Girl 1:58.2 ($190,301), dam of the NZ Cup winner Thefixer (1:50.7), the George Johnson winner Delightful Christian 1:52.1 ($297,501), the exported Whambam 1:54.6 ($425,968) and a half-sister to a top WA pacer in Runrunjimmydunn (1:52.2), the winner of 27 races and $416,870.

This has been one of NZ’s most successful families over a long period. It includes the thrice Inter Dominion champion Im Themightyquinn, the NZ Cup winners Mainland Banner, Thefixer and Loyal Nurse, and Happy Asset and Enterprise, both winners of the Auckland Cup.

Sweet Heaven is the first of the produce of She’s Heavenly, and being by Sweet Lou, she would have more in her favour than most to extend the record of this noted family.

Star three-year-old by Mach Three

A bright future is being predicted for the Mach Three three-year-old Ragazzo Mach, whose success at Pinjarra recently was his second winning run in as many starts in WA. He won seven of his 13 starts in NZ including the Group 2 Southern Supremacy.

Ragazzo Mach was a NZB National Yearling Sale purchase in 2019 at Christchurch, and is a colt by the Matt’s Scooter horse Mach Three from Ragazza Bromac, by Falcon Seelster from the American-bred mare Red Delite, a close relative of the Little Brown Jug winner and sire P Forty Seven (1:48.4).

Ragazzo Bromac, who was unraced, left earlier winners in I Cast No Shadow 1:54.6 ($187,684), a winner of three races at Melton to date, and RR Sand Dollar (1:55.5), who won seven in NZ.

Ladies In Red’s half-sister

Our Little Jet, who won a heat of the Vicbred Super Series at Shepparton, is a two-year-old half-sister by Bettor’s Delight to the champion filly and dual Breeders Crown winner Ladies In Red.

She is a well grown two-year-old and was knocked down for $38,000 at the APG Melbourne sale in 2020.

Kabbalah Karen B, the dam of Our Little Jet, took a mile record of 1:52.8 in America, being by Western Terror from the great broodmare Mib Hanover, dam of the millionaire pacer Cammibest, a leading sire in Queensland for many years.

Others of Kabbalah Karen B’s progeny have been the Victoria Derby winner and dual Breeders Crown winner Our Little General 1:49.8 ($759,935), Kasbah Kid 1:53.1 ($185,520) and Beautiful Woman (1:56.4).

Our Little Jet was bred by Bill and Anne Anderson, of Lauriston Bloodstock.