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.

Better Eclipse star sprinter

Better Eclipse advanced strong claims to being the best sprinter in Australia today when he scored an emphatic win in the $152,500 Garrard’s Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park.

It was his second win from four starts over this season. Earlier in the year he finished a close third to King Of Swing and Spirit Of St Louis in the Miracle Mile and before that he downed a class field in the Chariots of Fire.

Better Eclipse has not done a great deal of racing, having averaged 10 starts a season. In three seasons of racing Better Eclipse has won 10 races and has been 12 times placed from 29 starts for $492,610.

By Betterthancheddar, he is out of Power Of Eclipse, by Northern Luck (son of Camluck) from Cammag Girl, by Windshield Wiper from Starting Out, by Salvation.

Power Of Eclipse, the dam of Better Eclipse, was a half-sister to the Moonee Valley victor Lucky Eclipse (1:59), who, in turn left the VHRSC 3YO Cup winner and Breeders Crown finalist The Defiant 1:56.9 ($101,920).

Jewel Melody top two-year-old filly

Jewel Melody, a stylish looking Captaintreacherous filly, is rated NSW’s top two-year-old filly to date this season, particularly after her win in the $156,000 Brisbane APG Sales Graduate Final, one of the season’s major two-year-old classics.

She has now won six and been four times placed from 10 starts for $249,888 in stakes. In the APG Sales Final, she was never really extended in running out the 1660 metres at a 1:55.6 rate, with the last 800 in 55.6 and the final 400 in 27.4.

Bought for $40,000 at the APG Brisbane sale in 2021, Jewel Melody was gotten by Captaintreacherous from the Art Major mare Our Sweet Melody (2:00.9), who produced earlier winners in He’s Sweet 1:54.7 (Brisbane APG Sales Graduate Pace) and the Albion Park winner Indy Jewel (1:57.6).

Our Sweet Melody was out of the unraced Montana Melody, by Famous Forever (a Fake Left horse from the Call Girl family) from the prolific producer Our Lady Delwin, by Lordship from Del’s Dream, one of the best daughters of the top sire and broodmare sire Armbro Del.

Our Sweet Melody was a sister to the Tasmanian Blue Bonnet winner Tanamay, dam of the NSW provincial winner Sweet Courage (1:54.4).

South East Derby winner’s family tree

Cantfindabettorman, who won his third race from as many starts on Australian soil in the Group 3 South East Derby at Albion Park, is a Sweet Lou gelding expected to be a force in the forthcoming age classics.

Bred by Woodlands Stud, he has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood than most.

Apart from being by Sweet Lou, and one of his third crop, Cantfindabettorman is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Bettor Be A Lady (1:59.4), a half-sister to the Menangle and Melton winner Liukin 1:54.3 ($130,860), being out of the Listed winner Lady Retton (1:58), by Crouch and tracing to Mavis Wood, whose family today is one of the best in the NZ stud book.

From the Coo Doo branch of it and to which Cantfindabettorman belongs, others in the NZ Derby winner Captain Peacock, Elegant Christian (WA Western Gateway 3YO), Major Moment (QLD Premier’s Cup), Shoobee Doo (NSW Fitzpatrick Memorial), Extender (1:49.2), Lilac Flash, Iolanta (Vic. Tatlow), Palestine (Interdom Cons.), Red Army and Watch Pulp Fiction are also members.

Cantfindabettorman ranks as a brother to the 2020 NZ 2YO Filly of the Year She’s No Lady 1:56.3 ($105,390).

Queensland 4YO Championship winner

One of the most capable young pacers racing in Queensland at present is Sumomentsomewhere, who defeated a class field in the Group 3 4YO Championship at Albion Park.

Sumomentsomewhere has a background of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being by Somebeachsomewhere from the good racemare Special Moment (1:58), by Bettor’s Delight from Specialagentcullen, by Christian Cullen from Secret Asset.

Special Moment, a QBred Triad champion, was a sister to the dual Triad winner Bettorthanspecial 1:52.3 ($353,586), the Group 2 placegetter Bet Im Special 1:54.6 ($130,727) and others in Special Reserve (1:56.3), Specialandiknowit (1:57.6) and Special Meaning (1:57.8).

Their dam, Specialagentcullen, was unraced but she left six sub 2:00 winners. She was a sister to the NSW Paleface Adios Sprint winner Secretagent Cullen 1:51.4 ($337,606), who later raced successfully in America, and a half-sister to Ultimate Asset (1:58.5) and to No Assets Left, dam of Im Major Harry (1:56.3), a winner of 16 races and $155,534.

The family descends through mares by Scottish Hanover, Armbro Hurricane, Thurber Frost and U Scott to Parisienne, the 1938 Inter Dominion champion and who founded a very successful branch of the Bessie B tribe.

Town Echo is top mare

Town Echo, winner of the $103,990 Garrard’s The Golden Girl at Albion Park and winner of six of her nine starts in Australia, continues to prove herself in the top bracket among the pacing females.

She is a member of one of NZ’s most successful families, being a four-year-old Art Major mare from Cordelia (2:01.5), a Bettor’s Delight mare who left the recent NZ three-year-old winner Cos I Can (1:56.3).

Cordelia was out of Corbie, a noted producer by Vance Hanover from the Scottish Command mare Black Watch, who founded a very successful branch of the Regina tribe.

Corbie produced two smart pacers in the NZ Wellington Cup winner Agios Nikolaos (1:52.2) and the Gloucester Park winner Vingt Coeur. Others from Corbie were Zingara (1:57.6), Bagger Vance (1:59) and Black Maire (1:59.8), all good NZ winners.

There have been a host of champion pacers from the family tracing to Black Watch. They include 1:50 winners in Cash N Flow (1:49) and Ilikemebettor (1:49.8), the NZ Cup and Hunter Cup winner Arden Rooney, Rocknroll Lincoln (WA Pacing Cup), Keayang Cullen, The Unicorn (Kilmore Cup), Sovereign Hill (Aust. Pacing Championship), Shandale and the top racemares Megaera, Katy Perry and Pacific Flight.

Well related three-year-old

Racy Roxy, who won the Group 3 South East Oaks at Albion Park, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when she finished second to Cat King Cole in the QBred Triad Final and QBred Breeders Classic.

She has opened her three-year-old season on a winning note and will be well in line for the major juvenile classics.

She is a filly by the Grinfromeartoear horse Mr Feelgood from the dual Triad winner Rani Major 1:55.7 ($246,434), and is her second foal.

Rani Major ranks as a sister to the Group 3 winner Raring To Go 1:56.1 ($217,988) and a half-sister to the SE Oaks winner Red Charmer 1:55.2 ($159,024), being by Art Major from the top racemare Rhapsody In Red 1:56.8 ($167,715), by Fake Left from Charming Reminder, by Vanston Hanover.

This has been a great winning line over many years for Brisbane identity Kevin Seymour, who bred and owns Racy Roxy.

Star four-year-old by American Ideal

Dominus Factum, the winner of the Group 3 Garrard’s Horse & Hound The Chandon at Gloucester Park, is one of the best four-year-olds in WA at present. He has won five of his eight starts this season.

By the Western Ideal horse American Ideal, he is out of a capable racemare in Nikki’s Delight (1:59.4), by Bettor’s Delight from the Perfect Art mare Virtuosy, dam of the Melton winners Pray Tell (1:53.7) and Lisandros (1:56.4) and the Perth victor Black Magic Mara (1:58.3).

Major Kiss, winner of the 2018 Bathurst Gold Tiara, is also member of this fine family.

Huntsville’s rise

A feature of the Australian sires’ statistics to date this season is the rise to second position of the two-year-old pacers’ section by Huntsville, who is only $30,000 behind the leading sire, Captaintreacherous.

Huntsville, whose frozen semen will be available from Cobbitty Equine Farm (NSW) this season, has sired 18 individual winners from his first crop and they have earned $580,000.

They include the Group winners Tardelli (Bathurst Gold Crown and Garrard’s Redcliffe Sales Classic), Mister Hunter (APG Gold Bullion) and Flametree (APG Gold Bullion) and the Listed winner Hotly Pursued.

SA Yearling Sale entries open

The 2023 Silver Salver SA Yearling Sale will be held on Sunday, March 26 at the Magic Millions Sales Complex, Morphettville.

Entries ($325 including cataloguing fee) are now being accepted and close on September 9.

For further details, click here.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink