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.

Queensland Sun winner

The most important race at the feature meeting at Albion Park, the $53,040 The Queensland Sun, was won by the For A Reason gelding Kashed Up, a 50 to one outsider who downed a top field including Manila Playboy and Tim’s A Trooper.

Kashed Up led the field in the early running before handing up in the middle stages and finally won decisively along the rail. It was his 11^th success and sent his stake earnings over the $200,000 plateau.

Bred, owned and trained by Gemma Hewitt, he is a four-year-old gelding by the Victoria Cup hero For A Reason, an Art Major horse who is proving a top colonial sire, from Laughing Lilly NZ (1:55.6), by Mach Three from Craigpaula, by Stand Together (son of Cam Fella) from Taurus Ali, by Taurus Chip and tracing eventually to a noted foundation mare in Ruahine.

Laughing Lilly, a dual Menangle winner, left earlier winners in Kash Us Back (1:54.6), a winner of 18 races to date and $145,199 in stakles, and Will I Rocknroll (1:52.8), who won 15 races and $139,827.

Other members of this fine family include the Victorian country cups winner Keyafella, Mossdale Conner 1:49 (NZ Taylor Mile), Mossdale Rose ($112,375), Mossdale Gabby (Tas. Mother of Pearl) and the NZ Winton Cup victor Keyali.

Won Paleface Adios Classic

One of Queensland’s premier races for two-year-olds, the $31,160 Paleface Adios Classic, run at Albion Park, was won by Hold Onto Ya Bling, and although Jewel Melody, rated the top two-year-old filly of the season, had to be content with second place, this fact could not retract from the merit of Hold Onto Ya Bling’s success.

He has now won three of his seven starts; Jewel Melody has won four of her eight starts.

Bred by Margaret Donohoe, of Monarch Farm, Hold Onto Ya Bling was knocked down to Shannon Price for $16,000 at the 2021 Garrard’s Redcliffe Yearling Sale.

His sire, Bling It On, was a standout pacer, being by American Ideal, a grandson of Western Hanover, from the broodmare gem Alldatglittersisgold. Bling It On had a record of 1:50.2 and was one of Australia’s greatest juvenile and later free-for-all pacers.

His oldest stock are three-year-olds and include Madrid, winner of the NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Final and APG Gold Sovereign, Im Vexatious (1:53.6), the Group placegetter Noble Trick, Finery and others.

When To Hold, the dam of Hold Onto Ya Bling, was a Riverboat King mare from the dual-gaited True Bromac NZ, by Caprock from True Laughter, by Apollo’s Way from the Hilarious Way mare Hilarious Guest, a NZ Derby and Oaks winner and rated one of the best fillies of her era.

When To Hold, who was only lightly raced, left earlier winners in Readily (1:58.3), the winner of 17 races, Lach’s Ambition (1:55.7) and Russian Revolution. She was a half-sister to the Albion Park winners Bay Of Eagles (1:56.4) and Take A Number (1:58.1).

In the back removes of Hold Onto Ya Bling’s pedigree are horses the calibre of Jack’s Legend (1:47. 4), the third fastest NZ bred pacer of all-time, the Derby winners Krug (1:49.9), Fiery Falcon, and Outrageous Al, Lancome (NZ Harness Jewels), Village Hero (1:50.6), a leading Stakes winner in Canada, Enchanted Stride (Tas. Oaks), Majorca (1:49.6) and the dual Inter Dominion heat winner Speedy Guest.

Soho Historia is Oaks material

Soho Historia, who won her fourth race on end at Shepparton against older, more experienced rivals, is regarded as Oaks material of the highest order.

Bred by Robert Watson, she has a good deal more in her favour on the score of blood than most. By Courage Under Fire, a champion colt pacer and leading colonial sire, Soho Historia is out of the good Bettor’s Delight mare Soho Tokyo 1:54.2 ($176,316), whose dam was an outstanding racemare in Pelicanrama 1:53.4 ($730,271), the winner of five Group races and dam of horses of the calibre of Soho Leviathan 1:52.6 ($258,887) and Soho Highroller 1:51.4 ($187,531).

Pelicanrama, a sister to a top ranking pacer in Mustang Fighter 1:57.8 ($292,566), was a Panorama mare out of Beauteous, by the Kilmore Cup winner Globe Score from Royal Blend, by Golden Adios from Jennifer Scott, by Grand Scott from the King Oro mare Stormy Oro and tracing to the taproot Linton, who founded a large and very successful family.

From the Jennifer Scott branch of it and to which Soho Historia belongs, others in Bag Limit, a five-time Group 1 winner, Yarracoola (WA Golden Nugget), Gotanedge (Mildura Cup), Albert Terrill (Bathurst Gold Crown), Whale Of A Tale (Ballarat Cup), Jilliby Generator (1:49.8), Armchair Ride and the top SA pacer Come On Frank also belong.

Well related three-year-old

Missed The Truth, an impressive winner at the metropolitan meeting at Shepparton, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he finished third to Interest Free in the Vicbred Silver.

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

He is a gelding by the Mach Three horse Somebeachsomewhere from the Total Truth mare Lies (1:58) and is her first produce to race.

Lies ranks as a half-sister to a champion racemare in Jadah Rose 1:49.6 ($465,424), the first ever Australian-bred mare to go inside 1:50 and dam of the Cups King Guaranteed 1:50.4 ($856,316), now siring winners in Victoria, and the grand-dam of the Vicbred champion Pacifico Dream 1:51 ($317,750) and the Oaks winner Momentslikethese 1:55.7 ($186,705).

Missed The Truth was bred by Mark and Sue Ellen Thompson, of Rochester.

Westsired Classic quinella

The $25,000 Westsired Classic for two-year-old fillies, run at Gloucester Park, was a triumph for Follow The Stars as the sire of the quinella pair Indomitable Symbol and Sugar Boo – rather a notable siring feat.

Indomitable Symbol, who had been placed twice previously, is out of the Listed winner Indomitable 1:53.8 ($133,759), a sister to the prolific winner Indomitable Saab 1:55.8 ($154,491), being by the WA Pacing Cup winner Saab (son of Classic Garry) from Infinite Scale, by Mystical Prince from Infinite, by Young Symbol, a half-brother to Classic Garry.

Ronald Scott, who won the colts and geldings’ division, is a son of the former top pacer Bonavista Bay from the Armbro Operative mare Maybe A Corka (1:57.1) and is her first produce to race.

Maybe A Corka, who won eight races, is out of the SA Sapling Stakes winner Uncork and thus a member of the same family as former SA cult hero Come On Frank, Aspiring Artist, Rap Artist, Major Exclusive, Hes A Corka, Saved A Corka and so on.

First winner by Centurion ATM

The SJ’s Caviar horse Centurion ATM, a brilliant juvenile trotter in America and whose frozen semen is now available in Australia, was represented by his first ‘down under’ winner when the two-year-old filly Keneturio was successful recently at Albion Park.

Keneturio had shown good trial form earlier in her preparation.

Bred and raced by Trump Bloodstock, Keneturio is out of the Lindy Lane mare, Maori Lindy, whose dam, Maori’s Glory was by Red Coach Glory from Maori Mia, by Kentucky from the Grand Monarch mare Maori Miss, who left several smart performers, including a champion trotter in Maori’s Idol, who later sired numerous winners.

Broodmare sold for $99,000

The Sweet Lou mare Treasure Me NZ, a close relative to the million dollar winners Adore Me and Have Faith In Me, brought the top price of $99,000 at the Yirribee Pacing Stud online auction conducted by Nutrien Equine.

The mare, who was carrying a positive test to Tall Dark Stranger, was sold to the Victorian-based Llowalong Farms as agent.

A colt by Downbytheseaside out of Treasure Me topped the weanling section at $52,000.

A pair of weanling colts by Lazarus, one from The Blue Lotus NZ and the other out of Ocean Diva, sold for $46,000 and $34,500 respectively. Both were garnered by leading Perth breeder Robert Watson.

A Lazarus weanling filly from the former 2YO Filly of the Year Espeshlimade Lombo was knocked down to Tumby Park for $34,000.

About 80 of the 107 lots offered have changed hands so far.

Stallion on the move

The Inter Dominion and Grand Circuit champion Tiger Tara, who stood at Yirribee Pacing Stud last season, will stand the coming season at the Medowie Lodge stud, of Darren Reay, near Newcastle.

The Bettor’s Delight horse’s first small crop are three-year-olds from a handful of mares served while he was sidelined from racing and two are winners in King Tiger (1:53.9), who is undefeated in three starts, and the filly Tigerlicious 1:59.7 (2 wins from 4 starts).

Tiger Tara served 72 mares in his first commercial season and 87 in the second.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink