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.

Crack juvenile by Always B Miki

The Always B Miki gelding, The Miki Taker, firmly established himself as the top Western Australian two-year-old pacer of the season when he won the $100,000 Pearl at Gloucester Park.

The Miki Taker was bred and is part-owned by Mike and Sharon Howie, of Copper Lodge, Serpentine, who also bred the runner-up, Floewriter.

The Miki Taker is by the Always A Virgin horse Always B Miki, and one of his first crop, from Topless Beach Girl, who took a record of 1:59.7. She produced an earlier winner in Strike Team (1:55.9), a dual winner at Gloucester Park and a placegetter in the Country Derby at Bunbury.

A yearling colt by Huntsville from Topless Beach Girl fetched $45,000 at this year’s Australian Pacing Gold sale at Magic Millions.

Topless Beach Girl ranks as a half-sister to a capable pacer in Bettor Be Oscar 1:56.1 ($154,899), being by Art Major from the Group 3 winner Copper Beach Girl 1:56.2 ($156,851), by Jenna’s Beach Boy from the Fake Left mare Red Hot Copper, the dam of the prolific Perth winner Copagrin 1:54.7 ($241,352) and to Our Copper Art (1:58), dam of Caveman 1:55.4 (10 wins to date).

This is a long-established WA family and an earlier top two-year-old belonging to it was Willowleaf Boy, who won the Pearl in 2003.

Smooth Rye shows promise

Smooth Rye, who downed a handy field at Gloucester Park recently and has now won five of her last six starts, is a four-year-old Tintin In America mare from the same family as that which produced a champion American pacer in Rocknroll Hanover.

Bred in NSW by Mat Day, Smooth Rye has not raced a great deal. She did not race as a two-year-old and from 15 starts at three she notched three wins and three placings.

Rye Hanover, the dam of Smooth Rye, was foaled in North America and later exported to NZ. She is the dam of nine individual winners, seven of whom took records of better than 2:00, including a cup class pacer in Blazin N Cullen 1:50.8 ($576,352).

By Western Hanover, Rye Hanover is out of the Direct Scooter mare Rich N Elegant (1:56.8), one of the gems of the American stud book. She was the dam of one of the greatest colt pacers of all-time in Rocknroll Hanover 1:48.6 ($3 million), a leading sire in America and later exported to Australia where he was a stud success, King Of Swing being one of his gets.

Rich N Elegant was also the dam of Red River Hanover, Rustler Hanover and Righteous Hanover, all successful sires in both NZ and Australia.

Tatlow Stakes winner

Allstarzzz Frankie, who won the Group 3 Tatlow Stakes at Menangle and is regarded as one of the best youngsters in NSW, is a two-year-old gelding by Four Starzzz Shark from Protikori, a very smart racemare who took a record of 1:59.

He is a member of an old time family, which was represented by a winner at Wagga in Machkori three days after All Starzzz Frankie won.

Protikori was a Soky’s Atom mare from Kalypso (2:00.8), by Safely Kept from Willing Greek, by Golden Greek from the Armbro Whiz mare Willing Whiz. Kalypso was the dam of the Victoria Cup winner Caribbean Blaster 1:52.6 ($1.1 million), now siring winners in NSW, the Group 3 winner War Dan 1:50 ($195,673) and the Tasmanian Easter Cup winner Kalypson Kid (1:56.4).

Eutropia, a Falcon Seelster mare from Kalypso, left the metropolitan winners Falcon Stride (1:51.7) and Maxentius (1:55.1), while Mes Ti Tsepi (1:58.6), a half-sister by In The Pocket to Eutropia, ranks as the dam of the Listed winner Aphorism (1:52.6) and Kanena Provlima (1:53.1).

Besides Kalypso, Willing Greek was responsible for the NSW Breeders Challenge winners Grand Stride 1:52.4 ($324,658) and Sapphire Stride (1:52.2), the Victoria Tatlow winner Katasopos and Arivee (1:59.3).

Other members of this family have been the Paleface Adios Classic winner Copper Coast 1:52.2 ($342,206), the NSW Breeders Challenge regional winners Crunch Time 1:49.6 ($152,343) and La Cabeza Gem and the recent Group 2 placegetter Jawbreaker (1:52.8).

The Stunning Nun in 1:49.7

The Stunning Nun, a five-year-old NZ bred mare, has joined the growing list of female pacers to enter the 1:50 list in Australia. She recorded 1:49.7 when she was successful in a $20,400 race at Menangle last weekend.

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight – the premier sire in Australia and NZ – The Stunning Nun is from the unraced Christian Doll, by Christian Cullen from My Party Doll (2:00.1), by Falcon Seelster from the Smooth Fella mare Smooth Doll, and tracing to the imported American mare Norice.

Christian Doll is also the dam of She’s Nun Bettor, a sister of The Stunning Nun, who took a record of 1:51.6 in America.

Besides Christian Doll, My Party Doll, a Listed winner, left the smart Sunraysia pacer Loaded (1:57.4) and the Temora Cup winner Gotta Party Doll (1:54.4). My Party Doll ranked as a half-sister to the Gloucester Park winners Black N Bettor 1:56.1 ($179,805) and Lavros Butler (1:57.4), Cee Ash TT1:57.3 (dam of My Cash 1:53.1) and to My Barbie Doll, dam of seven in 2:00 including Mister Ardee 1:56.2 (winner of $310,519).

The Stunning Nun was bred by giant NZ conglomerate Woodlands Stud.

Dangerzone unbeaten two-year-old

Dangerzone is proving himself a smart two-year-old – he is undefeated in three starts to date by a combined margin of 28 metres – and could develop into one of the bets his age this season.

A gelding by Gotta Go Cullect (son of Christian Cullen), he is out of a Group 2 placegetter in Sheza Machstar (1:58.7), the dam of earlier winners in Just Won More (1:57.7) and Kione Kaviar (1:58.4).

Sheza Machstar, who won 11 races, was a Mach Three mare from the Fake Left mare Fake Star, a sister to the Harold Park winner Seaquake (1:58.8) and half-sister to the metropolitan winners Earthquake (1:59.4) and Roulette King (1:58.9).

Their dam, Camelot Miss (by Tiff N Time), was unraced but she left six winners. She was a half-sister to the Harold Park and Albion Park winner Circus Maximus and to Garema Girl, the dam of a cup class pacer in Tiff’s Mystery 2:00.1 ($168,202) and the NSW Breeders Plate winner Only A Tiff.

In the back removes of Dangerzone’s pedigree are pacers of the calibre of Happy Haldon, a Queensland Oaks winner and one-time holder of the Australian two-year-old mile record at 1:57.4, Bonded Velvet 1:54.3 (WA Albany Cup) and the Goulburn Cup winner Tallong Boy.

Sanday is smart

A bright future is being predicted for the Western Terror four-year-old Sanday, who began his campaign on a winning note at Melton recently.

He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Western Terror, a leading son of the incomparable Western Hanover, Sanday is out of the Million To One mare Ezee Duzit Lombo (1:57.5), the dam also of Fletchas Roy (1:53.9).

Ezee Duzit Lombo, a Vicbred and Breeders Crown finalist, is out of the Bathurst Gold Bracelet winner Ezee Lombo (1:58.3), a half-sister to What’s Next to the Perth winners Baylan Jett 1:54.2 ($163,756), Show Stopper (1:55.5) and Dynamite Freedom (1:56.9) and to the dam of the Victorian Listed winner Looks Like Heaven 1:54.8 ($127,115).

Another half-sister to Ezee Lombo, Lombo Lucida, left six winners including the prolific Gloucester Park winner Roman Aviator 1:54.2 ($198,691).

Sanday’s pedigree traces back through mares by champion sires Smooth Fella, Scottish Hanover, Thurber Frost and Springfield Globe to the Rey De Oro mare Parisienne, whose family today is one of the best in the NZ stud book.

Three on end

Santa Casa Beach, a son of the American sire Somebeachsomewhere, who died three years ago, has been one of the stars of the winter racing at Melton.

The four-year-old gelding has won at each of his three appearances including the Group 3 Vicbred Platinum Metropolitan Pace heat and final.

Santa Casa Beach is closely related to a former top WA pacer in Faking It, who won 17 races including the Bunbury Cup and an Inter Dominion heat and $174,744 in stakes.

Santa Casa Beach is by Somebeachsomewhere from Lombo Sleek Streak (1:56), a WA bred mare by Bettor’s Delight. Lombo Sleek Streak, who won seven races, was out of Lombo Streamline (2:00.1), winner of five and by Million To One from Lombo La Velocita, by Troublemaker from a fine racemare in Sassie Brassie.

Besides Faking It, Sassie Brassie was the dam of the Tatlow winner Iron Gloves 1:58.3 ($102,912), Blackjack Brassie 1:56.7 (WA Summer Gift), The Dalmation 1:56.1 ($108,821), Kenny’s Revenge (1:55.7) and Wildcard Brassie (1:56). She was the second dam of the Albion Park victor Condafew 1:56.3 ($115,262).

Well related three-year-old

Jilliby Dynamite, who is undefeated in two starts to date, is a three-year-colt who can claim some worthwhile blood.

By Captaintreacherous, by Somebeachsomewhere from Worldly Treasure, by Artsplace, he is out of the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Jilliby Jitterbug 1:53.4 ($212,480), whose six successes included the Australian Pacing Gold Final.

Jilliby Jitterbug’s dam, Keppel Bay 1:58.3 ($416,151), also an APG winner, was by Christian Cullen from Nickel Castle, by Butler B G from the NSW Oaks winner Nickel Gold.

Jilliby Dynamite looks a three-year-old with the potential one would expect of his breeding.

First winner

The Muscle Hill horse Aldebaran Eagle, a Stakes winner in North America and who later stood stud in Victoria, was represented by his first winner when the two-year-old Aldebaran Dexta was successful recently at Globe Derby Park.

Aldebaran Dexta had been showing good form at the trials.

Bred and raced by Aldebaran Lodge, who also owned the ill-fated Aldebaran Eagle, Aldebaran Dexta is out of the Sundon mare, Aldebaran Deegan, whose dam, Castleton’s Best was by Armbro Invasion from the Game Pride mare Castleton’s Dream, who left several useful winners including a top flight trotter in Castleton’s Mission, an Inter Dominion heat winner.

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink