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.

Jimmy Locke wins Golden Mile

Bought for $15,000 and now a winner of $232,127, Jimmy Locke became the latest Group winner when he outsprinted his rivals in the $30,600 Golden Mile, one of the features of the winter racing at Menangle.

By the Rocknroll Hanover horse Rock N Roll Heaven, Jimmy Locke is out of the unraced Indigenous Art, an Art Major mare. Indigenous Art left others in the Menangle winner Malakie (1:55.1), Kenny’s Killer (1:58.2) and House Haunter.

Indigenous Art was out of Kathian Princess, by What’s Next from For The Future, a Timely Napoleon mare who belongs to the outstanding family founded by Annie Ash in Tasmania.

Indigenous Art was a half-sister to the Hobart Pacing Cup winner The Grouse 1:55.4 ($188,340), the Moonee Valley winner Hank Stanley (1:57.5) and the Menangle victor Never Walk Alone (1:57.3). Their dam, Kathian Princess, was a sister to a top Tasmanian juvenile in Not John and a half-sister to Future Wipe (Tas. Metropolitan Cup) and Maximum Future, dam of Certify, a winner of 16 races.

The Annie Ash family had a terrific influence on Tasmanian breeding through several branches.

Jimmy Locke was bred by Gisborne (VIC.) enthusiasts Ian and Kath Sutherland.

Group winner by Tintin In America

The McArdle horse Tintin In America, a top pacer of an earlier decade and now at Yirribee Pacing Stud in NSW, has been represented by some promising three-year-olds this season.

Tintin In America, who took a record of 1:53.2 and won over $900,000 in stakes, has been only moderately patronised by breeders in NSW, but he has sired a pair of smart three-year-olds in Teddy Disco, who has won 10 of his 16 starts and $164,522, and Tim’s A Trooper, winner of last year’s NSW Breeders Challenge and $197,707.

Teddy Disco was a runaway winner of the Group 2 $52,000 Garrard’s Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series 3YO Final last weekend.

As one of the best winning members of the Zenover family, there is good reason to expect Tintin In America to make a name for himself as a sire as he did in producing the fastest pacer ever bred in NZ in Shartin (1:46.8).

In Teddy Disco he has certainly left another potential topliner. He is out of Three Jewels (1:57.8), by Lotsa Clout from the Fake Lefty mare Appealing, a sister to the Group 3 winner Pleasing Package (1:50.4), dam of Foreclosure (1:48.8), a big winner in America and now standing stud in Ireland.

Three Jewels left earlier winners in Western Jewels (1:55.8), Always A Jewel and Butcher’s Special.

Siblings win at Redcliffe

It was no mean feat for the siblings Manila Playboy (by Pet Rock) and Cheeseandkisses (by Betterthancheddar) to win on the same card at the Redcliffe Group meeting. Manila Playboy took out the Group 3 $31,160 Chris Garrard’s Patrons Purse.

Both raced and trained by Tweed Heads horseman Shane Fraser are out of Bangkok Dancer, a classic winner herself, and who has left other winners in Bangkok Deejay (1:54) and Bangkok Bravado (1:55.5).

Bangkok Dancer (1:56.4), a winner of 11 races, was by the Precious Bunny horse P B Bullville (winner of the Jersey Cup) from the grand producer Killarney Beauty, by Caroldon Lehigh from Killarney Betty, by Stormyway

Bangkok Dancer ranked as a half-sister to the Paleface Adios Classic winner Perfect Pegasus 1:55.7 ($150,702), the prolific Albion Park winner Courageous Cam 1:56 ($104,154) and Pegasus Park (1:55.9).

A top Queensland free-for-all pacer in the 1980’s in Manila Lover Boy, a winner of 48 races, belongs to this family.

Justalittlesip is Derby material

A classics campaign is being predicted for the Franco Ledger three-year-old Justalittlesip, whose success in good company at Melton was his third winning run in as many starts in Australia.

Bred in NZ’s Wellington district, the gelding is out of the thrice winning Bettor’s Delight mare Justasip and the first of her produce to race. Justasip’s dam, Got Milk, was a Badlands Hanover mare from Lesdale Rube, by Butler B G from Rube, by Smooth Fella from the Mark Lobell mare Ruby Rum, dam of the exported Lesdale Kid 1:52.6 ($169,032) and Strike Master (NZ Stratford Cup).

Justasip ranked as a half-sister to Buckeye, a NZ winner who later took a record of 1:52 in America, and to Buckskin, a winner of seven races so far.

This is the family of a fine racemare in Takara Truffle (1:51.8), whose 18 successes included the NSW Baby Bling Stakes and Go Girlfriend Series at Menangle.

Western Crown winners

Hotly Pursued and Imahero, who won the $25,000 Western Crown Classic for two-year-old colts and fillies respectively at Gloucester Park, both belong to very successful families.

Hotly Pursued, a gelding by Huntsville and one of his first crop, is the only live foal out of the Gloucester Park winner Besos Baci (1:57.5), a Blissfull Hall mare from the NZ bred My Silky Sand, by Beach Towel from Hint (TT1:58.2), by Holmes Hanover.

Besos Baci, who won eight races, was a half-sister to the Breeders Crown champion Passion’s Promise 1:57.3 ($272,345), dam of the SA Oaks winner Passion’s Delight 1:56 ($108,859) and Falcons (1:55.5), and to the NSW provincials victor Watchful Lady (11 wins to date).

Hint ranked as a sister to the NSW Oaks winner Scent (1:57.9), the dam of two high class pacers in Makes Every Scents 1:55.1 (NSW Oaks) and the NSW Tatlow winner Governor Art (1:58.6.

Imahero, who was bred by well known studmaster John Coffey, is a two-year-old He’s Watching filly from the Group 3 winner I Am Special (1:57.4), who left earlier winners in Dior Mia More 1:53.2 (WA Country Oaks) and the dual Group finalist La Roue De Lamour (1:56.5).

By Live Or Die, I Am Special was from the NZ bred Kelty Star, by Caprock from Fringant, by Nero’s B B from the Garrison Hanover mare Fabriani, dam of the Kaikoura Cup winner Final Offer.

I Am Special was a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Chiaroscuro 1:54.9 ($231,127) and a close relative of the WA Golden Slipper and Champagne Classic winner Jaspervellabeach, Jackaroo Bromac (QLD Christmas Cup), Juliette Bromac (Melton Mares Ch’ship), Jillbo ($241,500), Lord Vader, the Queensland 4&5YO Championship victor Lively Highlander and many others.

NSW Foundation winning line

The NSW Foundation Trot 2YO Final winner Vitellius ranks as a half-brother to On Advice, who won the Series as a two and three-year-old.

Bred by John Starr, Vitellius has won twice with two placings from five starts.

He is a colt by Andover Hall, a Garland Lobell horse who is a top sire of trotters, from Sunny Imperial, by Pegasus Spur from Sunny Elegant 1:57.2 (14 wins and $102,330), by Sundon from the champion NZ trotting mare Merinai – a predominance of straightout trotting blood.

Vitellius is the second foal of the unraced Sunny Imperial, whose family includes such trotters as Tailored Elegance (NZ 2YO Filly Trotter of the Year), Miss Pegasus, Pretty Sunday ($175,182), Rosemma, Sonofanearl ($117,798) and Rain Mist And Muscle (NZ 4YO Trotting Mare of the Year).

Breeding of North America Cup winner

Pebble Beach, who won the $1 million North America Cup, the richest race for three-year-old pacers on the American calendar, run at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Canada, is a Downbytheseaside colt from the same family as that which produced a successful Australian sire in Vintner.

Pebble Beach, who won the Somebeachsomewhere Stake earlier in the month, has now earned $931,750 from 10 wins and five placings in 15 starts.

Bought at the Lexington Selected Sale in 2020 for $85,000, he is the first foal of Santa Rosa (1:53.8), a Western Ideal mare from Art’s Vintage, by Artsplace from the Most Happy Fella mare Napa Valley and tracing eventually to the noted foundation mare Jessie Pepper.

Other Australasian sires from the immediate family are Racing Hill, Silk Legacy and Energy Level.

More winners from SA yearling sale

The SA Yearling Sale produced three winners at Globe Derby Park this week in Paige One, who won twice, and the three-year-olds Didmeselfamischief and Trigger. Paige One and Trigger were both offered by prominent NSW breeder Michael Taylor.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink