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.

Three-year-old mile record

A fresh Australasian mile record for a three-year-old filly was established by the Bettor’s Delight filly Anntonia of 1:49.8 – bettering the previous record 1:50.3 held by Cheesy Fingers by 0.5 – when she won the $150,000 NSW Breeders Challenge Final at Menangle.

Anntonia, who has now won 12 of her 19 starts including the NSW Oaks and Bathurst Gold Bracelet is a member of the same family as the former two-year-old record holder Franco Hat Trick.

Anntonia ranks as a half-sister to the NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Final winner Miss Halfpenny 1:55 ($235,403) and the Group 1 placegetter Rocknpenny (1:57), being by Bettor’s Delight from the Christian Cullen mare Perfect Penny (1:58.8), whose dam Threepence 1:57.3 ($253,306), a dual Group winner, was by Holmes Hanover from Have A Go Franco, by OK Bye from Heather Franco, by Nero’s B B.

Perfect Penny was a half-sister to Bebrave 1:54.3 ($182,620), Ideal Warrior 1:50.9 ($180,648) and Major Currency 1:53.8 ($119,073), all multiple Menangle winners.

This family was founded by Miss Kate (by Blackwood Abdallah) and recent winners belonging to it include Speak No Evil (Breeders Crown 3YO), Henry Hubert (NZ Hannon Memorial), Just Hope (Bathurst Gold Tiara), Spellbound, Beach Music and Miss Papenhuyzen (Tas. Evicus).

Anntonia was bred by Goulburn enthusiast Mathew Day.

Madrid top NSW two-year-old filly

While Silk Cloud and Captain’s Queen had both won at Group level, Madrid beat them decisively at Menangle in the $150,000 NSW Breeders Challenge Final, and Madrid is now rated NSW’s top two-year-old filly so far this season. She has won five of her six starts.

Madrid is a well developed filly by the A. G. Hunter Cup winner Bling It On, and one of his first crop, and was bred by Frank O’Sullivan, who bred and trained the APG winner Apollo Greed.

Madrid is out of the Lombo Mandingo mare Lillylane (1:58.7), a moderate performer herself but is proving a successful broodmare being also the dam of Miss Peudiepie 1:55.9 (4 wins to date).

Lillylane was by the Australian bred sire Lombo Mandingo from Jackie One, a half-sister by Stature to a NSW Sires Stakes champion in Catchme and to others in Manrock 1:58.7 ($101,087), Kiwa Bar (1:56.9) and Aceetee (1:57.9) and to Inline, a sister to Jackie One, who left the cups winner Jailbird 1:58.8 ($207,908).

Their dam, Born To Reign, was unraced but she left seven winners. She was by Holmes Hanover from Joyful Sue (dam of 5 winners), by James Delight from Silver Joy, by Lawn Derby, the first 2:00 pacer outside North America.

This family has produced some top pacers over the years including the Miracle Mile winner Norm’s Daughter, Just Too Good (WA Pacing Cup), Mac’s Gift (NSW Ladyship Mile) and Anything For Love (1:48.7).

NSW Breeders Challenge to Tim’s A Trooper

New South Wales’ premier race for two-year-old colts and geldings, the $150,000 Breeders Challenge, run at Menangle, was won by Tim’s A Trooper, and although the runner-up My Ultimate Byron, rated the top two-year-old of his year, was forced to work overtime early from a wide barrier, this fact could not detract from the merit of Tim’s A Trooper’s success.

He has now won twice and been six times placed from 11 starts; My Ultimate Byron has won seven of his eight starts.

Bred by Yirribee Pacing Stud, Tim’s A Trooper was knocked down for $17,000 at the 2020 Australian Pacing Gold Sydney sale to Brisbane harness racing benegfactor Kevin Seymour. He was a grand type of yearling and has developed into a beautiful two-year-old.

His sire, Tintin In America, was one of the best performed pacers bred in NZ, being by McArdle, a son of Falcon Seelster. Tintin In America had a record of 1:53.2 and was one of NZ’s greatest four-year-olds. His oldest stock in NZ are eight-year-olds and include Shartin (1:46.8), the fastest ever Australasian bred pacer, Zee Dana, God’s Spirit, Dame Puissant and pothers, and in Australia he has sired 37 winners including Teddy Disco, Divine State and Lady Jadore.

Elizabeth Kelly, the dam of Tim’s A Trooper, was a Life Sign mare from the top racemare Miss Paula (1:59.5), by Tompkins Hanover from Rich Sister, by Richmond from Bernie’s Sister, by Gay Reveler.

Elizabeth Kelly, who was only lightly raced, was also the dam of Lucky Lyla (1:56.8), the winner of 14 races and $101,345. She was a half-sister to the Derby winners Greg Kelly 1:56.4 ($345,150) and Albert Kelly 1:57.2 ($322,320), the Vicbred champion McRae’s Mate 1:51.8 ($482,053), Macca Kelly 1:51.1 ($311,397) and to Jackie Kelly, the dam of the outstanding racemare Frith 1:50.1 ($1.1 million) and the NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO winner Molly Kelly 1:52.1 ($358,344).

Honolua Bay a real blueblood

Honolua Bay, who won the $75,000 4YO & 5YO Championship at Melton beating a star-studded lineup, is a four-year-old gelding expected to graduate far beyond his present rating.

Bred and raced by Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock, he has a good deal more in his favour on the score of blood than most. By Somebeachsomewhere, a leading sire in both hemispheres, Honolua Bay is out of the Artsplace mare National Gallery (1:54.4), a Group 3 winner who produced others in Rocknroll Icon 1:53 ($176,893), the exported Mach Up 1:53 ($113,878) and Looking Fabulous (1:54.7), all metropolitan winners.

National Gallery was out of the useful racemare in Lil’s Dream (TT1:55.7), who ranked as a half-sister to the Harold Park winner Speedy Denover (1:58.1) and to Elizabeth Denover, dam of the Group 2 winner Bruzem 1:52.6 ($182,785) and Cruzem 1:55 ($148,845) and the second dam of the Miracle Mile winner Spankem 1:47.7 ($1.5 million) and Thumpem 1:52.6 ($449,837). This was the family founded by the NZ bred mare Lady Antrim.

Longfellow on top

The Tasmanian bred Longfellow is proving himself a three-year-old of some worth in Victoria and over the last month he numbered The Graduate among his successes, beating a smart three-year-old in Bettor Call Me (by Bettor’s Delight) and Kimble (by Western Terror). He was also placed in the Victoria Derby.

Bred by the Rattray family, Longfellow is a Bettor’s Delight colt from a capable racemare in Artifice (2:01.8), by Art Major from the Caprock mare Reign Again Franco, a granddaughter of the Kaikoura Cup winner Royal Belmer, who founded a very strong branch of the Purple Patch tribe.

Others from Artifice have been the Tasmanian Belmont winner Juniper (1:57.6) and the Menangle and Albion Park winner Fioki 1:54.1 (26 wins and $219,339).

 Dual Trotters Derby winner

When he won $75,000 Classic Connection@Haras Des Trotters Victoria Trotters Derby in a new track record at Maryborough, Kyvalley Hotspur scored his second Derby success, and he is entitles to be rated as this season’s top three-year-old trotter.

Earlier in the season Kyvalley Hotspur won the NSW Trotters Derby at Menangle. From eight starts this season he has won five times and been twice placed for $96,240 in stakes.

Kyvalley Hotspur ranks as a brother to the Group 2 winner Kyvalley Chief 1:56.4 ($109,735), being a colt by the Muscles Yankee horse Muscle Hill from Love Ya Doosie, by Love You.

Love Ya Doosie, who won two races, was a half-sister to a grand stayer and dual Inter Dominion champion in I Can Doosit 1:55.5 ($1.3 million) and the Group 3 winner Sno’s Big Boy 1:58.4 ($215,308), their dam, Sheezadoosie (by Chiola Hanover), being a sister to the exported Golden Blend 1:55 ($305,911) and a half-sister to Dipendra (1:58.8) and to the Dream Vacation mare Big O E, dam of the Breeders Crown 4YO winner Aldebaran Ay M (1:58.8) and the Derby placegetter Aldebaran Southland.

Kyvalley Hotspur was bred by Ken and Karen Breckon, of Breckon Farms, NZ.

Crack colt by Art Major

A two-year-old to take a high ranking in South Australia is the Art Major colt Jawsoflincoln, who won the Golden Nursery last weekend and earlier the Lordship Stakes. He has won three races and been twice placed for $28,193.

Jawsoflincoln was an Australian Pacing Gold purchase in 2020 in Sydney. He is out of the American-bred mare Lincoln Room (1:55.4), by Presidential Ball from Hatchery (1:53.4), by Abercrombie and tracing back to the taproot Midnight (by Pilot Jnr).

Jawsoflincoln ranks as a brother to Major Rainbow (1:56.4) and a half-brother to Art Rite (1:51.6) and Room With A View (1:56).

First winner by Tiger Tara

The Bettor’s Delight horse Tiger Tara, an Inter Dominion and Grand Circuit champion and now standing at Yirribee Pacing Stud, Wagga, was represented by his first winner when the two-year-old King Tiger was successful in a track record-breaking 1:53.9 on debut at Newcastle.

The colt had previously showed very impressive trial form at Menangle and Penrith.

Raced and trained by his breeder Kevin Pizzuto, who also trained Tiger Tara, King Tiger is out of the Elsu mare Truly Sue, whose dam, Truly Goldie NZ (by Holmes Hanover), was a half-sister to the Moonee Valley winner Dolcezza (1:54.8).

King Tiger is one of three foals from the first crop of Tiger Tara, all of whom have qualified.

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink