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.

Never Ending is top WA two-year-old

Never Ending, a good looking Sweet Lou gelding, is rated Western Australia’s top two-year-old this season, particularly after his success in the Group 1 $150,000 Golden Slipper, one of the season’s major juvenile classics. He is unbeaten in six starts to date including three Group 1’s and has earned $274,485.

In the Golden Slipper, he was never really extended in running out the 2130 metres in 2:32.4, a 1:55.1 mile rating, the last 800 in 57.2 and the final 400 in 29.2.

Never Ending is a gelding by Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou (1:47), a champion pacer himself and now a leading sire in both hemispheres. He is out of Endless Journey, a Die Laughing mare from the same family as David Hercules, Major Martini, Fake Embrace and Supreme Royalty.

Never Ending ranks as a half-brother to the Pearl winner Isaiah Artois 1:58.3 ($117,351), the Group 1 placegetter Mandy Joan 1:54.9 ($168,564) and the Gloucester Park winner Dibaba 1:54.1 ($112,846).

Won NSW Pink Diamond

Winner of the NSW Breeders Challenge True Blue Series as a two-year-old last season, Ideal In Dreams downed the top three-year-old fillies in the Harness Breeders NSW Pink Diamond Stakes at Menangle, including a top ranking three-year-old in Silk Cloud.

Ideal In Dreams has only been sparingly raced, but has proved herself a young pacer of great ability. She has now won seven races and $71,970 in stakes.

By Warrawee Needy, and one of the second crop of the former world champion, Ideal In Dreams is out of Milia’s Ideal (1:57.1) and the first of her produce to race. Milia’s Ideal, who won five races, was gotten by American Ideal from the In The Pocket mare Classic Counsel, who left a smart pacer in Floyd Mayweather (1:53), a winner of 36 races and $326,492, and the Menangle winner Summit Special 1:50.7 ($141,050).

Torrid Saint star sprinter

Torrid Saint advanced strong claims to being the best sprint pacer in Victoria today when he scored a brilliant win in the Group 2 Smoken Up Sprint at Melton.

It was his second success over the sprint trip this season. A month earlier he disposed of Lochinvar Art, Tango Tara and others in the My Lightning Blue Free-for-all in 1:51.7.

Bred and raced by Noel Watson, Torrid Saint has now won 16 races and $304,710 in stakes.

By The Panderosa horse Shadow Play, he is out of Torridon, by Safely Kept (a Jate Lobell horse from the Golden Miss family), from Lauder Lass, by Armbro Aussie from My Double Birdie, by Birdie Hanover.

Torrid Saint is a half-brother to the Tontine Series winner Saint Flash 1:52.3 ($285,368) and Courageous Saint 1:52.1 ($193,155).

Victoria Oaks heats a boost for SA breeding

The results of the Victoria Oaks heats at Melton provided a big boost for the breeding industry in South Australia.

Elegant, the winner of the fastest heat, was bred and is raced by David and Glenda Battye’s Buckland Park Homestead, while Just Hope, who won the opening heat, was bred in Victoria by Lauriston Bloodstock and is raced by Adelaide owners Terry and Rosalie Cluse.

Furthermore, the Oaks heat placegetters Encipher and Soho Historia are both raced in SA. Encipher was bred and is owned by Kadina horseman Tyson Linke and Soho Historia is part-owned by Buchfelde identity Aaron Bain.

Elegant, by Somebeachsomewhere, is out of a useful racemare in Spokeswoman (1:56.5), by Art Major from Fatalistic, by Holmes Hanover and tracing back to the thoroughbred mare Cassandra.

Inter Dominion graduate

Passed in at the 2017 NZ Premier Yearling Sale and now a winner of $245,773, I Cast No Shadow became the latest qualifier for the Inter Dominion when he won at Menangle in 1:50.5.

By The Panderosa horse Shadow Play (now in Canada), I Cast No Shadow is out of Ragazza Bromac, by the champion sire Falcon Seelster. Ragazza Bromac left others in the NZ Southern Supremacy winner Ragazzo Mach 1:54.7 ($116,700) and RR Sand Dollar (1:55.5), who won seven races.

Ragazza Bromac was out of the American-bred Red Delite, by Fame (by Albatross) from the Most Happy Fella mare Miles End Dianne, and tracing eventually to the foundation mare Emma Mills (by American Star).

Ragazza Bromac was an unraced half-sister to the top flight American pacer SS Sand Dollar 1:49.6 ($632,406) and the Melton and Albion Park winner Boston Legal (1:56.1). Other members of this fine family have been the Little Brown Jug winner P Forty Seven (1:48.4), a sire of winners in Australia and NZ, the Canadian 2YO Colt of the Year Chatham Light ($849,845) and the top American juvenile Have A Good Life (1:53.6).

A star from Katy Perry

A star three-year-old in New Zealand and Australia this season is Major Perry, who is raced by a syndicate including leading American horseman Chris Ryder and trained by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.

A colt by Art Major, he is out of a champion racemare in Katy Perry 1:51.1 ($517,733) and the first of her produce to race. He won heats of the NSW Derby (second in final) and the Victoria Derby at Melton last Saturday and looks a three-year-old with the potential one would expect of his breeding.

Canola Cup winner

Racing Time, a three-year-old by Racing Hill from My Prima Bella, by Mach Three from the American-bred Andress Blue Chip, by Artsplace, failed to win a race in nine starts as a two-year-old last season.

But the Racing Hill colt has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old campaign, winning five races on end since coming from Victoria highlighted by the Group 3 $30,600 Canola Cup at Eugowra on Monday.

The colt led from the outset and comfortably defeated a talented field, running out the last 800 metres in 57.3 seconds. He is a very smart youngster.

Bred and raced by Brisbane enthusiast Steve Clements, Racing Time is out of the lightly raced My Prima Bella, the best of whose several progeny have been the dual QBred Triad winner First String 1:51.5 ($185,565) and the Menangle Listed winner My Bettor Bella (1:53.6).

My Prima Bella ranks as a half-sister to a champion racemare and dual Oaks winner in Carabella 1:55.2 ($693,615), dam of the Gore Cup winner Johnny Mac and recent double Menangle winner Itz Montana Jet (1:52.2).

Oaks heat winner by Restrepo

Relentess Me, who won a heat of the Victoria Oaks – Jo An Jo, Wendy’s Wish and Amore Vita filled the placings behind her – is rated one of the top three-year-old fillies of the season so far. Earlier in the year she won the Tasmanian Oaks at Hobart and from 11 starts she has won five and been four times placed.

She is a grand stayer and the best progeny left by the Art Major horse Restrepo, who stood for a time at the stud in Victoria and is now based at Killarney Equine of Luke Primmer, Young (NSW).

A multiple Group winner, Restrepo is out of the D M Dilinger mare She’s Innocent, a half-sister to the glamour racemare Innocent Eyes, who won the Victoria Oaks in 2005.

Ballygeana, the dam of Relentless Me, is by Presidential Ball (son of Cam Fella) from Modest Stacey, by Golden Greek from Dianthus Dot, by the Inter Dominion heat winner Pipiriki from Neat Dillon, by Tarport Kid from Noeleen Dillon.

Relentless Me is the best winner from this family in recent years but in an earlier decade it produced a top flight pacer in First Dillon, winner of the Geelong and Warragul Cups.

Richard Matthews’ death

One of Victoria’s best known standardbred breeders and owners, Richard Matthews, of Port Fairy, died last week.

Matthews, a key sponsor of Western districts’ racing, bred and raced a number of trotters and pacers, the six-time Group 1 winning square-gaiter Let Me Thru being the most successful.

Last season’s champion two-year-old Catch A Wave, rated one of the finest juveniles in years, and others in Lagoon Lady, Lord Liam, Soextra, Miss Bullion and Yambukian, all carried the late Mr Matthews’ colours.

Sold to America

The three-year-old Duke Of Cornwall, a convincing winner at Geelong last week, will do his further racing in America. He will join the New Jersey stable of former Queensland horsewoman Tahnee Camilleri.

The colt was sold in a deal worth a reported $500,000 by John Curtin’s JC International to American owner Richard Poillucci in January after winning four of his nine starts as a two-year-old.

A half-brother by Sweet Lou to the Melton Plate winner Duke Of Wellington and the NSW Golden Easter Egg victor My Venice Beach, Duke Of Cornwall won six races and took a record of 1:52.6.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink