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.

NSW two-year-old mile in 1:50.4

The current light harness season is proving a vintage year for Australian two-year-old pacers.

My Ultimate Ronnie went within of tick of the Australasian mile record from a flying start at Menangle last Saturday in 1:50.4, only 0.1 outside the mark put up by Bar Room Banta in 2020.

On the same night My Ultimate Byron, a stablemate of My Ultimate Ronnie, won the other semi-final of the NSW Breeders Challenge in 1:50.9 – the third fastest mile ever recorded by a two-year-old in Australia and NZ.

At the present time the two-year-old 1:52 list numbers 10, dating back to 2017 when Ignatius paced a mile in 1:51.3 at Menangle. Ashley Locaz set the all-time NZ mark of 1:51.9 in the same year at Ashburton, according to classicfamilies.net website.

My Ultimate Ronnie, bred by Ron and the late Kay Littler, of Orchard Hills (NSW), was knocked down for $60,000 at last year’s Australian Pacing Gold sale at Warwick Farm. The colt is a son of siring sensation Bettor’s Delight, the only sire represented by two in the 1:52 two-year-old list, the other being Ashley Locaz.

Gifted Bliss, the dam of My Ultimate Ronnie, took a mile record of 1:54.5, being by Blissfull Hall from Lotus Lobell (2:00.2), a Jeremy Lobell mare who left others in Better Than Max 1:51.5 ($178,217), Jenelle’s Tristar (1:53) and the recent Penrith winner Major Statement (1:54.9).

The family then traces through mares by top sires such as Aachen, Miraculous, Raider and Globe Derby to the tarproot Laura Pic (by Ribbonite), a mare foaled at Cowra in 1919. Richmond Lass, winner of 1969 Inter Dominion Final in Adelaide, is perhaps the best known member of this family.

My Ultimate Byron, who is undefeated in seven appearances, is a Somebeachsomewhere gelding from Our Sleeping Beauty (2:02.9), by Bettor’s Delight from Bishop’s Dream, by Dream Away from Bishop’s Blessing, by Live Or Die from Atomic Lass, by Soky’s Atom – a combination of some of the greatest pacing blood NZ has had.

This is the family which produced such horses as the dual NZ Horse of the Year and now leading sire Auckland Reactor, Devil Dodger (Breeders Crown 3YO Final), The Devil’s Own (1:48), the WA Mares’ Classic winner The Parade, Taihape Tickler and many others.

Stars trotters from the same family

Two of Australia’s star trotters at present, and both winners in metropolitan company last week, are Queen Elida and One Majic Kenny, who belong to the same family.

Queen Elida, a three-year-old filly by Love You, won the Group 1 $60,000 Victoria Trotters Oaks, while One Majic Kenny, a four-year-old Majestic Son gelding, posted his first success on Australian soil at Menangle.

Queen Elida, who has now won eight races, is out of a fine racemare in Queen Kenny (9 wins and $98,381), by Monarchy from Nice One Kenny, by Sundon from the noted Pointer Hanover producer Frances Jay Bee.

Queen Kenny, a Group 3 winner, ranks as a sister to the Menangle winner Princess Kenny (1:55.3) and a half-sister to the Melton winner Here Comes Kyvalley and to the dam of the Menangle victor Im Jake The Mus (1:58.8).

One Majic Kenny, a winner of eight races and $110,623 in stakes, is out of the NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year One Under Kenny (11 wins), a sister to Nice One Kenny, the second dam of Queen Elida, and to a champion trotter in One Over Kenny (1:57), a winner of seven Group 1 races and $1,060,394, She, in turn, is the dam of the NZ 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year One Over Da Moon 1:55.5 ($368,548), now a Group winning sire, The Redwood and Breeders Crown winner Ultimate Stride 2:00 ($189,103) and the recent Addington three-year-old winner One Over All.

Star four-year-old by American Ideal

A bright future is being predicted for the American Ideal four-year-old Ideal Agent, whose convincing success at Gloucester Park last Friday was his third winning run in four starts on Australian soil.

On the score of blood he has something in his favour. Apart from being by American Ideal, Ideal Agent is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Lady Smack, a half-sister to a top racemare in The Orange Agent 1:51.1 ($725,542) and the NSW Raith Memorial winner Cheesy Fingers (1:50.3), being out of Lady Fingers, by Artiscape from the Soky’s Atom mare Matter Of Fact, and tracing to the taproot Tot Huon, whose family today is one of the best in the NZ stud book.

It includes the dual NZ Cup winner Reta Peter, Cincinnati Kid (Ballarat Cup and Interdom heat), Fella’s Pride (NSW Derby), Caesar’s Halo (NSW Carousel), Paula Scott (NZ Franklin Cup), Falcon’s Legacy (Vic. Derby heat) and Vettel (1:48.6) and the top trotters Game Paul, Paulette, Paula and Super Command.

Siblings win at Shepparton

It was no mean feat for the half-brothers Marengo Bay (by Im Stately) and Moreton Bay (by Majestic Son) to win on the same night at Shepparton recently. Moreton Bay, a Group 1 winner at two, notched his seventh success in 14 starts, while Marengo Bay cleared novice class at his second attempt.

Both bred, owned and trained by David Jack are out of the unraced Escandolo, by Mister Big from Diva Bay, by Armbro Operative from Gracesea, by The Contender, sire of the former international trotting star Knight Pistol.

Diva Bay, who won twice, was also the dam of Whistlejacket (2:00.4), a winner of three trotting races, and the pacer Sealed Package (2:00.5). Gracesea was a half-sister to the Moonee Valley trotting winner Mullengandra, their dam, Sea Bride (2:01), being by Sea Lord from the Holy Hal mare Bride’s Bay, a sister-in-blood to the incomparable Cardigan Bay.

Other members of this family, which was founded in NZ by Trilby (by the thoroughbred King Quail), were the NZ Cup winners Hands Down and Globe Bay, Apre Ski, Franco Nelson and Spanish Armada and the top trotters Bay Johnny, Red Hot Tooth and West Texas Crude.

Plymouth Chubb top two-year-old trotter

Plymouth Chubb, a stylish gelding by Majestic Son, is rated Australia’s top two-year-old trotter this season, particularly after his success in the Group 2 Tatlow Stakes, one of the season’s major two-year-old classics.

He has won eight of his nine starts – an early miscue at his first appearance being the only blemish.

In the Tatlow, he was not really extended in running out the 2200 metres in 2:46.4, a mile rate of 2:01.7, the last 800 in 58.3 and the final 400 in 29.6.

Bred by Gary Benson and Steven Hegyi, who also race him, Plymouth Chubb is a member of an old-time NZ family, which was represented by a winner at Bankstown a few days later in Fancy.

Pocket Fantasy, the dam of Plymouth Chubb, won five races and finished runner-up in the Breeders Crown Final and was an above average mare. She became the dam of a string of trotting winners including Dublin Chubb, winner of the Tatlow in 2019, My Skypocket 1:59.4 (12 wins and $132,768) and Edge Hill 1:55.6 ($110,161), who also won 12.

Pocket Fantasy was an In The Pocket mare from a fine racemare in Kim’s Fantasy (20 wins), by Smooth Falcon (Derby winning son of Smooth Fella) from Vila Court, by Gaviland from Park Court, a mare by Stormyway. Kim’s Fantasy, a Group 3 winner, produced others in Kimmywho 1:59.6 (10 wins), the Trotters Derby heat winner Carleton Hill and Speedy Naomi (15 wins), the dam of the metropolitan winners Greg The Great 1:55.1 ($133,959) and Hammer’s Law (1:57.3).

Among others from Plymouth Chubb’s family have been the Australian Trotting Grand Prix winner Big Jack Hammer 1:54.7 ($406,373), Running Pinevale (Vic. Trotters Oaks), Trottn On The Ritz 1:59.5 ($132,716), Trottn The Catwalk and Outofthefire (1:57.7).

Mickey Oh is top two-year-old in Tassie

Mickey Oh, a well developed Racing Hill gelding, won the $50,000 Dandy Patch at Hobart to mark the close of his two-year-old season with a good deal to spare.

His record of four wins and a second from five starts for $48,525 in stakes makes him the best of his age in Tasmania by a wide margin, and he will be force to be reckoned with in the three-year-old classics.

Mickey Oh is out of a fine racemare and Granny Smith winner in Ark Breeze (2:01.1) and the first of her produce to race. Ark Breeze was a half-sister to the Tasmanian Sires Produce winner Drifting West (1:58.8) and the Country Derby winner Frankie Falzoni (1:58.7), being by Stonebridge Regal from Ark Drifter (1:59.7), by Golden Greek from the good producer Triumphal Ark, by Title Holder from Ark Page, by Meadow Paige from Arkriki, by Pipiriki, a NZ bred horse by Flying Song.

Arkriki was a most successful broodmare, being the dam of the Tasmanian Easter Cup winner Ark Raider, Ark Title (1:56.9), Ark Donabar (Tas. Matron) and the second dam of the Tasmanian Oaks winner Arcadia Neptune, Ark Maree (Qld Ladyship), Ark Toro (Tas. Derby heat) and It’s The Captain.

Mickey Oh was bred by northern Tasmanian enthusiast Shane Hawes.

SA Sires Produce winner

Justanextragrand, who won the SA Sires Produce at Globe Derby Park, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he finished third to Mighty Ronaldo in the WA Western Crown.

He has won seven races in quick succession in his adopted State and is expected to extend his current winning streak of four.

He is a gelding by the champion In The Pocket horse Changeover, now standing at stud in Queensland, from the Gloucester Park winner Keepsgettingbettor, and her first produce to race.

Keepsgettingbettor ranks as a half-sister to the thrice Gloucester Park winner Live Or Let Die (1:57), being by Bettor’s Delight from the Safely Kept mare Via Linka, a half-sister to the dams of the 3YO Filly of the Year Nemeeshar 1:58.2 ($331,230), the WA Sires Stakes champion Chivalrous Fella 1:55.5 ($271,809) and Here Comes Zoe 1:55.2 ($113,996).

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink