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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.
Blacksadance star sprinter
Blacksadance advanced strong claims to being the best sprint pacer in Queensland today when he scored a track record-breaking win the Garrard’s Horse & Hound Open at Albion Park.
The gelding covered the 1660 metres from behind the mobile barrier in a mile rate of 1:49.2 – 0.8 second inside his own track record set in April.
It was his third successive win and his 18th lifetime win.
By the Rocknroll Hanover horse A Rocknroll Dance, who stands at the Somerset Farms stud, of Pete and Chantal McMullen, who train and drive Blacksadance, he is out of the New Zealand bred mare Washington Lass (1:55.6), by Washington VC (son of Presidential Ball) from Supreme Duchess, by Son Of Afella from Sparkle Bret, by Knowing Bret and tracing to the taproot First Water.
Blacksadance is a brother to Big Wheels, who won earlier in the night in 1:52.1, and Awaywego (1:55.3), all bred and raced by Taree (NSW) dairy farmer John Polson.
Inter Dominion prospect
One of the stronger Inter Dominion candidates, particularly among the youthful brigade will be Rock N Roll Doo, who has proved himself in the top flight and has won his way back to cup class with three recent Melton successes.
His latest winning run in the $100,000 Caduceus Classic over 1720 metres from the mobile was a terrific performance. He settled worse than midfield, but produced a barnstorming finish to win at a 1:50.6 mile rate.
A tough customer, Rock N Roll Doo is a four-year-old gelding, being by Rock N Roll Heaven from Long Live Lana, dam also of the Tatlow winner Iolanta 1:53.1 ($171,775), the smart filly Delightful Lana 1:54.5 ($148,269) and Son Of Lana (1:57.9). Long Live Lana was sired by In The Pocket (a leading sire and broodmare sire) from Infante Elana, by Soky’s Atom from Entrancing, by Mark Lobell from the grand producer Coo Doo, by Morano.
Coo Doo was the dam of 11 individual winners including Palestine (Kaikoura Cup and Interdom Consolation), Finest Hour (1:55) and a top youngster in Barbara Del and the ancestress of horses the calibre of Captain Peacock (NZ Derby), Shoobee Doo (1:49.4), Tennis Ball, Elegant Christian, Extender (1:49.2), Cantfindabettorman and so on.
Port Au Prince is well bred
Ex-Kiwi four-year-old Port Au Prince (Somebeachsomewhere), an impressive winner of a Carousel heat at Menangle at only his second start on Australian soil, is not short of rich relations.
Apart from being by Somebeachsomewhere, and one of his largest crops, Port Au Prince is out of the Christian Cullen mare Maheer Princess (1:58.8), a half-sister to the WA Pacing Cup winner Maheer Lord 1:53 ($515,470), being out of the NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Fern Glen (1:59), by New York Motoring from Chateau Margaux, a descendant of the noted foundation mare Precision.
Maheer Princess, who won four races, also ranks as the dam of the cups winner Full Speed Ahead 1:57.1 ($171,632), the multiple Gloucester Park victor Good Times Ahead 1:57.8 ($134,164) and Feel The Burn 1:52 (Tas. Mother of Pearl).
Australasian Trotting Championship winner
One of Australia’s top races for trotters, the Group 1 $50,000 Australasian Trotting Championship, run at Melton, was won by the Muscle Hill entire Aldebaran Zeus.
Aldebaran Zeus stepped straight to the front, was given a ‘breather’ in the middle stages and finally won decisively from Maori Law, Baltica and Sundon’s Courage.
It was his third success at Group 1 level and pushed his stake earnings to beyond $200,000. He is a four-year-old entire by Muscle Hill, a Muscles Yankee horse who is a top sire of trotters, from the Swedish bred mare Zoia Boko, by Viking Kronos from Ouzo Boko, by Victory Dream from Chatty Hanover, by Super Bowl – a predominance of straight out trotting blood.
Aldebaran Zeus is the fourth foal of Zoia Boko, whose family includes such trotters as Yield Boko 1:54.9 ($814,031), a dual Swedish Breeders Crown champion and a sire of winners in Victoria, the world champion Cash Hall (TT1:51.2) and the USA Stakes winners Cartier Hall (1:54.6) and Capetown Hall (1:56.2).
Captain Ravishing is Derby material
Captain Ravishing is proving himself a three-year-old of some worth in Victoria and the colt gave a taste of his class with a commanding win in the Holloway Classic at Ballarat. He was timed to run his last half in 52.8 and the final quarter in a scorching 25.1.
Captain Ravishing was an Australian Pacing Gold purchase in 2020 in Sydney, and is a colt by the Somebeachsomewhere horse Captaintreacherous from Ravishing Girl (1:57.1, by Sportswriter from the Safely Kept mare Ravaged, a sister to the exported Fourwing Sweepa 1:53.2 ($152,656) and Key To Freedom 1:53.4 ($134,508) and to My Ami Lee, dam of the Group 1 winners Louvre, Miss Hazel and Renaissance Man.
On his present form, Captain Ravishing will be well in line for the Victoria Derby and other major juvenile classics.
Tenth win on end
Wonderful To Fly gave further evidence that she is one of the best three-year-old fillies ever produced in WA when he outclassed her rivals in the $100,000 Westbred Classic at Gloucester Park.
The win was the Fly Like An Eagle filly’s 10th straight and her 12th from 15 starts this year, netting her connections $249,712 – a season’s high for her age, sex and gait. Earlier in the season she annexed the WA Sales Classic, APG Gold Bullion, WA Diamond Classic and Country Oaks, many of them by wide margins.
Wonderful To Fly ranks as a sister to the recent two-year-old winner Velocipede (1:56.5). Their dam, Not Now Delilah, was by Allamerican Ingot from the Orange Sovereign mare Queen Delilah (10 wins), dam of a very smart pacer in Jumbo Operator (1:57), a winner of 24 races and $313,175) and the WA Sires Stakes 2YO Final winner Getaway Plan 1:58 ($135,549).
Wonderful To Fly was bred by Perth breeders Kevin and Annette Charles.
Won Westbred Classic
Winner of the Golden Slipper as a two-year-old last season, Tricky Miki downed the top three-year-olds in the $100,000 Westbred Classic at Gloucester Park, including a top ranking three-year-old in Goodfellaz, who finished fourth.
He has won $173,246 in stakes, a worthwhile return for the $57,500 paid for him at the APG Perth sale in 2020. By Always B Miki, and one of the first crop of the American horse to race in Australia, Tricky Miki is out of the Listed winner Harriet Elisabeth 1:57.4 ($114,348), by Modern Art (son of Artsplace) from Jane Elouise, a Group 2 winner by Beach Towel from the Atashy mare Shy Amazaon, dam of the top Tasmanian pacer Robway Bay 1:58.8 ($143,790).
Tricky Miki, who was bred by prominent Perth breeder Steve Johnson, is the best winner from this family in recent years but in an earlier decade it produced a very smart performer in Soho Jackman (1:50.6), who won 32 races and $368,278.
Argyle a real gem
The three-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding Argyle, who won at his Victorian debut at Melton, was bred in NZ but has deep roots in Australia.
He is a member of an old time family founded in NSW by the Tommy II mare Miss Tommy, which was represented by a winner at Addington in Aardie’s Express one day before Argyle won.
Royal Gem, the dam of Argyle, was a Christian Cullen mare from Tania Tandia’s, by Falcon Seelster from a fine racemare in Tandia’s Courage (1:53.6), by Stoneridge Scooter from Talk To Me, a mare by What’s Next.
Tandia’s Courage, a multiple Group winner, became the dam of the Listed winner Tandia’s Bromac 1:53.7 ($180,431), Tatijana Bromac 1:54.2 ($198,481) and Te Amo Bromac 1:55.8 ($146,022), all of whom founded good winning families. Tandia’s Bromac ranks as the dam of this year’s NZ Country Championship winner The Falcon 1:57 ($129,432), Tatijana Bromac left two winners in Aardie’s Express 1:54.6 (NZ Southland Oaks) and Moh’s Em Down 1:53.5 ($131,172), while Te Amo Bromac produced the recent Tasmanian winner Mia Ragazza (1:57.5).
Tania Tandia’s, a Falcon Seelster mare from Tandia’s Courage, left five winners including the Group 3 victor Tommy Lincoln 1:52.7 ($169,805), the exported Lincoln’s Girl 1:51.8 ($163,870) and the unraced Royal Gem, dam of Argyle.
by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink
