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.

Rockabella Starz’s stout pedigree

Rockabella Starz, who hoisted a fresh lifetime mark of 1:52.8 winning at Menangle and has won her way back to NR67 class, is an eight-year-old mare by Rocknroll Hanover from Bella Aurora, a Vicbred finalist who took a record of 2:02.4.

She is a member of an old time New Zealand family, which was represented by a winner at Kilmore in Bide Our Time, a half-brother to Rockabella Starz, one day earlier.

Bella Aurora was a Northern Lights mare from Precious Milly, by What’s Next from Sheza Beauty, by Torado Hanover from Express Wish, a mare by Express Byrd. Express Wish was the dam of a top Tasmanian pacer in Heza Jazza 1:57.3 ($112,677), Mister Karalta (Tas. Debutante) and the Harold Park winner Sheza Beauty (2:01.5).

Bella Aurora, the dam of Rockabella Starz, has been one of the gems of the Australian stud book. She is the dam of 10 individual winners, nine of whom took records of better than 2:00, including the 3YO Filly of the Year Bella’s Delight 1:54.3 ($442,523) – her second foal – Heza Modern Guy (1:53.3), Bide Our Time (1:54.4), Seaya Laterbella (1:55.8) and Bella Sainz 1:56.2 (dam of Valencia 1:53.2).

Won Victoria Sires Classic

A top colt in Victoria this season – he has won six and been three times placed in 12 starts for $116,840 – is Bondi Lockdown, a close relative of the ‘Cups King’ Restrepo.

The colt notched his second Group success when he downed a top field in the $40,000 Victoria Sires Classic at Bendigo after being required to overcome a difficult barrier draw and a torrid passage.

Bondi Lockdown, who was bred by Carl and Penny Reinehr, was sired by Somebeachsomewhere from the Art Major mare Without Guile, whose dam, Innocent Eyes (by Safely Kept) won 18 races and was one of the best racemares of the early 2000’s. She was one of 11 winners thrown by the Lordship mare Cerebrano, a NZ bred mare from the celebrated Topsy tribe.

Without Guile, who was unraced, produced others in Rocknroll Eyes 1:53.6 (a winner 19 races and $172,067), Joey’s Hangover (1:56.4) and Without Hesitation (1:58.9), all winners this season.

Without Guile ranked as a half-sister to the Gloucester Park winner Cordero (1:56.9) and Annas Innocent (1:57.2), a Bettor’s Delight mare who left the Menangle winner Rock Of Delight (1:55) and Mea Culpa.

From Group winner

Alta Louisa, who won the Group 3 The Schrader at Gloucester Park last Friday, after racing without cover most of the way, is regarded as one of the best young female pacers in Perth.

Only a four-year-old, she showed up last season as a three-year-old above average when she finished a close fourth in the WA Diamond Classic.

By the Artsplace horse Art Major, Alta Louisa is out of Famous Alchemist 1:53 ($322,869), a NZ bred mare and a multiple winner at Group and Listed level in WA, by Mach Three from Alcheringa, by Dream Away from Nuclear Princess, by Nuclear Canyon from Princess Arania, by Scottish Hanover from a NZ Oaks winner in Hurrania.

This has been one of NZ’s most successful families over a long period. It was established in NZ by Accident (foaled 1898), a mare by the Australian bred Monte Christo who was responsible for a swag of classic and cup winners on both sides of the Tasman.

Other members of this family have been the Inter Dominion winner Baltic Eagle, Ananz (2YO Filly of the Year), the Derby winners Newsbreaker, Khan’s Thunder and Blueagle, the dual Oaks winner Swing Out Sister, Let’s Thank Heaven (APG 2YO Final), the champion NZ racemare Arania, Local Light, a leading sire in NZ, Local Gold (NZ Great Northern Derby) and many others.

Star three-year-old by Bettor’s Delight

A bright future is being predicted for the Bettor’s Delight three-year-old Tenzing Bromac, whose success at Pinjarra last Monday was his fourth winning run in as many starts in WA.

The gelding has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Bettor’s Delight, Tenzing Bromac is out of the Artsplace mare Tallulah Bromac, a half-sister to two fine racemares in Tatijana Bromac 1:54.2 ($198,481) and Tandia’s Bromac 1:53.7 ($180,431), Te Amo Bromac 1:55.8 ($146,022) and to the Falcon Seelster mare Tania Tandias, dam of the Group 3 winner Tommy Lincoln 1:52.7 ($139,372) and Lincoln’s Girl 1:51.8 ($143,125).

Their dam, the Australian 2YO Filly of the Year Tandia’s Courage 1:53.6 ($305,236), was by Stoneridge Scooter from the Australian bred mare Talk To Me, by What’s Next and tracing to the Tommy II mare Miss Tommy, whose family today is one of the best in the Australian stud book.

It includes the Inter Dominion champion and Miracle Mile winner Lennytheshark, champion racemares in Frith, Provocative and Mother Courage, the Derby winners Greg Kelly, Albert Kellyn and Classic Garry, Royal Verdict (2YO of the Year), the Breeders Crown champions Lady Waratah and Led Suitcase, Nolarama, Newbold Penny and others.

Whatabro tops $100,000

Whatabro, a four-year-old gelding bred in Victoria by Kerrie Hymers, became the latest member of the ‘$100,000 Club’ when he won at Gloucester Park last Friday.

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Four Starzzz Shark, a top pacer himself – Whatabro is from Whatacorka, by What’s Next (a son of Most Happy Fella) from a fine racemare in Uncork, by the Smooth Fella horse Tuapeka Knight, a former NZ 2YO of the Year and holder of the NZ mile record for two-year-olds at 1:58.

Whatabro ranks as a half-brother to the SA pinup pacer Come On Frank 1:52 ($404,650) and to Blissfull Night, dam of the Breeders Crown 2YO Silver winner Night Spirit (1:54.8).

Whatacorka was 17 when she left Whatabro.

By Changeover

Yianni looks certain to uphold the NZ Cup and dual derby winner and Changeover’s stock.

Bred and raced by Danny Zavitsanos, he won the Group 3 $30,000 Alabar Vicbred Championship Final at Bendigo, leading from the outset and carving out his final 800 metres in 55.9 seconds.

Earlier in the season he won the APG Gold Bullion 4YO Consolation at Melton, and from 41 lifetime starts he has won nine and been placed 12 times for $107,395 in stakes.

Yianni is out of Jodila, who took a record of 1:57.5. Jodila was a half-sister to the metropolitan winners Jodan 1:52.9 ($147,129) and Walkabout Creek (1:52.7), being by Jereme’s Jet mare from the crack racemare Trudee 1:58 ($167,757), by Albert Albert from the Toliver Hanover breeding influence Avonali.

This is the family which produced such winners as Make Mine Cullen 1:53 ($874,178), Leonidas (1:48), Supersonic Miss (NZ 2YO Filly of the Year), Sicario (SA Pacing Cup), the NSW Breeders Challenge winners Goodtime Heaven and Obahma Joy, College Chapel (Bathurst Gold Crown), Shineonucrazydiamond (1:50), Whirily School, Bella Joy, Roger’s Passion, and so on.

Yianni ranks as a half-brother to the Victoria Sapling Stakes winner Ideal Dan (1:55.1).

They trace to the Miss Tommy family

Steno, Tims A Trooper and The Cid, a trio of two-year-olds who cleared novice class on the same day at Menangle, Albion Park and Echuca respectively last Tuesday, are all members of the noted family founded by the Tommy II mare Miss Tommy.

Steno, a daughter of the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou, is out of the former 2YO and 3YO Filly of the Year Lady Waratah 1:59.5 ($564,770), who produced others in The Baggy Green 1:57 (Albury Cup), Some Waratah 1:50.3 ($136,725) and Cherishthememories (1:55.9).

The Cid, a two-year-old gelding by the world champion Always B Miki, and one of his first crop, is from the Mach Three mare The Waratah (1:57.9), dam of the Group 2 winner Mirragon 1:54.9 ($189,393) and Fightnfury (1:57.9).

Lady Waratah and The Waratah are both out of a handy racemare in Waratah Way, dam also of the Tatlow Memorial winner Master Waratah 1:58.6 ($158,620) and Adam’s Express (1:55.6).

Tims A Trooper, a colt by Tintin In America, is from the Life Sign mare Elizabeth Kelly, 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 Mcraes Mate 1:51.8 ($482,053) and Macca Kelly 1:51.1 ($311,397).

Their dam, Miss Paula (1:55.9), won three Group races and $159,395 in stakes and produced 12 individual winners. The winner of the Winona Award, Miss Paula was by the Albatross horse Tompkins Hanover from the Richmond mare Rich Sister, a half-sister to Yankee Leanne, the third dam of Steno and The Cid.

There are some notable winners in almost every remove of this family. Jackie Kelly, another daughter of Miss Paula, became the dam of the millionairess Frith, a winner of eight Group 1 races, and the NSW Breeders Challenge victor Molly Kelly.

54 in 1:50 two-year-old list

The Tellitlikeitis gelding Fulfullnmydestiny has joined the growing list of two-year-olds to enter the 1:50 list in America. He recorded a track record-breaking 1:50 when he was successful in a $47,500 division of the Indiana Sire Stakes at Hoosier Park recently.

The gelding became the 54^th juvenile to record 1:50 or better. The list is headed by the champion filly Warrawee Ubeaut and Elver Hanover, who both clocked 1:48.6 at Lexington’s Red Mile.

Somebeachsomewhere is the leading sire of 1:50 two-year-olds with 10, followed by his own son Captaintreacherous (7). Next on the list are Art Major and Western Ideal with five apiece and Bettor’s Delight and American Ideal with three.

Always B Miki, Sweet Lou, Western Hanover and Yankee Cruiser are all duelly represented.

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink