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.

Victoria Cup hopeful

Star Major, who broke the Wagga track record recently when he rated 1:50.3 over 1740 metres in beating a class field, is rated one of New South Wales’s leading prospects for next month’s Victoria Cup.

An Australian Pacing Gold sale purchase, Star Major has run up the outstanding record of 10 wins – including five at Menangle – and 17 placings from 39 starts, and has won his way back to a NR 85 mark.

By Art Major, he is a five-year-old out of a top racemare in Vertigal 1:55.8 ($317,380), the winner of 11 races highlighted by the NSW Breeders Challenge Finals at 2 and 3. Vertigal left others in the Melton winner A Victor (1:53.9), Wheres Wood Wood (1:56.7) and All The Fours (1:59.9).

Vertigal was a Western Terror mare from Height Of Wisdom, by Stature from Athena’s Art (1:57.7), a Harold Park winner by Caesar Blue Chip from the NZ bred mare Our Lizzie Pee, dam of the Moonee Valley and Harold Park winner Widsom’s Way.

Vertigal was a half-sister to the Albion Park winners Comigal 1:54.7 ($114,782) and Brookessmartdancer (1:53.7), a smart Riverina performer in Hilly (1:56.5) and Heavenly Wisdom.

Star Major was bred by Brooklyn Lodge, Adrian Molloy and Ben Astill.

 Third Group win for Rocknroll Angel

Rocknroll Angel, a daughter of the American sire Rock N Roll Heaven, now at Alabar Bloodstock’s Victorian farm, has been one of the stars of spring racing at Menangle.

The eight-year-old has won three Group 3 races on end – all over 1609 metres – including the $30,600 Ladyship Stakes in 1:51.3. She clocked 1:51.9 and 1:52.5 at her two previous outings.

Rocknroll Angel is closely related to the Albion Park free-for all winner Fastnfurious, who won 31 races and was 36 times placed for $164,275 in stakes. He also won at Harold Park.

Rocknroll Angel is by Rock N Roll Heaven from Serene Angel, by Brioso Hanover, a Cam’s Card Shark horse from the same family as the millionairess Delinquent Account and the successful sires Artiscape and Western Terror.

Serene Angel (1:56.3), who won 14 races, was out of Kotare Ann, winner of three races and by Kotare Knight from the Monarch Hanover mare Wildwood Ann, and tracing to the taproot Daisy D.

Wildwood Ann was the dam of Kotare Ann, Fastnfurious, Pauly Armbro 1:59.4 ($103,3612) and She’s Ezy, who won seven races and became the dam of the Albion Park winner Serene Major 1:56.6 ($111,652) and the recent Newcastle winner A Gift From Heaven (1:53.8). Kotare Ann left the good Harold Park victor River Wild, who won 23 races and $127,884 and took a record of 1:59.6, Serene Angel (the dam of Rocknroll Angel) and Smiling Serene (dam of Serene Grin 1:58.9).

Triple Eight is Inter Dominion material

Triple Eight, who won the Group 1 $100,000 Caduceus Classic at Bendigo and is regarded as Inter Dominion material of the highest order, is a six-year-old gelding by American Ideal from Slangevar, a handy racemare who took a record of 2:01.6.

He is a member of an old time NZ family, which was represented by this year’s NSW Ladyship Mile winner Stylish Memphis, the Wyndham Cup winner Memphis Tennessee and the top Tasmanian pacer James Dean.

Slangevar was a Cameleon mare from Lucky Chip, by Transport Chip from Luckyship, by Lordship from Lucky Chance, a mare by Majestic Chance. Lucky Chance was the dam of a useful pacer in Just A Lord (1:58.6), who won races in NZ and North America.

Luckyship Two, a sister to Luckyship, the third dam of Triple Eight, left Rocket Ship, who won seven races in NZ and later took a record of 1:53.2 in America, Lucky Atom (1:59.6) and the producing daughters Noodluck (by Noodlum) and Second Avenue (by New York Motoring).

Noodluck became the dam of the exported Scarfie 1:53 ($240,850), K Two 1:54.4 ($145,656) and the Gloucester Park winner Varekai, while Second Avenue produced the Gloucester Park winner Magnum Opas (1:56.4), the NZ Bluff Cup winner Bettor’s Avenue (1:55.5) and Third Avenue (1:55.8).

Triple Eight ranks as a half-brother to Prince Of Pops 1:51.6 ($177,086), the Taranaki Cup winner now racing successfully in America, the prolific Albion Park winner Cheers Kathy (1:54.7), First Home 1:56.3 (9 NZ wins) and Down The Hatch 1:56.6 (6 wins).

A 1:55.1 three-year-old

Better Eclipse, a three-year-old by Betterthancheddar from Power Of Eclipse, by Northern Luck (a half-brother by Camluck to the speedster Town Champion), won only one of his four starts as a two-year-old last season.

But the Betterthancheddar gelding has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old racing and he notched his third success for the season at Bendigo last Saturday, rating a career-best 1:55.1 over 1650 metres in defeating older, more experienced rivals after being several lengths from the leaders at one stage. He is a very good youngster.

Better Eclipse’s dam, Power Of Eclipse, belongs to a noted family. She was by Northern Luck from Cammag Girl, by Windshield Wiper from Starting Out, by Salvation from Backward Lands, by Garry Rowan from the Gay Reveler mare Gay Debutante, who established one of the most successful branches of the Miss Tommy tribe.

It included such winners as Royal Verdict (2YO of the Year), the Vicbred champion Hexham Heartbeat, Modern Girl (Vic. Sapling Stakes), Sports Dancer 1:59.5 ($162,018), the top Victorian racemare Lagoon Lady, Stroke Of Luck 1:53 ($248,406), Prince Bonton 1:57.2 ($203,830), Timely Heel (Battle of Bunbury), Coming Out (WA Derby heat) and many others.

Star trotter by Lawman

Maori Law, who won the $50,000 Australasian Trotting Championship, one of the features of the Group meeting at Bendigo, is a Lawman gelding from the same family as that which produced a champion trotter in Maori’s Idol.

Maori Law, who has been a prolific winner on the Victorian country cups circuit, has only been sparingly raced but he has shown up as a very useful trotter, and it was a strong field he beat at Bendigo.

Bred and raced by Fred Crews, the eight-year-old is out of Sundonna, by Sundon from Maori Acacia, by Smooth Fella from Maori Trump, by Overtrick from Maori Miss, by Grand Monarch.

Sundonna, who was unraced, has left five winners including Australasia’s fastest ever trotting mare Maori Time 1:51.5 ($421,700), now being bred from in Sweden, Happy Maori (1:59.6), Hammers Pegasus (1:59.9) and Lady Bellanique. A lightly raced daughter, Mangonique, ranks as the dam of the dual Group 1 placegetter Meadow Valley Road (1:56.3).

Sundonna, who is carrying a positive test to Skyvalley, is a half-sister to the Oaks winners Skye Rocket and Aftanoondelite, the Melton winners Sparks Ignite (TT1:56.5) and Posseidon (1:59.8) and Nerveracking (9 wins to date).

This is the family which produced the Vicbred champion and SA Southern Cross winner Powderkeg, Crow Power (Vicbred 2YO Silver), Muscle Hillbilly 1:55.3 (SA Parker Classic), Outback Madge and Heezaladiesman (SA Legends).

Siblings win in Tasmania

Two of Tasmania’s star young pacers at present, and both recent winners who promise to be a force in the Sires Stakes series, are the siblings Rockandahardplace and Mays Place.

Rockandahardplace (by Pet Rock) won a heat of the Raider Stakes at Devonport and has now won six races, while Mays Place (by Shoobee’s Place) took out a qualification race for the Tasmanian Sweepstakes at Hobart.

Both bred by Lilydale breeder Shane Hawes are out of Karalta Crown 2:01.4 ($128,351), a Group winner herself, and who has left other smart perfromers in Karalta Dazzler 2:00.6 ($181,848) and Ideal Karalta (7 wins).

Karalta Crown, whose successes included the Evicus and Yearling Sale Classic, was by the Beach Towel horse Jenna’s Beach Boy (triple winner of the US Breeders Crown) from Paksa Punch (2:02.8), by Fake Left from New Year Lady, by Title Holder.

Besides Karalta Crown, who won 12 races, Paksa Lunch was also the dam of the Tasmanian Yearling Sale Classic winner Be Good Jenna, Royal Knockout (1:55.9) and Promising Demon (1:57.4).

One of her daughters, Battling Babe, became the dam of the New Norfolk Cup winner Musselroe Bay and the Victorian winner Priddy Easy (1:57.7).

Other members of this family have been the Bunbury Cup and dual Tasmanian Easter Plate winner Rio Butler, After Lunch (Tas. Granny Smith), the Burnie Cup winner Orta Be There 1:56.4 ($179,663) and Charmed Rio, dam of a top juvenile in Ort A Run.

Springboard Series winner

When he won the $15,000 Springboard Series Final at Albion Park recently, Ignite scored his fifth success, and he is entitled to be rated as Queensland’s top three-year-old trotter.

From 10 starts, he has won three times – all at Albion Park – and has been three times placed for $17,420 in stakes.

Ignite ranks as a half-brother to a capable trotter in Rosehill Magic 2:00.3 ($88,523), being a gelding by the Windsong’s Legacy horse Lucky Chucky from Amelia Darling 1:59.1 ($74,703), a fine trotter whose 12 successes included the SA Oaks and Maori Legend.

Amelia Darling was by the great Canadian sire Kadabra out of the outstanding NZ racemare Africa 1:56.6 ($341,434), who won 29 races and finished runner-up to Lyell Creek in the 2000 Inter Dominion Grand Final at Moonee Valley.

Besides Amelia Darling, Africa, who was twice named NZ Aged Trotting Mare of the Year, left African Magic, a lightly raced mare who became the dam of the VSTA Cup winner Rift Valley 1:57.8 ($99,845), the multiple Melton winner Scruffy Doolan 2:01.9 ($106,155) and Magic Owens (7 wins).

Africa was a sister to Niamey, dam of the NZ Oaks and Jewels winner Pocaro 1:57.5 ($232,773), The Redwood victor Daenery’s Targaryen 1:58.2 ($143,723), a top flight NZ trotter in Springbank Sam 1:55.2 ($545,702) and the Victorian country cups winner Sun Of Anarchy 1:58.2 ($281,581), and a half-sister to the NZ and USA winner Bo Didley 1:56.8 ($201,834) and the Listed winner Willy Lightfoot 2:00.6 ($82,633).

By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink