Breckon bred flexes her muscles in G2 Delightful Lady

Breckon Farms wasted no time in once again reminding the New Zealand harness racing industry of its prowess at tonight’s (Mar. 24) Great Northern Oak’s and Derby meeting at Alexandra Park.

It was just a little over four weeks ago and the Ohaupo operation owned by Ken and Karen Breckon were the toast of Karaka, realising their potential as one of the country’s best producing equine nurseries (of either code) with a wonderful yearling sales result.

Tonight saw their success turn to the track, where the fawn and brown coloured Breckon Farms silks claimed the $63,000 G2 Delightful Lady Classic with a powerful performance by homebred filly, Treacherous Love (Captaintreacherous).

The Brent Mangos trainee claimed the first Group contest for juvenile pacing fillies in the North at just her second race day appearance.

In doing so, Treacherous Love accounted for a trio of talented Purdon/Phelan fillies after burning early off the mobile barrier and unleashing with a withering final burst.

TREACHEROUS LOVE REPLAY

“She was really good tonight,” said her trainer and driver, Mangos.

“She showed a bit of speed out of the gate which got her in a handy spot and she finished the race off good.

“I think she has a big future ahead of her. She will go out for a couple month spell now and we will get ready for the classics later on in the year,” he said.

The runs in behind were good, with a very green Kiss (Always B Miki) likely costing herself winning honours when racing awkwardly at the stables bend and vying for an uncontested lead from her stablemate, Ultimate Racey Girl (Ultimate Machete).

The pair would finish second and third after ultimately racing each other for the last lap, with Treacherous Love scooting up the HR Fisken passing lane with a winning time of 2:07.2 for the 1700m mobile.

The closing sectionals were 58.1 and 27.6 with the winning margin a neck, and 3/4 of a length back to third.

The feature win of the blue blood filly was very much reminiscent of her high class G1 winning dam, Linda Lovegrace (Bettor’s Delight).

Treacherous Love is the fourth foal from the 2014 2YO Caduceus Classic winner, who spent most of her career chasing the likes of The Orange Agent, Fight For Glory and Democrat Party with real distinction.

Crossing a Bettor’s Delight mare of her calibre across the boom sire in Captaintreacherous has proved an instant hit, further extending the litany of black type printed in future Breckon catalogues.

Few should be surprised when you factor the statistics of the pedigree cross.

Captaintreacherous progeny out of Bettor’s Delight mares have already produced 23 winners from just 50 foals of racing age. That’s 46% foals to winners from just three crops, 1/3 of whom are two-year-olds which suggests the figure will only get higher as the year goes on.

Given the class of the dam and the fact her sire is the dominant force of the last decade you might say crossing it over the heir apparent isn’t rocket science.

However rudimentary it is, 46% foals to winners is still a pretty remarkable number for a cross that produced a New Zealand record for a trotting mare and a G1 Great Northern Oaks victory on the same night.

Making the victory that bit sweeter for the team behind the G2 winner was the continued story success for the Breckon Farms syndication model.

The satisfaction of what the win means for future success surely pales in comparison to the here and now for connections featuring first time owners in the sport.

For all the Breckon Farms accolades and triumphs, sharing that winning feeling with friends and family in their most recent syndicate offering surely is the icing on the cake.

For complete Auckland race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink