Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America brought to you by Yabby Dam Farms & Racing!

Yabby Dam Racing, principal Pat Driscoll’s dream to breed and race world class trotters was born after seeing a billboard on the Champs Elysees in Paris advertising the famous trotting race the Prix d’Amerique. Driscoll attended the Prix d’Amerique and immediately a love affair with the trotter was formed.

Driscoll spent the next five years visiting world class trotting establishments in Europe before embarking on his own venture here in Australia where he has lead the charge in the significant advancement of Southern Hemisphere trotting.

Along the way Driscoll formed friendships with many of Europe’s leading owners and breeders

Hondo Grattan Stakes winner

Bay Of Biscay (by Somebeachsomewhere) and Miki To Success (by Always B Miki), both four-year-olds, are the only horses so far to qualify for the $250,000 Chariots of Fire at Menangle on March 1.

Bay Of Biscay booked his ticket to the Group 1 with a convincing end-to-end success in the $50,000 Hondo Grattan at Menangle in a new lifetime mark of 1:49.8. Miki To Success qualified for the Chariots by winning the 4YP Bonanza at Melton a fortnight earlier.

One of the last crops of the Mach Three horse Somebeachsomewhere, Bay Of Biscay, who was bred by Alabar Bloodstock, is an entire from the great racemare Nike Franco 1:48 ($913,870) and is her first foal. Nike Franco was a McArdle mare who won at the elite level in Australia and North America.

Miki To Success, who has also taken a 1:50 record, is like Bay Of Biscay, certain to be worthwhile Chariots of Fire material. He is highly rated by keen judges in Victoria and looks certain to live up to his promise.

Miki To Success is a four-year-old entire by Always B Miki from Jo Louleonie, by Elsu from the Exotic Earl mare Tiz Herself, whose dam Laurick’s Pride was by Dale’s Gift.

Jo Louleonie was a half-sister to the NZ Messenger winner Majestic Cruiser and the Australian Pacing Gold victor Bus To Harland.

Speed fest at Menangle

Four horses entered the 1:50 list in a historic meeting at Menangle. Besides Bay Of Biscay, others to go in 1:50 or better were Max Delight 1:48.8 (by Bettor’s Delight), Eye Keep Smiling 1:49.4 (by Sweet Lou) and The Janitor NZ 1:49.6 (by Always B Miki).

Albury track record

A fresh track record for 2570 metres at Albury was established by the Captaintreacherous horse Captain Hammerhead of a 1:57.1 rating – bettering the previous record of 2:00 set by Glenledi Elvis by an amazing 2.9 seconds – when he won the $60,000 Albury Murray Cup.

Captain Hammerhead, who has now won 12 races and $285,139 in stakes, is a member of the same family as the great racemare Make Mine Cullen.

Bred the late Roger Bazley, Captain Hammerhead is out of the Art Major mare Roger’s Passion (1:56.6), whose dam Intrude was by Fake Left, a champion colt pacer and sire from Avonali, by Toliver Hanover from Stormy Helen, by Stormyway.

Roger’s Passion, a winner of 10 races and $136,446, was a sister to the Listed winner Intrusive (1:56.5) and a half-sister to the thrice Australian Mare of the Year Make Mine Cullen 1:53 ($874,178), the Victoria Sapling winner Bella Joy (1:55.8).

Their dam, Intrude, won six races and left eight winners. She was the grand-dam of the Harness Jewels victor Supersonic Miss 1:52.6 ($373,722) , the Cups winners Sicario 1:50.4 ($590,446) and Jukebox Music 1:53.6 ($334,301), the NSW Breeders Challenge winners Goodtime Heaven 1:52 ($287,687) and Obahma Joy (1:53.2), the Bathurst Gold Crown winner College Chapel (1:52.6) and Make Mine Memphis 1:53.3 ($276,263).

Intrude is the third dam of the exported Leonidas 1:48 ($1.3 million) and Shineonucrazydiamond 1:50 ($548,375).

Chariots of Fire prospect

One of the stronger Chariots of Fire prospects will be the Always B Miki gelding The Janitor, who has proved himself in top company and has won by way back to an NR92 mark.

His latest winning run over 1609 metres at Menangle from the outside barrier was a terrific performance. He received a poor passage, but finally won decisively in a new lifetime record of 1:49.6.

A tough customer, The Janitor is a four-year-old, being by Always B Miki from Weka Lass, dam also of the exported Demeter 1:52.8 ($386,574) and the Group 3 Victorian winner Reciprocity (1:53).

Weka Lass was sired by Badlands Hanover (son of Western Hanover) from Oaxaca Lass 1:55.8 ($426,585), a top flight Kiwi mare whose 19 successes included the 2003 Chariots of Fire and Queensland Derby.

Oaxaca Lass left the dual WA Listed winner Condrieu 1:51.5 ($269,520), also the Devonport Cup winner Illegal Immigrant (1:55.2), Acuto (1:55.5), Verde Lima (dam of Oaxacan Dream 1:50.8 and Classic Mission), Kusadasi (dam of a useful pacer in Kardesler) and others.

Hampton Banner in top form

Hampton Banner, a son of the champion American sire Bettor’s Delight, has been one of the stars of the summer racing at Gloucester Park.

He has won three of his four starts – he finished a close fourth in his other appearance – two over 2130 metres and one over 1730 metres. His winning run over 1730 metres in the $50,000 The Village Kid in a 1:52.2 rating was a new lifetime mark.

Hampton Banner is closely related to the superstar pacer Lazarus 1:48.6 ($4.4 million), now a successful colonial bred sire.

Hampton Banner is by Bettor’s Delight from Surf And Sand, by Christian Cullen, a champion son of In The Pocket from the Pride Of Lincoln family. 

Surf And Sand, who took a time trial record of 1:58.4, was out of Sands Of Zeus, an unraced mare and by Sands A Flyin from Tabella Beth (1:55.6), a mare by Able Bye Bye, who twice topped the Australian sire’s list.

Tabella Beth (1:55.6), a Cambridge Gold Cup winner, left 11 winners including the NZ Sires Stakes 3YO Championship winner Spirit Of Zeus 1:57.8 ($243,472), the NZ Kindergarten victor Karmic Reward and the Soky’s Atom mare Spirit Of Beth, the grand-dam of Lazarus.

Hampton Banner ranks as a brother to Cody Banner ($170,212) and the dual-gaited Scarlett Banner.

Rocknroll Hammer is well bred

Rocknroll Hammer, who won in metropolitan company at Melton, has now won eight races and $214,354, and is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class. He ranks as a five-year-old three-quarter brother by A Rocknroll Dance to the pacing standout King Of Swing (1:47.9), now at the stud in NSW.

Twist And Twirl 1:56 ($283,258), the dam of Rocknroll Hammer and King Of Swing, was an Artsplace mare from Giveitawhirlgirl, by Jenna’s Beach Boy from Impish, and has proved a most successful broodmare. She is also the dam of the Harness Jewels and dual Oaks winner Bettor Twist 1:52.2 ($605,437) and Extreme Stride (1:56.7).

Twist And Twirl a Great Northern Oaks winner and NZ Sires Stakes champion, was a sister to the Newcastle Cup winner Feels Like Magic 1:51 ($261,728) and a half-sister to the dual Victorian Listed winner Bettor Give It (1:57.4), dam of the millionaire pacer and dual Newcastle Mile victor Mach Dan (1:50.3).

This has been one of the most successful branches of the Jessie Pepper family, Giveitawhirlgirl being a half-sister to the NZ Listed winner The Fascinator (1:53.9) and to the Life Sign mare Imprint, dam of the Group winners Dibaba 1:51.6 ($282,754) and Opulent 1:54.9 ($269,515). The NSW Ladyship Mile winner Braeview Kelly 1:49.5 ($459,030) is also a member of this family.

First winner by Captain Ahab

Captain Ahab, a well performed Captaintreacherous horse from Acquavella, a Western Ideal sister to Artspeak, and who is now at the stud in WA, was recently represented by his first Australian winner in the 2YO filly Chef’s Kiss.

She turned in a terrific performance to win a heat of the Australian Pacing Gold at Gloucester Park after mixing her gait in the early stages and being three deep for the final 600 metres.

Before going to Australia, where his oldest stock are two-year-olds, Captain Ahab was only lightly used at the stud in America and he has had very few runners.

Chef’s Kiss, a half-sister to winners including Major Lester and Freddy Singh, is a well developed filly and promises to be a very good stayer.

Their dam, Russian Ball, was a Presidential Ball mare from Matavutu, by New York Motoring from Russianero, by Nero’s B B, is a member of a family which produced the WA classic winners Jack Mac and Brulee.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink