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.

Top two-year-old by Sweet Lou

The Sweet Lou colt Loucasso firmly established himself as the top Victorian two-year-old of the season when he effortlessly won the $150,000 Australian Pacing Gold Melbourne Sales Graduate Final at Melton.

Loucasso, the winner of four of his five starts and $92,204, is raced by the 42-strong Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock groups. He was bought for $40,000 at the APG Sydney sale in 2024.

Loucasso is by the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou (sire of Spirit Of St Louis, etc.) from Our Little Artist, who took a record of 1:58.1. She produced earlier winners in the Traralgon Cup winner Master Remi (1:54.7), Aishabeach (1:56.4) and Ideal Andy (1:59).

Since producing Loucasso in 2022, Our Little Artist has left a yearling colt by King Of Swing but has failed to breed the last two seasons.

Our Little Artist was by Art Major from the SA Oaks winner Saved A Corka (1:59.1), by Armbro Operative from the fine racemare Uncork (1:59.9), a half-sister by Tuapeka Knight to the Ballarat Cup winner Whale of A Tale (1:58.3) and to What’s New, the grand-dam of the NZ country cup winner My Man Dan 1:54.2 ($284,032).

This is a long established South Australian family and an earlier top two-year-old belonging to it was Aspiring Artist, who won the Southern Cross, Golden Nursery and SA Sapling Stakes.

Loucasso was bred by Goulburn (NSW) breeder Matt Day.

Leading breeders recognised at Victorian awards

Pat Driscoll, the principal of Haras Des Trotteurs and a most successful breeder of square-gaiters, was one of several breeders to be recognised at the annual Victorian Awards.

Driscoll, who won the Breeder of the Year title, ranked as the breeder of the Horse of the Year and Trotter of the Year Just Believe, the 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year Derek The Jet, the 4YO Trotting Entire of the Year The Locomotive and the Aged Trotting Mare of the Year Im Ready Jet.

Just Believe’s dam, the American-bred Heavens Above, was named Trotting Broodmare of the Year.

Alan Galloway, the owner of Alabar Bloodstock, and Duncan McPherson, the principal of Aldebaran Park, both received Distinguished Service Awards.

The Benstud Standardbreds’ owned Coppagoodone, the dam of the Aged Pacing Entire of the Year and a finalist for Horse of the Year Catch A Wave, won the Pacing Broodmare of the Year award.

NSW Regional Championships winner by Bling It On

Glitter Aint Gold, who won the $100,000 Regional Championships State Final at Menangle – Horn Player, Duggee Sloy and Tomahawk Bart filled the placings behind him – has made smart progress through the classes.

He is a grand stayer and the richest male progeny left by the American Ideal horse Bling It On, who sired smart pacers of the calibre of Madrid, Hold Onto Ya Bling, Beyond Bling and others.

Glitter Aint Gold is a four-year-old gelding from Miss Composed, by Art Major from Troy’s Dream, by Fake Left from Kay’s Dream, by Smooth Fella from Sailor’s Dream, by Lumber Dream – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it.

Miss Composed, the dam of Glitter Aint Gold, is a half-sister to the Tatlow Memorial and prolific Melton winner Composed 1:51.7 ($533,137), Brewery Lane (1:58.4) and Neverending Drama (1:56.9).

Kiss is top mare

Kiss, a winner at Melton last Saturday and who has now won five of her Australian starts, continues to prove herself in the top bracket among the fairer sex.

She is a member of one of New Zealand’s most successful families, being a four-year-old Always B Miki mare from the unraced Weownthenight, an Art Major mare who also produced Midnight Miki (1:56), a winner of three races to date and runner-up in the recent Great Northern Derby.

Weownthenight was out of the dual Oaks winner Tosti Girl (1:58.2), a noted producer by Christian Cullen from Delightful Paula, by Jaguar Spur from the Smooth Fella mare Aristocratic and tracing to the noted foundation mare Dusky Morn.

Tosti Girl produced two high class pacers in Thefixer (1:50.7), a winner of 12 races including the NZ Cup and $1,042,512 in stakes, and The Honey Queen (1:50.3), a winner of 13 races and $177,447. Others from Tosti Girl were the good Gloucester Park winner Sir Tosti Mach (1:56.5), Fly To The Finish (1:54.6) and Cullen’s Princess, dam of the multiple NZ Group placegetter Miki Montana (1:54.1), Gooddealehemily (1:52.9) and Goodealehmaddie (1:56.6).

Kiss was bred by Alabar Bloodstock.

Degarmea Teale unbeaten two-year-old

Exciting two-year-old filly Degarmea Teale, one of the second crop sired by Captain Crunch, who stands at Alabar Bloodstock, completed a clean sweep of the Australian Pacing Gold Melbourne Sales Graduate Series when she won the $150,000 Final at Melton.

Bought for $30,000 at the APG sale in Sydney in 2024, Degaramea Teale has bankrolled $80,700 from her two outings.

She is out of the unraced Rise To The Top, by Artistic Fella from the grand producer Sexy Lexy Whitby, by Mystical Prince from Whitby’s Miss Penny, one of the best racemares in the country from an earlier decade.

Sexy Lexy Whitby left nine winners from nine starters including the Australian Pacing Championship and Queensland Oaks winner Ima Spicey Lombo 1:55.1 ($483,686).

Degarmea Teale was bred by Ray, Ann and Neil Grubb, of Warwick Farm (NSW).

Magic in Pearl Classic

The $50,000 Pearl Classic, for three-year-old colts and geldings, the feature race at Gloucester Park last weekend, was won by Seaside Magic, a little fancied gelding by Downbytheseaside from Playin With Magic.

Downbytheseaside, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, has been one of Australasia’s leading sires of two and three-year-olds in recent years. He has sired such winners as the Oaks winners Aardiebytheseaside, Coastal Babe and Waterfront, Fugitive (NZ Cardigan Bay Stakes), Showmethetanlines (NSW Sapling), Pandaia, Atlantic Gem, Golden Bay (1:49.4) and other top youngsters.

Downbytheseaside also sired last year’s winner of The Pearl in Waverider.

Playin With Magic, the dam of Seaside Magic, was by Jereme’s Jet, who also distinguished himself as a sire and broodmare sire, from Cerebrano, a Lordship mare who left a string of winners including the dual Oaks winner Innocent Eyes, rated the best racemares of her era.

This has been a most successful family, as Shes Innocent, a half-sister to Innocent Eyes, was the dam of a cup class pacer in Restrepo and the Group winner Goodfellaz.

The latest WA Pearl winner, Seaside Magic, has certainly a wealth of successful blood on both sides of his pedigree.

Mecarno is classics material

Mecarno, who came from midfield to win at Melton and is regarded as classics material of the highest order, is a three-year-old trotting gelding by the American horse Tactical Landing from Sundon’s Pride, a useful racemare whose successes included the SA Trotters Oaks and the SA Hambletonian.

He was bred and is part-owned by former champion cyclist Gary Hull.

Sundon’s Pride, a winner of 16 races and $112,733, was a Sundon mare from Entente’s Pride, by El Cordobies, a dual Trotters Derby winner, from Alancy, by the Italian import Good Report, a leading sire and broodmare sire in Victoria.

Sundon’s Pride was a half-sister to The Redwood winner and Vicbred champion Ghia, the SA Trotters Derby winner No No Yankee and to Encaisse, the grand-dam of a cup class trotter in Beefour Bacardi 1:59.1 ($149,840).

Mecarno ranks as a half-brother to Tictok (1:59.1), a Melton winner and Vicbred finalist.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink