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.

The Rising Sun bound

The Captaintreacherous gelding Path To Greatness, who earned a golden ticket for the $300,000 The Rising Sun at Albion Park when he won The Queensland Sun last weekend, has proved himself the top Queensland three-year-old of the season.

He has won his last three on end including the $125,000 Nutrien Equine Classic at Melton and has been four times placed from seven starts for $121,689.

A well developed youngster, possessing both speed and stamina, Path To Greatness is a particularly ‘easy going’ three-year-old and is the second The Queensland Sun winner trained by Grant Dixon, who brought out Aroda to win the 2024 edition. Aroda won the Flashing Red on the same night as Path To Greatness captured The Rising Sun.

Path To Greatness is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Passion’s Delight (1:56), a SA Oaks winner, and is her first produce to race. Passion’s Delight was from the Breeders Crown champion Passion’s Promise 1:57.3 ($272,345), by Modern Art from the NZ bred My Silky Sand, by Beach Towel, a Little Brown Jug and Meadowlands Pace winner.

Besides Passion’s Delight, Passion’s Promise, a winner of 12 races, left the NSW Rowleyalla Sprint winner Falcons (1:54.1) and No More Promises (1:57.6).

Path To Greatness was bred by Ben Settree and Shane Caffyn.

APG Sydney Sales Graduate winner

Dynamitedan, the season’s latest two-year-old classic winner in effortlessly beating a useful field in the $150,000 Australian Pacing Gold Sydney Sales Graduate Series Final, gives the impression that he could develop into one of next season’s top three-year-olds.

Bought for $70,000, Dynamitedan is a well grown colt by Somebeachsomewhere from Delightful Jackie (1:56.7), a Group 1 NSW Breeders Challenge Final placegetter and is her second foal.

Delightful Jackie, a winner of five races, was a Bettor’s Delight mare from Jackie Kelly, by Albert Albert from the fine racemare Miss Paula (1:59.5), by Tompkins Hanover. Delightful Jackie was a half-sister to the millionairess and nine-time Group 1 winner Frith (1:50.1), the NSW Breeders Challenge winner Molly Kelly 1:52.1 ($358,344) and the exported Stening 1:51.7 ($268,913).

Miss Paula, a NSW Sires’ Stakes champion and Australian Broodmare of the Year, left 12 individual winners including the Derby winners Albert Kelly 1:57.2 ($322,320) and Greg Kelly 1:56.4 ($345,150) and the Vicbred champion McRae’s Mate 1:51.8 ($482,053).

Dynamitedan was bred by Wagga (NSW) studmaster Jake Stockton, who brought out the talented Horn Player (1:50.9) to win on the same card.

Hesitate is derby material

Hesitate, who easily accounted for older, more experienced rivals at Menangle and is regarded as Derby material of the highest order, is a three-year-old colt by Sportswriter from Village Tango, a useful racemare who took a record of 1:56.9.

The colt is a member of an old-time New Zealand family which was represented by a winner at Menangle in Constantinople and a winner at Albion Park in Oscar Bonavena on the same night as Hesitate won.

Village Tango was a Village Jasper mare from Unique Tango, by The Uncorn (a son of Vance Hanover from the Black Watch tribe) from Patriot Lady, by Muckalee Strike from Glowing Sailor, and tracing to the U Scott mare Thelma’s Advice, who founded a very successful branch of the Pride Of Lincoln family.

Among others belonging to it have been the champion NSW juvenile and dual derby winner Rip Van Winkle, the NZ Oaks winner Gypsy Winkle, Nelson Cody (Vic. Caduceus Club 3YO Cup), Ruffle My Feathers (Tas. George Johnson and SA Southern Cross 2YO), Brooklyn’s Best, Corsini ($211,869) and Star Of Utopia.

Bettor’s Creation unbeaten two-year-old filly

Bettor’s Creation, who won the $150,000 Australian Pacing Gold Sydney Sales Graduate Series for two-year-old fillies at Menangle, is a Bettor’s Delight filly from the same family as that which produced the five-time derby winner Courage Under Fire.

Bettor’s Creation, who won the prelude 11 days earlier, led from the outset in the Final and proved a class above her rivals, scoring by 13.5 metres easing down in 1:55.4.

Bred by Goulburn breeder Matt Day, the filly has already banked $87,042, a worthwhile return for the $50,000 paid for her as a yearling.

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight, she is out of the unraced Cullen’s Creation, by the NZ superstar Christian Cullen from a top flight racemare in Adios Dream (1:58.4), by Caprock from Deborah Dundee.

Others from Cullen’s Creation have been the prolific Albion Park winner Nurburgring (1:50.7), the exported Quite A Delight 1:52.4 ($274,744), Millie Sampson 1:56.1 (NZ North Island Breeders Stakes) and I’m The Best (1:54.9).

Bettor’s Creation is the twelfth foal of his dam.

A star from Hexham Heartbeat

A star four-year-old mare in Victoria and Tasmania so far this season is the Melton winner Beat Sweet, who was bred by Phil and Denise Thurston and is raced by Bruce Edward. She has won eight of her 10 starts this year.

A mare by Sweet Lou, Beat Sweet is out of the Vicbred champion Hexham Heartbeat (1:57.6), the dam also of Our Ultimate Layla (1:56.6) and Treacherous Heart. She won the George Johnson in Hobart and the Vicbred Homegrown Classic at Melton and looks a four-year-old with the potential one would expect of her breeding. 

Blue blooded filly

Captain’s Mistress, the dual NZ Sires’ Stakes champion who won effortlessly at her Australian debut at Albion Park, is a three-year-old filly who can claim some worthwhile blood.

By Captaintreacherous, by Somebeachsomewhere from Worldly Treasure, by Artsplace, she is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Imaginary Bet, whose dam, the Group 3 winner Imagine Me (1:56.9) ranked as a half-sister to the outstanding pacers Have Faith In Me 1:47.5 ($2 million) and Adore Me 1:47.7 ($1.6 million).

Captain’s Mistress is a half-sister to the dual Derby winner and NZ 3YO and 4YO of the Year Merlin 1:52.1 ($1.4 million). She was bred by Southland breeders Todd and Fleur Anderson, trading as Taffy Limited.                                                 

North America Cup winning line     

Louprint, who won the Can$1 million North America Cup in a stakes and track record 1:47.2, is the second winner of North America’s premier event for three-year-olds sired by Sweet Lou, a Cup elimination winner himself and whose sire Yankee Cruiser won the Cup in 2003.

It’s My Show (2023) joins Louprint as North America Cup winners sired by Sweet Lou.

Louprint, last year’s USA 2YO Colt of the Year and Breeders Crown champion, is out of Rockin Racer (1:52.2), by Rockin Image (a son of Rocknroll Hanover) from Portia Blue Chip (1:53.4), by Bettor’s Delight.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink