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.

Wishing Belle – champion two-year-old filly

The Bettor’s Wish filly Wishing Belle gave further evidence last weekend that she is one of the best two-year-old fillies ever produced in Western Australia.

It was her fifth success on end and she soundly trounced the best fillies in the State in the $100,000 Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park after leading from the outset and peeling off the last 800 metres in 56.4 seconds.

In seven starts Wishing Belle has now won six and been once placed for $145,931 in stakes and she is this season’s richest performer of her age, gait and sex by a wide margin. It is not only the manner in which she has won her races, but also the ease with which she has conquered her rivals.

By Bettor’s Wish, and one of the first crop of the American horse to race in Australia, Wishing Belle is out of the outstanding racemare Libertybelle Midfrew 1:53.9 ($640,497), a Christian Cullen mare who produced others in the NSW Listed winner Libby Lou (1:52.8), the exported Keayang Kamikaze (1:52.8) and Freedom Art (1:54).

Eureka prospect

One of the stronger Eureka candidates, particularly among the four-year-olds will be Some American, who has proved himself in the top flight and won his way back to the verge of open class with his success at Melton on Saturday.

His latest winning run over 2240 metres from the front-end was a fine performance. He won decisively at a 1:55.3 rating for the middle distance trip with the final quarter in a stunning 26.4 seconds.

A tough customer, Some American is an entire, being by American Ideal from Somerocksomeroll (1:53.3) and the first foal of the Group 3 winner. Somerocksomeroll was sired by Somebeachsomewhere (a champion son of Mach Three) from the dual Vicbred champion Rocknrolla 1:57.1 ($287,351), by Grinfromeartoear from Nightn Georgia, a Victoria Sapling Stakes winner.

Somerocksomeroll was a half-sister to the WA Group 2 winner Firerockfireroll (1:55) and a member of the same family as the dual Derby winner Menin Gate and the triple QBred Triad victor Fort Real Life.

Some American was bred and is raced by Warren Stewart.

Sure Thing Captain in 1:50

The Captaintreacherous five-year-old gelding Sure Thing Captain has become the 400th 1:50 standardbred ever bred in Australasia. He recorded 1:50 when he was successful in a $20,770 race at Albion Park last Saturday.

By the Somebeachsomewhere horse Captaintreacherous, Sure Thing Captain is from the Australian Pacing Gold winner Musical Delight 1:53.1 ($248,910), by Bettor’s Delight from a fine racemare in Top Tempo (1:56.5), by In The Pocket from Kliklite (1:56.7), a leading daughter of the champion sire and broodmare sire Holmes Hanover.

Bred by Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock, Sure Thing Captain ranks as a three-quarter brother to the dual Group 1 winner Ripp 1:50.4 ($302,595) and the Victoria Youthful winner Beach Music (1:54.5) and a half-brother to the top Tasmanian pacer Young Rooster 1:58 ($219,269).

Crack filly by Warrawee Needy

A three-year-old filly to take a high ranking in NSW is Shes A Warrawee, a daughter of the world champion Warrawee Needy, who stands at Yirribee Stud, Wagga.

She has won seven of her 14 starts to date for $43,954.

Shes A Warrawee won the Pink Diamond Stakes at Menangle last weekend in the smart time of 1:52.2 and appears every bit as good as the Sydneysiders rate her. She is out of a top racemare in Shes A Runa 1:55.5 ($291,126), by Jereme’s Jet from Runacullen, by Christian Cullen and tracing back to the thoroughbred mare Cassandra.

Shes A Runa, who numbered among her 19 successes the NSW Oaks and Bathurst Gold Bracelet, is the dam of the equal fastest Australian bred of all-time Rocknroll Runa (1:47.6), who is still racing competitively in top company in America, Shes A Caribbean (1:53.9) and this season’s juvenile winner Amerikin Runa (1:55.4).

Shes A Warrawee was bred and is owned by Kylie Kennedy.                                                                                              

Bathurst Sale Graduate bonanza

The $50,000 Nutrien Gold Crown Sale Graduate Final, run at Bathurst, was a triumph for Canowindra (NSW) couple Wayne and Anne Lamb as the breeders of the winner The Attractor and the third placegetter Krusty Krunch – rather a notable breeding feat.

The Attractor was a Bathurst Gold Crown Yearling Sale purchase in 2024, and is a filly by the Art Major horse For A Reason from Get Happy (1:56.4), a P B Bullville mare who left the QBred Triad and Queensland Breeders Classic winner Get In The Groove 1:54.5 ($242,536).

Get Happy, who won 13 races, was out of the grand producer Girl In A Million (1:58.5), by Vanston Hanover from the Queensland Oaks winner Goldrush Girl (TT1:55.3) and thus a member of the same family as Colt Thirty One, Good Lookin Girl, Cool And Classy, Guitarzan, Rhapsody In Red, and so on.

Miss Idaho is well bred

Miss Idaho, a former South Australian mare who won her third race from as many starts at Albion Park, is a four-year-old expected to graduate far beyond her present rating.

Bred by Bendigonians Gary and Melva Graham, she has a good deal more in her favour on the score of blood than most. By Ultimate Machete, who sired feature winners in Ultimate Racy Girl, Cuzzy Bro, Sinabun and Miss Hepburn, Miss Idaho is out of the Courage Under Fire mare Golden Valour, whose dam Goldtown Dancer left a string of winners including the Breeders Crown finalist Otaktay (1:56.8).

Goldtown Dancer, who was unraced, was a half-sister to the Victoria country cups winner Sports Dancer (1:59.5) and to Sister Dancer, dam of the Australian 2YO of the Year Royal Verdict 1:53.5 ($537,522), the Vicbred champion Hexham Heartbeat (1:57.6) and Modern Girl (Vic. Sapling).

Miss Idaho has strong strains of colonial blood but she in none the worse for it.

QBred Triad double

Two of Queensland’s star three-year-olds at present, and both winners of QBred Triad heats at Albion Park who promise to be a force in the $153,000 Finals on Saturday night, are French Fries and Cool And Classy.

Both bred by Kevin and Kay Seymour, are both by Captaintreacherous from the same maternal family.

The winner of five races, French Fries is out of the grand producer French Charm, by Art Major from Faith Prevails, by Fake Left from the Triad winner Girl From Ipanema, by Vanston Hanover from the Oaks winner Goldrush Girl (TT1:55.3), by Transport Chip from Call Girl.

Cool And Classy, winner of the NSW Oaks, is from the dual Triad winner Charming Allie (1:53.9), by Mr Feelgood from Charm Personified, by Perfect Art from the Vanston Hanover mare Charming Reminder, a half-sister to Goldrush Girl, the fourth dam of French Fries.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink