Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every week brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.

WA Pacing Cup prospect

Sangue Reale (Art Major), who downed a top field in a $30,000 Free-for-all at Gloucester Park, is the latest qualifier for the WA Pacing Cup. The gelding has won his last three races on end and sent his earnings over the $250,000 plateau.

His latest winning run over 2130 metres was a tidy effort. He clocked the last four quarters in 29.3, 28.3, 27.7 and 29 for a miler rating of 1:53.

Bred in NSW, Sangue Reale is a seven-year-old gelding by Art Major from Christisimo (1:576.2), dam also of the multiple Group winner Miss Sangreal 1:55.5 ($244,748). Christisimo, a winner of 10 races, was sired by Christian Cullen (a NZ bred son of In The Pocket and who was a leading sire in both Australia and NZ) from Mio Bellisimo, by Smooth Fella from Krina Bella, by Lordship from the Van Dieman mare Bellajily, a NZ Derby winner, and tracing to a famed foundation mare in Krina.

An interesting feature of Sangue Reale’s pedigree is that it combines several lines rather noted colonial-bred blood through Christian Cullen, Lordship and Van Dieman, all NZ Cup winners.

Track record to Pinny Tiger

A fresh track record for 1730 metres from the mobile barrier was established by the Mach Three gelding Pinny Tiger of 1:51.2 – bettering the previous record of 1:51.7 by Chicago Bull by 0.5 – when he won the $48,500 Nights of Thunder at Gloucester Park.

PINNY TIGER REPLAY

Pinny Tiger, who has now won 14 races including the Group 1 WA 4YO Classic, is a member of the same family as the top NZ racemare Lizzie Maguire.

Pinny Tiger ranks as a brother to the Albion Park winner Django Mach (1:54) and a half-brother to the Vicbred Home Grown heat winner Tiger Storm (1:56.6), being by Mach Three from the Falcon Seelster mare Tigress Franco, whose dam Tisha was by Holmes Hanover (a champion siring son of Albatross) from Tenisha, by Nero’s B B from Tiawana, by Bachelor Hanover.

Tigress Franco was a sister to the Bathurst Gold Crown winner Jaccka Taurus 1:53.8 ($171,268) and a half-sister to the NSW Derby heat winner Franco Tinman 1:59 ($114,865) and the exported Franco Traveller (1:53.4).

This family was founded by Moor Chimes, a Wyndham Cup winner whose descendants also include sub 1:50 winners in Artillery, Fabrizio, Blazen River and Mongolian River and the Group winners I’m Yosemite Sam (Aust. Derby, Erskine Range, Rider On The Storm, Franco Trubrooke, Bonnie Castle (NZ Oaks) and Lady Toddy.

Pinny Tiger was bred by former Australian Pacing Gold manager David Boydell.

Jilliby Sylvester in top form

Jilliby Sylvester, a son of the American sire Roll With Joe, is proving one of the stars of the summer racing in Victoria.

He has won three of his last six starts including the Inter Dominion Consolation at Melton and the Hamilton Pacing Cup. His latest winning run at the Ballarat Cup meeting in defeated a smart field was a splendid performance.

Jilliby Sylvester is closely related to an earlier top pacer in Jilliby Spirit, who won 46 races in Victoria and America and $495,022 in stakes.

Jilliby Sylvester is by Roll With Joe from Jilliby Opal, by Artsplace, a champion siring son of the great Abercrombie. Jilliby Opal, who was unraced, was out of Jilliby Gold (1:59), winner of the Queen of the Pacific and by What’s Next from Jilliby Diamond, by Koala King from Jilliby Dollar, by the dual Derby winner Royal Dollar.

Jilliby Gold, who left a top rating pacer in Jilliby Rio 1:55.8 ($214,755), was a half-sister to Jilliby Spirit (1:50.2), the Victorian Listed winner Jilliby Master (1:55.4), Jilliby Lightning 1:57.2 ($115,324) and to Jilliby Flame, dam of the Melton winner Jilliby Daphne.

Jilliby Sylvester was bred and is raced by the Craven family from the Terang district.

First three-year-old classic

The $50,000 J. L. Raith Memorial, the first three-year-old classic of the season, and run at Menangle was won easily by Tin Tin Jo, a filly by the former top NZ pacer Tintin In America, who is now standing at Wingate Farm in the NSW Riverina.

It was her third success on end and her fifth from 14 starts.

Bred by Yirribee Pacing Stud, Tin Tin Jo was sold for $14,000 at the Bathurst Gold Crown Yearling Sale in 2021. 

Tin Tin Jo is out of Promise Me Robin, by Robin Hood, by Fake Left (a Victoria Cup winner and son of Fake Left) from Promise, by Land Grant from Blythbank Del, by Armbro Del from Loch Buie, by Good Chase. Promise, the dam of nine winners, was a sister to a top Queensland pacer in Benefactor, who won four races at Group level.

This is the family which produced such winners as Sir Galvinator, Esprit De Kayjay, Bronski Gorgeous, Major Bronski, Benevolent, Girl From Oz and others.

Serg Blanco is promising

One of the most promising young pacers at the Victorian provincials this season is the Bettor’s Delight gelding Serg Blanco, a runaway winner on Ballarat Cup night and who is expected to go on and develop top ranking form.

He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Bettor’s Delight, Serg Blanco is out of the Live Or Die mare Ca Cest Lamore, a half-sister to a fine racemare in Copper Beach, being out of Lez Payzen Star, by Payson’s Brother from the New York Motoring mare Interchange and tracing to the taproot Bell Aurore.

This has been a most successful family, as Elsu, a half-brother to Lez Payzen Star, won 11 Group 1 races and was the pin-up pacer in NZ during the early 2000’s. He was later a successful sire.

Others from this fine family include the current top Victorian four-year-old Catch A Wave, the dual Oaks winner De Lovely, Sirletic, Zadaka (Ararat Cup), Zambukian and the WA Nights of Thunder winner Queen Shenandoah.

Championship winner by Camlach

Double The Hunter, a smart young pacer by the deceased Western Hanover horse Camlach from Double Header (a member of the same maternal line as the former topliner Bonzatross), scored his most important win to date in the Central Victorian Pacing Championship Final at St Arnaud.

Double The Hunter was bred by Dr Greg Hargreaves, who stood Camlach at his Wooltech Stud, Wedderburn. From restricted stud chances Camlach sired 10 winners from 18 starters including the prolific NSW winner Lani Kai Beach and the Albion Park victor Ykikafil.

Well related three-year-old

The Sweet Lou colt Dangerous, who is NSW Derby bound, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he finished second to First Responder in the Nutrien Equine Sales Classic Final at Menangle.

He has opened his three-year-old season on a winning note and will be well in line for the major juvenile classics.

Dangerous is a colt by the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou, from Ark Monroe, the best of whose several progeny has been the QBred Triad winner Eleniark 1:51.8 ($203,855), who was sold to America.

Ark Monroe ranks as a half-sister to a grand pacer and Inter Dominion heat winner in Atomic Ark, being by Presidential Ball from Ark Maree, by Torado Hanover from Arklaine, by Holly Sand. 

Dangerous was bred by Melbourne enthusiast Harvey Kaplan, who knocked him down for $65,000 at the inaugural Nutrien Equine Yearling sale at Oaklands Junction.

Victorian trotter has strong bloodlines

Chinese Whisper (Sundon), a very impressive winner on Ballarat Cup night, is a seven-year-old trotter of some potential.

The gelding has a background of trotting blood second to none. His sire, Sundon, was the leading sire of trotters in NZ and Australia for many years. He has left such winners as Sundon’s Gift, One Over Kenny, Allegro Agitato, Delft, Marcoola, Whatsundermykilt and Houdini Star.

Little Contessa, the dam of Chinese Whisper, was by Britewell, who also distinguished himself as a sire of trotters, from Game Princess, by Game Pride from  Lady Rolleston, by Scotch Abbe.

Little Contessa ranks as a half-sister to the good Harold Park winner King Whiz and the NZ Group winner Prince Whiz, while her dam Game Princess, was a half-sister to the NZ 2YO Trotter of the Year Lord Alias and the Scotch Notch Memorial victor Rolleston Lad.

A brother to the National Trot and Victorian country cups winner Irish Whisper, Chinese Whisper was bred by noted Oamaru breeder Bev Williamson.

First winner

The Ken Warkentin horse My High Expectations, a multiple Group winning trotter and now at the stud in Newcastle (NSW), was represented by his first winner when Giddy Up Eyes was successful recently at Canberra.

Giddy Up Eyes had been placed three times as a three-year-old last season.

Bred by Troy Williams, who originally stood My High Expectations at stud, Giddy Up Eyes is out of the R C’s Dee Jay mare, Giddy Up Dana, whose dam, Giddy Up Girl, left several useful trotters including the Harold Park winner Lopsided.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink