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 winner

Diego, a son of the American sire Bettor’s Delight, advanced strong claims to being the best stayer in Western Australia today when he scored an end-to-end win in the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park.

It was his third win from his last four starts. At his previous start he finished a close third in the Fremantle Cup and before that he downed a class field in the J. P. Stratton Cup.

Diego is closely related to the Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshal (1:46.9), who won 29 races and almost $1.5million in stakes. 

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight, he is out of Sakura, by Christian Cullen from Mika, by What’s Next from Wakana, by Soky’s Atom from Deidre Ann, by Lordship. Diego is a half-brother to the metropolitan winners The Bachelor 1:52 ($110,640) and Mister Bushido 1:55.4 ($185,186). 

DIEGO REPLAY

Other members of this family have been the dual Oaks winner Foreal, Askmenow (WA Oaks heat), Madiba Magic, Im Rocknroll Magic (1:51.1) and the Bendigo Cup winner Regal Dash. 

Hunter Cup prospect

Hurricane Harley (Bettor’s Delight), who scored a decisive win in the $50,000 Casey Classic at Melton, is the latest qualifier for tomorrow night’s $500,000 A. G. Hunter Cup.

Hurricane Harley, who recently returned to Victoria after a sojourn in WA, beat a smart field in the Casey Classic and there is no doubt he is pacer of considerable potential.

Bred and raced by Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock, he is a seven-year-old entire by Bettor’s Delight from Sugarland (1:56.2), by a champion pacer in Christian Cullen (son of In The Pocket) from the American-bred mare Lindsey Leigh, by Artsplace from Wendy Jo Hanover, by Big Towner.

This family has produced some smart performers over the years including Maffioso, Key Largo and Rocknroll Music. Sugarland left earlier winners in Mango Stride and Produce The Goods, but neither reached Hurricane Harley’s class.

Won Caduceus Club Classic

Catalpa Rescue, a three-year-old by American Ideal from Soho Siren, by Art Major from Aussie Made Lombo (1:55.1), by Bettor’s Delight, failed to win a race in four starts as a two-year-old last season.

But the American Ideal colt has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old racing, and he beat a top field in the $100,000 Caduceus Club Classic at Melton in a 1:55.7 rate for 1720 metres.

It was his third success from as many starts for the season and his mile in 1:55.7 was put up when he had nothing in his favour, drawing a wide barrier and being several lengths from the leaders at the bell. He is a very good youngster.

Bred by prominent Perth breeder Robert Watson, Catalpa Rescue is the second of Soho Siren, a lightly raced daughter of former 2YO Filly of the Year Aussie Made Lombo, the best of whose several progeny has been the top WA juvenile Soho Interceptor 1:55.9 ($177,634).

Aussie Made Lombo’s dam, Tailamade Lombo, won 49 races including 12 at Group 1 level and a record $1.3 million in stakes.

Betterzippit’s Breakthrough

Betterzippit (Betterthancheddar), who won the $50,000 The Breakthrough Pace at Melton, after having to work overtime in the early part, has now won seven races and is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class. He ranks as a five-year-old half-brother by Betterthancheddar to the prolific Albion Park winner Targaryen (1:51.9).

Targaryen, a Big Jim gelding, has won nine of his last 14 starts and recently passed the $100,000 mark.

Their dam, Nile Star, was a Mach Three mare from New York Sunday, by New York Motoring from Soky’s Sunday, by Soky’s Atom from Tabella Beth, and tracing to the taproot Mona R.

Nile Star, who was unraced, was a half-sister to the exported Asoka 1:53.4 ($205,008) and to the Australian winners Boy From Ipanema (1:59.8), Gottaluva Sunday (1:58.6), Yellow Taxi (1:58.8), White Pointer (1:59.5) and others.

This has been one of the most successful branches of the Mona R family, New York Sunday being a sister to the NSW Simpson Sprint winner Niobium 1:58 ($153,518) and a half-sister to the WA Winter Cup winner Davy Maguire 1:55 ($285,948), the Whyalla Cup winner Harrison Maguire (1:56.2) and to Miley Maguire, dam of the WA Golden Slipper winner Mitch Maguire 1:50.2 ($375,848).

Half-brothers win at Gloucester Park

It was no mean feat for the half-brothers Walsh (Art Major) and Nevermindthechaos (Sportswriter) to win at the WA Pacing Cup meeting at Gloucester Park.

Both bred by Mike Howie are out of the Gloucester Park winner Dontgetmeruffled, who took a record of 1:56.1. Walsh has won 15 races and $165,000 in stakes and Nevermidthechaos has won nine and $100,000.

Dobtgetmeruffled, who won 13 races, was a half-sister to the WA Listed winner Cloudie 1:55.2 ($120,744), being by Courage Under Fire from Zion City, by What’s Next from a fine racemare in Nadezhda (TT1:56.8), by Adios Vic from the Aachen mare Special Alabar, a sister to the Inter Dominion Final placegetter and successful colonial sire Bylaw.

‘Captain’ wins Simpson Memorial

The $50,000 Simpson Memorial, the first NSW classic for three-year-old colts and geldings and run at Menangle, was won easily by Sure Thing Captain, a gelding by Captaintreacherous from the top racemare Musical Delight (by Bettor’s Delight), who took a record of 1:53.1 as a three-year-old.

Bred by Lauriston Bloodstock, Sure Thing Captain was a $100,000 purchase at the inaugural Nutrien Equine Yearling Sales in 2021 in Melbourne. He has banked $37,834 from three wins and a placings in four starts.

Musical Delight, the dam of Sure Thing Captain, was a Bettor’s Delight mare from a fine racemare in Top Tempo (1:56.5), by In The Pocket from Kliklite (1:56.7), a cup class mare by Holmes Hanover from Jessica MacFaber, by El Patron.

Musical Delight, a Group 1 winner, ranks as the dam of the Bathurst Gold Chalice and APG Gold Bullion winner Ripp 1:51.8 ($189,222), the Victoria Youthful Stakes winner Beach Music 1:54.5 ($153,120) and Young Rooster 1:58 ($189,990).

Musical Delight was a half-sister to the thrice Group 1 winner Speak No Evil 1:50.9 ($354,300), Countdown 1:53.1 ($135,410), That’s How Weroll 1:52.9 ($128,669) and the Australian Pacing Gold winner Queen Of Pop 1:55.6 ($204,527), dam of last year’s NSW Oaks winner Just Hope 1:52.5 ($340,267).

Major Meister, winner of the recent Cranbourne and Bendigo Cups, is also a member of this fine family.

Siblings in cups double

Two of Tasmania’s star pacers at present, and both recent Cup winners who promise to be a force in the coming feature races, are Sunny Sanz (Sportswriter) and Colby Sanz (Betterthancheddar), both tightly assessed and with very little between them. Sunny Sanz won the $40,000 Devonport Cup at Launceston, while Colby Sanz took out the Burnie Cup.

Both bred and raced by Nathan and Sandra Bennett, are out of Soho Summer, a lightly raced mare who is also the dam of Stormy Sanz, a winner of six races to date.

Soho Summer was a half-sister to Soho Bordeaux, the dam of the joint fastest Australian bred mare ever in Soho Burning Love (1:48.2) and Persimmon (1:49.8), being by the Western Hanover horse Western Ideal from Lombo Portrait, by Perfect Art from a fine racemare in Lombo Adreamin, by Classic Garry. 

By Jilliby Kung Fu

Jilliby Kung Fu, a well performed Four Starzzz Shark horse from the grand producer Slip Slop Slay, by Perfect Art, and who has been mixing racing successfully with stud duties in NSW, was recently represented by his first winner in the three-year-old filly Jilliby Saffron.

She led throughout at her debut at Geelong in 1:59.5 before finishing a close second at Stawell.

Jilliby Kung Fu, a former Victorian Horse of the Year, was first at the stud in Victoria where he was only lightly used and he has had very few runners. 

Jilly Saffron, a half-sister to the Vicbred finalist Jilliby Dasher and Jilliby Mac (1:56.5), is a very good youngster. Their dam, Jilliby Spice (1:57.9), was an Albert Albert mare from Boorcan Queen, by What’s Next from Mozambique, by Gay Reveler, is a member of a family which has distinguished itself by the number of classic winners it has produced.

Top Victorian trotter retired

Rules Dont Apply (Muscle Hill), one of the best young trotters of his year, has finished racing because of a back injury.

The winner of nine races and $144,620 in stakes, the Muscle Hill gelding’s major successes were the Vicbred 4YO Final and a heat of the Great Southern Star. He was only sparingly raced after his Vicbred triumph.

His dam, Abandoned Annie, was a race-winning mare by Continentalman from Ginger Gem, a Keystone Salute mare who left a very smart trotter in I Am Pegasus, winner of the Vicbred Final as a three-year-old. Ginger Gem was a half-sister to Zesta, who won her last 12 starts including the Victoria Trotters Derby and Oaks and the Breeders Crown.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink