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

Lux Aeterna leading two-year-old filly

When she won the $150,000 Bathurst Gold Tiara last Saturday Lux Aeterna (Captaintreacherous) proved herself the top two-year-old filly of the current season.

It was her fourth success from as many starts, and she comfortably defeated the best fillies in commission in the Gold Tiara after being required to overcome a difficult barrier draw. She is the second winner of the Bathurst classic sired by Captaintreacherous, joining Jewel Melody (2022) on the honour role.

Bred by Brooklyn Lodge stud and Brisbane businessman Alf La Spina, who races her, Lux Aeterna is out of the smart racemare The Arch Nemesis (1:55.4), by Jereme’s Jet from Reacquainted, by Bettor’s Delight from the grand producer Willing Greek, by Golden Greek from Willing Whiz, by Armbro Whiz.

Lux Aeterna ranks as a sister to the Group 2 winner Captain Crusader 1:50.5 ($237,322) and a three-quarter sister to the Group 3 victor Crunch Time, who took a record of 1:49.6 in America. 

Gold Crown to Chart Topper

The $150,000 Gold Crown, for two-year-old colts and geldings, one of the features of the Gold Crown carnival at Bathurst, was won by Chart Topper, a strongly fancied colt by Captaintreacherous from Queen Of Pop.

CHART TOPPER REPLAY

Captaintreacherous, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, has been one of Australia’s top sires since his first crop raced in the 2019/20 season. He has sired such winners as Catch A Wave (Miracle Mile), Captain Ravishing (1:50.9), Tough Tilly, The Lost Storm, Encipher, Jewel Melody and other top pacers.

Queen Of Pop, the dam of Chart Topper, was by Art Major, who also distinguished himself as a sire from Top Tempo (1:56.5), a NZ bred mare who left the top flight racemare in Speak No Evil, a winner of three Group 1’s.

This has been a most successful family, as Musical Delight (1:53.1), a half-sister to Speak No Evil, was the dam of the Bathurst Gold Chalice winner Ripp and a smart racemare in Beach Music.

Queen Of Pop, an Australian Pacing Gold winner, left the NSW Oaks and Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Just Hope (1:52.5). This family has been bred from extensively by Bill and Anne Anderson, of Lauriston Bloodstock, who bred and part-own Chart Topper.

Bathurst Gold Bracelet winning line

The $100,000 Bathurst Gold Bracelet winner Major Delight is a daughter of the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight, who sired earlier Gold Bracelet winners in Anntonia (2021), Dr Susan (2020), Art Series (2018) and Aussie Made Lombo (2011).

MAJOR DELIGHT REPLAY

Major Delight’s dam, Lady Euthenia, won the Gold Bracelet herself and has left five winners from five starters including the Victoria Cup and dual Derby winner Max Delight 1:50 ($811,560).

Lady Euthenia, who won five Group 1 races and $461,285, was by Art Major from the fine Maple Lane’s Strike mare Reggae Miss ($123,087), dam of the export San Domino 1:49.2 ($630,164) and grand-dam of the Group 3 winner Gracie Taljuice 1:53 ($143,188).

Major Delight’s Gold Bracelet success was her 10th from 11 starts and lifted her stake tally to $426,979.

Won Gold Chalice

Bainbridge, a three-year-old by Captaintreacherous from Miss Fantastic (1:58.6), by Falcon Seelster from Shard’s Fantasy, by Pacific Rocket, failed to win a race in three starts as a two-year-old last season.

BAINBRIDGE REPLAY

But the Captaintreacherous gelding has proved himself to some purpose in his three-year-old racing, and he won the $100,000 Bathurst Gold Chalice beating a top field in a 1:55 rate over 1730 metres.

It was Bainbridge’s third success for the season and lifted his stake tally to $63,031. He is a very good youngster.

Shesawish is Oaks material

Shesawish, who won the $50,000 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Trotting Classic and is regarded as Oaks material of the highest order, is a three-year-old filly by Wishing Stone from Shesasundon, a useful racemare who took a record of 2:00.4.

She is a member of an old time Victorian family which was represented by a winner at Cranbourne in Aroha Koe one night after Shesawish won.

Shesasundon was a Sundon mare from Yankee Princess, by Muscles Yankee from a fine racemare in Maori Princess, by Entrepreneur from Maori Trump, by Overtrick from the prized broodmare Maori Miss. Maori Princess was the dam of the great racemare and Inter Dominion winner Sumthingaboutmaori ($461,499), who, in turn, left the Breeders Crown champion Gus An Maori 1:55.5 ($151,321) and the Group winners Central Otago and Imamaorijet.

Modern Maori, by Sundon from Maori Princess, and her half-sister Maori Road (by Lindy Lane) both bred on with distinction. Modern Maori became the dam of the Vicbred champions Kyvalley Clichy and Needabacardi, while Maori Road left the thrice Group winner Aldebaran Crescent.

A champion trotter in Maori’s Idol belongs to this family. At one stage Maori’s Idol won a record 24 consecutive races and in all he won 40 races and $98,821 in stakes. Noopy Kiosk, a triple Vicbred champion, the Inter Dominion winner Maori Law, the Derby winners Danny Bouchea and Blitzthemcalder and Maori Time (1:51.5) are among many good winning members of Shesawish’s family.

Cup winner by Guaranteed

Pas Guarantee (Guaranteed), who won the $35,000 Echuca Pacing Cup – Idyllic and Tangoingwithsierra filled the placings behind him – has made smart progress through the classes.

He is a grand stayer and the best of the progeny left by the Artsplace horse Guaranteed, a brilliant racehorse whose major successes were the Chariots of Fire, SA Pacing Cup and the Vicbred Final at two and three.

Pas Guarantee is a four-year-old gelding from Dieing Secret (1:57.1), by Live Or Die from Secret Bonus, by Barnett Hanover from What Bonus, by What’s Next from Spring Bonus, by Hilarious Way – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it.

SA Kindergarten winner

The BOTRA Kindergarten Series, the first South Australian classic for two-year-olds, and run at Globe Derby Park, was won easily by Tembie, a gelding by Vincent from the handy racemare Gotcha (by Live Or Die), who took a mile record of 1:59.5.

Gotcha, who won four races, was imported from NZ by the late Charles Okmasich and following his passing was gifted to Port Pirie couple Ron and Lee-Anne Lane, who bred and part-own Tembie.

Gotcha ranked as a half-sister to Shamrocks (2:00.5), a winner of five races and who became the dam of the NZ and USA winner Bush Man 1:52.4 ($117,502) and Tiziano (1:56), being out of Harp (2:01.5), a Vance Hanover mare from Concourse, by Lordship from a fine NZ racemare in Riviera, by U Scott and tracing to the imported mare Norice. 

Teagan Banner is well related

Teagan Banner (Art Major), the brilliant winner of the Autumn Gift Final at Menangle in 1:51.4, is not short of rich relations.

By the Artsplace horse Art Major, the gelding is out of the McArdle mare When You’re Hot, who was unraced but left seven individual winners including six in 2:00. When You’re Hot is also the dam of Cyclone Banner 1:50.8 ($209,259), a Group winner in WA and now racing successfully in America, the metropolitan winners Zahven Banner 1:50.3 ($158,747), Typhoon Banner 1:55.2 ($190,505) and Blazing Banner (1:50.9), who has won five of his last six starts in NSW.

When You’re Hot ranked as a half-sister to the SA Pacing Cup winner and dual Inter Dominion Final placegetter Flaming Flutter 1:49.2 ($879,694), the Listed winner Two Times Bettor 1:52 ($222,555) and the Breeders Crown finalist Fiamma (1:54.2).

Their dam, Twice As Hot (1:59.6), won five races and left nine winners. She was a half-sister to dual Gawler Cup winner Mark Dennis 1:51.4 ($340,269), the Group 2 NZ winner Waitfornoone 1:55.7 ($201,804), the cup class pacers Fight Fire With Fire (1:56) and St Barts (1:57) and to Goodlookinggirl, dam of the outstanding NZ racemare Elle Mac 1:51.6 ($607,678).

Jingling Silver’s son wins Championship

A smart trotter in Queensland this season is Hammer Son (Majestic Son), who was bred in Victoria by Duncan McPherson and is raced and trained by Doug Lee.

A five-year-old gelding by Majestic Son, he is out of the Victoria Derby winner Jingling Silver 1:58.4 ($191,322) and the first of her produce to win. He won the Jim McNeil Memorial at Albion Park and looks a trotter with the potential one would expect of his breeding.

First winner

My General Lee, a well performed Art Major horse from a top broodmare in My Ami Lee, by Safely Kept, and who is now at the stud in NSW, was recently represented by his first winner in the two-year-old filly Sara Ta Sloy.

She turned in one of the best performances put up by one of her age at the Bathurst carnival when she won the $30,000 Gold Tiara Consolation at her second start.

Bred and raced by Sloys Company, Sara Ta Sloy is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Handful Of Dreams (2:00.1), whose dam, Pocketfullofdreams was by In The Pocket from the Smooth Fella mare Jayvee, who left several useful winners including a top class pacer in Sovereign Hill.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink