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.

Betterzippit in 1:48.6 

The New Zealand bred five-year-old Betterzippit (Betterthancheddar)  has joined the growing list of horses to enter the 1:50 list at Menangle. He recorded 1:48.6 when he was successful in a $20,000 race last Saturday. 

By the Bettor’s Delight horse Betterthancheddar – a dual world champion – Betterzippit is from Nile Star, by Mach Three from New York On Sunday, by New York Motoring and tracing to the taproot Mona R. 

Betterzippit ranks as a half-brother to the talented Targaryen 1:51.9 ($126,195), who scored at Albion Park a week before Betterzippit won. 

Their dam, 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) and White Pointer (1:59.5). 

Other members of this fine family have been the NSW Simpson Sprint winner Niobium (1:58), Davy Maguire (WA Winter Cup), Harrison Maguire (Whyalla Cup) and the WA Golden Slipper victor Mitch Maguire (1:50.2). 

Betterzippit was bred by Alabar Bloodstock. 

Unbeaten two-year-old filly 

A two-year-old filly to take high ranking in WA is Water Lou, a daughter of the world champion racehorse and sire Sweet Lou, who is standing at Woodlands Stud in Auckland. 

Bred by the Charles family, Water Lou is undefeated in five starts to date for $93,591. She won the WA Gold Bracelet at Gloucester Park and earlier in the month the $100,000 APG Yearling Sales Classic in 1:57.5 and appears every bit as good as the Sandgropers rate her. 

She is a half-sister to the Group winner Erskine Range 1:54 ($255,480), being out of Living Hei, by Live Or Die from Bali Hei, by Holmes Hanover from The First Lady, by Nat Lobell from the Bachelor Hanover mare Tiawana and descending to a noted foundation mare in Moor Chimes. 

In the back removes of Water Lou’s pedigree are horses the calibre of Lizzie Maguire, Pinny Tiger, My Cap, Franco Trubrooke, Burnham Boy (1:49) and many others. 

District Attorney is well bred 

One of the most capable young pacers racing in Victoria at present is District Attorney, who has quickly won his way to a tight mark. He has won eight of his 18 starts for $87,540, a worthwhile return on the $122,500 paid for him as a yearling. 

District Attorney has a background of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being a four-year-old by the champion racehorse Courage Under Fire from the Life Sign mare Crown Defender, dam of the NZ Cup and NZ Free-for-all winner Cruz Bromac 1:50.1 ($1.1million) and the Breeders Crown Silver winner Carter Bromac (1:52.4). 

Crown Defender was unraced but she left six sub 2:00 winners. She is a half-sister to the Franklin Cup winner Attorney General 1:48.4 ($323,098), the Victoria Derby heat winner Crown Bromac 1:54.1 ($139,878), a top Victorian juvenile in Cullen Bromac 1:55.1 ($131,616) and to Chiquita Bromac, dam of the Listed winners Cheyella 1:54.2 ($($117,873) and Celerina (1:57.5) and the Vicbred finalist Chirripo (1:56.5). 

Crown Defender, who is being from by Riverina studmaster Jake Stockton, is out of the good producer Classic Blue Jeans, by Camluck from the American-bred mare Oh Please, by Albatross. 

An American Ideal filly out of Crown Defender fetched $58,000 at this week’s Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale. 

Won Golden Easter Egg 

Winner of a NSW Breeders Challenge heat and placed in the Final as a two-year-old last season, Peaceful (Sweet Lou) downed the top three-year-olds in the $30,600 Golden Easter Egg at Menangle, including a top ranking three-year-old in Jewel Melody, who finished fifth. 

Peaceful led from the outset and never looked in danger of defeat, running out the mile in a slick 1:51.7 with the last half in 54 seconds. She is a very good youngster. 

Bred and owned by Dianne Kelly, Peaceful is out of a champion racemare in Frith 1:50.1 ($1.1million) and the first of her produce to race. Frith, who won eight Group 1 races, was the richest daughter of the Cam’s Card Shark horse Four Starzzz Shark, being out of Jackie Kelly (dam of seven in 2:00), by Albert Albert from the grand producer Miss Paula. 

Jackie Kelly, a winner of three of her four starts, was a sister to the Queensland Derby winner Albert Kelly and the Vicbred champion McRae’s Mate and a half-sister to the Australian Derby winner Greg Kelly and Macca Kelly. 

 Lost 20 metres – and won! 

The highlight of the Ararat Pacing Cup meeting was turned on by Cant Top This (Rock N Roll Heaven), who broke on the home turn in the Cup and gave the leader 20 metres start. 

Recovering his gait, the gelding knuckled down to the task and finally prevailed in a photo finish. Cant Top This’s performance was an amazing one in every respect. 

He is a son of the Rocknroll Hanover horse Rock N Roll Heaven, a top himself and now a leading sire in both hemispheres. Tamara Hall, the American-bred dam of Cant Top This, was a Real Desire mare from a fine Canadian mare in Tabloid (1:53.6), by No Nukes from the Albatross mare Next Chapter. 

Cant Top This, who has won 12 races and $139,720 , ranks as a half-brother to the NSW Derby winner Ideal For Real 1:54.4 ($324,600) and a three-quarter brother to Rockin Tammy, dam of Delightfull Tammy, who also won on Ararat Cup night. 

Empress Stakes to Simply Shaz 

Simply Shaz (American Ideal), winner of the $75,000 Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park, continues to prove herself in the top bracket among the mares in WA.  

She is a member of a top ranking NZ family, being a five-year-old American Ideal mare from a smart racemare in Simply Stunning (1:56.5), an Art Major mare who also produced one of last season’s leading three-year-olds in Simply Sam (1:56.4). 

Simply Stunning was out of the unraced Sabelle, the dam of eight winners including the WA Easter Cup winner Total Defiance 1:52.6 ($550,295) and the exported Lavros Odysseus (1:54.4). She was a Tuapeka Knight mare from Birdie’s Belle, by Berry Hanover from the noted producer Birdie, a Gentry mare from the Harold’s Rest tribe. 

Birdie produced two high class pacers in Dillon Dean (1:58.5), a winner of seven Group races and $713,130 in stakes, and Dillon Dale 1:59.1, also a winner of seven Group One’s and $142,035. Others from Birdie were a smart racemare in Double Birdie (1:57.4), dam of Two Under 1:53.2 ($221,695), a good winner in NZ, Australia and America, and Dillon Diane, dam of the Victorian cup winner Dillon Dave 1:58.8 ($114,275) and grand-dam of the WA Group 2 winner Plutonium 1:55.5 ($175,734) and the Albion Park victor Give Me A Minute (1:52). 

 NSW Foundation Trot winner 

NSW Southern Tablelands trainer Steven Lee, who has a grand record in producing star juvenile trotters, produced a grand four-year-old trotter at Menangle last Saturday in Jungle Eyes (Peak). 

The chestnut gelding took out the Trotters Foundation Final, leading from the outset and winning unextended by seven metres in a 1:59.5 rate over 2300 metres. He clocked the last 800 in 58.8 seconds. 

Jungle Eyes has now won eight races, the last five on end including three heats of the Foundation Series.  

By Peak, and one of the third crop of the Danish bred horse who is now standing in Victoria after being at the stud in NZ, he is out of Yankee Eyes (2:00), a good Menangle winner by Yankee Paco (son of Balanced Image) from the dual Harold Park victor Showmetheway, a half-sister to the Bulli Trotters Cup winner Every Light. 

By Sundon’s Courage 

Sundon’s Courage, a triple Breeders Crown winning Sundon horse from a good broodmare in Truscott Photo, by S J’s Photo, and who is mixing racing with stud duties, was recently represented by his first winner in the two-year-old Courage’s Law. 

He turned in a memorable debut performance, coming from midfield and soundly trouncing his rivals at Bendigo. 

Courage’s Law, who was bred and is part-owned by Brad Angove, who trains him, is a well developed gelding and promises to be a very good stayer. 

His dam, Truscott Law (1:59.5), the winner of 10 races, was a Lawman mare from Yankee Truscott, by Yankee Paco from Southern Truscott, by Muckalee Strike, is a member of the same family as the dual Derby winner Bad Boy Truscott, Truscott Steel (The Holmfield), Gus Or Bust and so on.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink