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.

APG Gold Bullion winner from top broodmare

Sahara Breeze, a Captaintreacherous three-year-old and a winner of the $100,000 APG Gold Bullion for fillies at Melton when having only her ninth start, is out of Sahara Miss, a smart racemare with a record of 1:54.4 who is proving an exceptional broodmare.

Sahara Miss is also the dam of Sahara Tiger 1:55.9 ($200,982), winner of this year’s Mildura Pacing Cup, the APG Consolation winner Sahara Sirocco 1:53.5 ($172,072) and the Vicbred Homegrown Classic winner Starofsahara (1:56.2).

Sahara Miss was a Village Jasper mare from Macrandra, by Classic Garry from the Listed winner Melanie NZ, by Nero’s B B from the Tarport Coulter mare Port Melody. Sahara Miss has since produced a yearling filly by Captain Crunch and a weanling colt by Art Major and has a positive test to Captain Crunch.

Sahara Miss was a half-sister to the Vicbred champion and Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Distant Memory 1:55.1 ($173,155), dam of the Group winners Hows The Memory 1:50.1 ($154,424), Delightful Angel 1:52.4 ($131,483) and Beach Memories (1:53.4).

Others from Macrandra, who left 14 individual winners, included Koby’s Delight (1:55.4), Eucan Roll (1:56.6), Joannie Pony (1:57.5) and The Mach Army.

A Harold Park winner, Macrandra was a half-sister to the Harold Park winner Melissa Charm, dam of the APG winner Dazed And Confused 1:56.8 ($172,444) and Mel Cee (1:59.7), dam of Poppy Cee 1:52.7 ($108,075).

Sahara Breeze was bred and is raced by Harness Racing Victoria Board member Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul.

Breeding of Petillante

Petillante (Somebeachsomewhere), who won the $80,000 APG Gold Bullion 4YO – Eyethink and District Attorney filled the placings behind her – is a four-year-old mare expected to graduate far beyond her present rating.

A member of Emma Stewart’s Ballarat team, she has a good deal more in her favour on the score of blood than most. By Somebeachsomewhere and one of the last commercial crop of the mighty Mach Three horse, Petillante is out of the Art Major mare Art De Triomphe (1:58.8), whose dam the American-bred Smyrna Duruisseau left a top colt pacer and successful sire in Follow The Stars 1:53.8 ($707,237), the Nutrien 2YO Classic winner First Responder (1:56.5) and the Group 1 placegetter Stefsbest 1:54.7 ($150,117).

Smyrna Duruisseau, a winner in 1:56, ranked as a half-sister to the Little Brown Jug heat winner Texas Shootout (1:50.8), being by Cam’s Card Shark from Secret Date, by Abercrombie from the grand producer Dateable, by Race Time.

This family traces back to the thoroughbred mare Lida and includes top American pacers the calibre of Historic (Metro Pace), the Canadian Mare of the Year Seven O’Clock, Digger Almahurst (Breeders Crown 2YO) and the Woodrow Wilson winner Dontgetinmyway ($1.4 million).

Petillante, who ranks as sister-in-blood to Gawn, who finished runner-up in the APG Gold Bullion 3YO Final on the same night as Petillante won, was bred by Brisbane enthusiast Adam Cahill.

WA Breeders Stakes to Taking The Miki

Taking The Miki, a daughter of the American sire Always B Miki, who stands stud at Alabar Bloodstock, was the star of the autumn racing at Gloucester Park.

She won four of her five starts – an early miscue putting her out of the race at her other appearance – including the Group 3 $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes and the Listed Race For Roses.

Taking The Miki is closely related to an earlier top racemare in Shez Sugarsweet, who won 11 races in NSW including the Group 3 Breeders Challenge Regional Series and $217,715 in stakes. She later won in America.

Taking The Miki is by Always B Miki from Allamerican Dream, by Bettor’s Delight from River Valley Dream, a NZ bred mare by Artsplace from Maheer Queen, by Holmes Hanover and tracing to the taproot Polly (Hoods).

Allamerican Dream, who took a record of 1:58.7, was a half-sister to the Gloucester Park winner Trois Fontaine (1:59.1) and the NSW winners Dreamy Castafiore (1:57.5) and Logan Dream.

Their dam, River Valley Dream, was a half-sister to the Perth winners Tommy Tornado and Bringhomethebacon and to River Valley Romance (1:57.2), dam of Shez Sugarsweet and the Albion Park victor Schooby (1:56.3) and Victory Valley (1:58.2).

Taking The Miki was bred by John and Trish Coffey, of Patrician Park (WA).

Rylee Rhayne Bow unbeaten two-year-old 

A two-year-old to take a high ranking in Queensland so far this season is the Art Major filly Rylee Rhayne Bow, bred and owned by Ross Patrick and trained by Chantal Turpin.

She has won her only three starts for $25,985. Rylee Rhayne Bow effortlessly won the Changeover 2YO Classic at Albion Park beating a smart colt in Iron Clad and appears every bit as good as the Queenslanders rate her.

Rylee Rhayne Bow is out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Argyle Beach 1:52.1 ($133,542) and is her first produce. Argyle Beach’s dam, Summer Ale, was only lightly raced, being by Christian Cullen from the Deal Direct mare Little Egypt, and thus a member of the Norice family which has produced five Miracle Mile winners in Monkey King, Sokyola, Holmes DG, Iraklis and Mount Eden.

Interestingly, the Changeover Classic winner carries three strains of the blood of Direct Scooter on her distaff side.

APG Gold Bullion winner by Vincent

Staroftheshow, who came from last to win the Listed $100,000 APG Gold Bullion at Melton, is a three-year-old colt who can claim some worthwhile blood.

By Vincent, by Art Major from Kept For Pleasure, by Safely Kept, he is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare De Lovely Rose, an unraced daughter of the dual Oaks winner De Lovely 1:54 ($613,355).

De Lovely, a winner of six Group 1’s, was a Falcon Seelster mare from the NZ and Victoria Oaks winner Copper Beach 1:58.6 ($179,794), by Beach Towel from the Payson’s Brother mare Les Payzen Star, a half-sister to the grand stayer and Inter Dominion champion Elsu.

Les Payzen Star also ranks as the second dam of Serg Blanco, who won on the same card at Melton.

Vincent, the sire of Staroftheshow, had a record of 1:50.2 and won 16 of his 19 starts including the NZ and NSW Derbies and the Auckland Cup. His first crop are three-year-olds and his progeny include the NZ Alabar Classic winner Sherlock, Vessem (NZ Kindergarten Stakes and Diamond Creek Farm Classic), Our Vinnie (Breeders Crown 2YO Silver) and the NZ Sapling Stakes victor Vinke B.

Won NSW Trotters Oaks

Winner of the Vicbred Super Series as a two-year-old last season, Rockinwithattitude (Aldebaran Eagle) downed the top three-year-olds in the $75,000 NSW Trotters Oaks at Menangle, including a top ranking three-year-old in Shesawish, who finished second.

Rockinwithattitude has been a model of consistency, earning a cheque in 13 of her 15 starts, and has proved herself a young trotter of great ability.

By the deceased Aldebaran Eagle and one of the second crop of the American horse to race in Australia, Rockinwithattitude is out of Rockin Shiraz (Tr 1:58.8), by Rock N Roll Heaven from Elite Shiraz, by Grinfromeartoear from Cindy Shiraz, by Safely Kept from the Torado Hanover mare Sinba.

This is the family which produced the Victoria Derby winner Tanabi Bromac, Singasongasixpence (VHRC 3YO Cup), Bluecolla Moon ($137,876), Royal Shiraz and others.

By Ultimate Machete

The Bettor’s Delight horse Ultimate Machete, a WA Golden Nugget winner and now at Cobbitty Equine Stud in NSW, was recently represented by his first winner in the two-year-old Fieldofficer Jujon, who scored on debut at Redcliffe.

The gelding had shown some good form at the trials in the area.

Fieldofficer Jujon, a half-brother to the Redcliffe Sales Classic winner Dapper Bessie (1:56.5) and Bravo Charlie, is out of the Pacific Rocket mare Atom Bomb Angel (1:58.8), whose dam, Resonance was a half-sister to the Devonport Cup winner Atom Bomb Belle and the exported Seelster Belle 1:52.2 ($245,735).

Fieldofficer Jujon was bred by Burwood Stud.

Ninth winner from broodmare

When the Well Said three-year-old Big Energy won at Launceston recently, she credited her dam Flo Jo Fernandez with her ninth individual winners.

Big Energy, one of the last commercial crop of Well Said, had shown good placed form as a two-year-old last season. Others from Flo Jo Fernandez to win have been the Raider Stakes winner Thirsty Mach (1:54), the Globe Derby Stakes victor Chopstix Boris (1:56.4), the Listed winners Lilbitachicknfried (1:52.3) and Four Ex Dan (1:53.2), Rock The Casbolt (1:58.7), Dufrense (1:59), Hillbilly Delux, the Belmont winner Flo Jo Carvalho and now Big Energy.

Flo Jo Fernandez, a Bandbox Stakes winner, was a Ticket To Heaven mare from a fine racemare in Flo Jo Torado, by Torado Hanover from Naomi’s Gold. 

Other members of this family, which was founded by the Glencoe mare Nora, included the Tasmania Oaks and Sweepstakes winner Ticket Flow, Chocaladante (Tas. 3YO Bracelet) and Here For The Party ($101,851).

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink