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.

Australia’s first sub 1:50 two-year-old

Lux Aeterna, a two-year-old filly by Captaintreacherous from The Arch Nemesis (1:55.4), by Jereme’s Jet from Reacquainted, by Bettor’s Delight, has been undefeated in nine starts to date.

But the Captaintreacherous filly went to a new level when she won the $150,000 Final of the NSW Breeders Challenge at Menangle in 1:49.9 for 1609 metres. It was a fresh Australasian two-year-old record, the previous two-year-old mile of 1:50.3 being held by Major Delight.

It was Lux Aeterna’s fourth Group/Listed success and her mile in 1:49.9 was put up from the front end, carving out fractions of 26.1, 28.9, 27.3 and 27.6. She is a very good youngster.

LUX AETERNA REPLAY

Bred by Brooklyn Lodge and Brisbane identity Alf La Spina, who owns her, Lux Aeterna’s dam The Arch Nemesis, who won eight races, also left the exported Crunch Time 1:49.6 ($289,725) and the Group 2 winner Captain Crusader 1:50.4 ($349,222).

Lux Aeterna was one of three Breeders Challenge winners sired by Captaintreacherous, the others being Captains Knock and Captains Queen.

Breeders Challenge winner by Lazarus

Nathan Street (Lazarus), who completed a clean sweep of the NSW Breeders Challenge for two-year-old colts and geldings when he won the $150,000 Final, is a colt by the former NZ great Lazarus and one of his first Australian crop.

He has won four of his seven starts and $123,359, a worthwhile return on the $60,000 paid for him at last year’s Australian Pacing Gold sale in Sydney.

Grevis (1:55.3), a multiple Group placegetter in Perth, the NSW Breeders Challenge True Blue victor Sir Knight (1:55.8), Kick The Switch (1:55.5) and The War Wolf (1:54.5) have been other winners from Lazarus’s initial Australian crop. In fact, Lazarus has the exceptional siring record of 13 winners from 18 starters from 40 foals of racing age.

Bred by Wagga horseman Paul Kahlefeldt, Nathan Street is out of Lettucesomewhere (1:56.8), by Somebeachsomewhere from New York Fashion (1:56.1), a NSW Breeders Challenge champion by Falcon Seelster from the NSW Princess Mile winner Better Motoring  (1:58), by New York Motoring – a pedigree replete with classic winners.

The family, which traces to the NZ bred mare Peri, produced a top flight racemare in Maajida (1:50.3), who won 24 races including 10 at Group level and $684,518 in stakes, and other smart performers in Lifeonthebeach (Bathurst Gold Chalice), Saint Crusader and Virage.

Wheres The Gold wins SA Pacing Cup

The most important race of the South Australian calendar, the $60,000 SA Pacing Cup at Globe Derby Park, was won by the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Wheres The Gold, who edged the gallant Tango Tara in a stirring duel. Both won their qualifying Cup heats.

Wheres The Gold, a four-year-old gelding, has not done a great deal of racing, having averaged 10 starts a season. In three seasons of racing Wheres The Gold has won 12 races and has been seven times placed from 29 starts for $202,869.

By the defunct Mach Three horse Somebeachsomewhere, he is out of Gold Elite (1:57.3), by Bettor’s Delight from the grand producer Hill Of Gold, by In The Pocket from Touch Of Gold, by Soky’s Atom. Wheres The Gold is a half-brother to Commander Cathy 1:53.8 ($168,808) and Woman In Gold 1:53.6 ($138,020).

Eye Keep Smiling top three-year-old filly

Runner-up in a NSW Breeders Challenge heat as a two-year-old last season, Eye Keep Smiling (Sweet Lou) downed the top three-year-old fillies in the $150,000 Breeders Challenge at Menangle, including a top ranking three-year-old in Major Delight.

Eye Keep Smiling has only been lightly raced, but has proved herself a young pacer of great ability.

By Sweet Lou, and one of the second commercial crop of the American horse to race in Australia, Eye Keep Smiling is out of Oh Eye See 1:54.5 ($101,705), a Breeders Challenge Regional winner by Armbro Operative from the broodmare gem Grace Robinson, by Perfect Art from the Tarport Low mare Jasmarilla, a two-year-old mile record holder and one of the best fillies of her era.

Bred and owned by the Gibson family’s Success Stud, Eye Keep Smiling ranks as a half-sister to the George Croxford Tribute winner Private Eye (1:50.3), Parfait Amour (1:59.9) and Yes Eye See.

Tatlow winning line

The Tatlow Stakes winner Very Pretty (American Ideal) is a daughter of the Live Or Die mare The Good Times, who won the Tatlow herself and is a close relative of other Tatlow winners in Petracca and Rocknroll Magic.

Very Pretty’s win was her second from as many starts.

Bred and owned by Maryborough enthusiast Peter Gleeson, she ranks as a half-sister to the Bunbury Cup and Tontine winner Major Times 1:53.5 ($314,755) and others in Rock Classic (1:55.4) and Wild Man (1:57.5).

An Art Major colt realised $41,000 at this year’s Nutrien Equine Melbourne sale, however, The Good Times died after foaling a filly by Always B Miki last spring.

The Good Times was out of the Windshield Wiper mare Larrakeyah Lady, dam of the Hunter Cup winner Safe And Sound, Massarua, Gold Rocket and so on.

SA Derby winner is well bred

Our Vinnie (Vincent), who won the $30,000 SA Pacing Derby at Globe Derby Park, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he won the Group 3 Breeders Crown Silver.

He has been a model of consistency in his three-year-old season, qualifying for the Vicbred, Bathurst Gold Chalice and Nutrien Equine Classic finals and will be well in line for the forthcoming Breeders Crown series.

He is a gelding by the Art Major horse Vincent from Our Santa Catalina (1:55.6), the best of whose several progeny has been the multiple Group placegetter Breivika (1:55.5).

Our Santa Catalina ranks as a half-sister to a smart NZ pacer and successful sire in Raging Bull, being by Rocknroll Hanover from the Artsplace mare San Sophia USA, thus giving the Derby winner a 3×3 cross to Abercrombie’s great son.

Our Vinnie was bred by Alabar Bloodstock.

Redwood Classic winner

The $50,000 Redwood Classic, for two-year-old trotters, one of the features of the all-trotting carnival at Maryborough, was won by the En Zedder High Step, a highly fancied filly by Father Patrick from High Gait.

Father Patrick, a son of Cantab Hall, has been one of North America’s top sires of trotters in recent years and has achieved a good measure of success with his early Australasian frozen semen crops. 

He has sired such winners as Mufasa Metro, a winner of 11 races and $262,655, High Energy (NZ Sires Stakes 2YO), the Breeders Crown champions Sangreal, Just A Bit Touchy and Egret, Keayang Xena and other top trotters.

High Gait, the dam of High Step, a Redwood winner herself, was by Muscles Yankee, who also distinguished himself as a sire of trotters, from Regal Volo, a mare of all-American blood who left an outstanding trotter in Twentyten, rated the best three-year-old trotter of his day.

Twentyten was also by Muscles Yankee and a half-brother to another fine trotter in Regal Attire, a Free-for-all winner at Menangle.

This has been a most successful family, as Alannah Hall, a half-sister to Twentyten, was a dual Melton winner and is now the dam of Mr Muscle (3 wins to date) and recent Auckland three-year-old winner Lady Larni.

The latest Redwood winner High Step, who was bred and is raced by Ken Breckon, has certainly a wealth of successful trotting blood on both sides of her pedigree.

By Ultimate Machete

Ultimate Machete, a well performed Bettor’s Delight horse from a top racemare in Reality Check, by Armbro Operative, and who is now standing at Cobbitty Equine Farm in NSW, was represented by his first classic winner in the two-year-old filly Miss Idaho.

She turned in a one of the best performances put up by one of her age in South Australia when she won the Golden Nursery at the SA Cup meeting.

Before going to Australia, where he has been represented by the Group placegetter Miss Hepburn and the Perth winners Grand Couteau and Bazaar Package, Ultimate Machete stood at the stud in NZ and has had very few runners.

Miss Idaho, a half-sister to Alcatraz Girl (1:57.8), is a well developed filly and promises to be a very good stayer.

Their dam, Golden Valour, was a Courage Under Fire mare from Goldtown Dancer, by Troublemaker from the Batman mare Classic Kate, who established a great winning line for Bendigo breeders Garry and Melva Graham. She left a smart pacer and cups winner in Sports Dancer and was the grand-dam of the 2YO of the Year Royal Verdict and the Vicbred champion Hexham Heartbeat.

Tough Tilly retired

Tough Tilly, a Vicbred and Breeders Crown champion, has been retired.

Bred and owned by Benstud Standardbreds, the Captaintreacherous mare won 17 races and $618,333 in stakes. She will be mated with the 2020 USA Horse of the Year Tall Dark Stranger.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink