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.

Stingray Tara on top

Stingray Tara (Bettor’s Delight), a Menangle winner last weekend in 1:51.2, after coming from worse than midfield, has now won 16 races and $246,824 and is rated among the top bracket in NSW. He ranks as an eight-year-old brother by Bettor’s Delight to the champion racehorse and Inter Dominion winner Tiger Tara 1:49.8 ($2.3million).

Tiger Tara, who is now standing at Medowie Lodge, has sired seven winners from 12 starters from two small crops while he was mixed racing with stud duties. One of his progeny, Tiger’s Spirit, won at Newcastle the night before Stingray Tara won.

Tara Gold, the dam of Stingray Tara and Tiger Tara, was a Dream Away mare from Atomic Gold, by Soky’s Atom from Vita Gold. She proved a very successful broodmare, being the dam also of Tara Tutaia (1:58.3) and Turbo Tara. 

Tara Gold, who was unraced, was a half-sister to two high class pacers in Power Of Tara (1:50.6), a winner of 31 races and $846,608, and A G’s White Socks (1:51.7), who won 17 races and $680,604, and to Tara Delight, dam of the Breeders Crown champion Tango Tara 1:54.2 ($326,721).

This has been one of the most successful branches of the Dolly (by Young Irvington) family, Atomic Gold being a half-sister to the NZ Easter Cup victor Matthew Lee ($218,850), the Gawler Cup winner Home For Gold ($158,643) and the NZ Southland Oaks winner Mystic Gold, dam of the Bendigo Cup winner Sammy Maguire 1:57 ($199,354) and the grand-dam of Lachie Maguire 1:50.4 ($641,196).

Cup winner by A Rocknroll Dance

Kanena Provlima (A Rocknroll Dance), who won the $100,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup – Beyond Delight, Cya Art and Catch A Wave filled the placings behind him – has been one of NSW’s best pacers for several years.

He is a grand stayer and one of the best progeny left by the Rocknroll Hanover horse A Rocknroll Dance, who sired top pacers of the calibre of Blacksadance, No Win No Feed, Tango Tara and others.

Kanena Provlima is an eight-year-old gelding from Mes Ti Tsepi (1:58.6), by In The Pocket from Kalypso, by Safely Kept from Willing Greek, by Golden Greek from Willing Whiz, by Armbro Whiz – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it.

Kanena Provlima was bred by the late Dr Fran Hausfeld, of Sydney.

Hi Manameisjeff in 1:48.6

The Art Major gelding Hi Manameisjeff (Bettor’s Delight) clocked the ninth fastest mile in Australasian history of 1:48.6 when he won at Menangle last Saturday.

Bred by Rolleston horsewoman Glenys Chmiel, the seven-year-old is from Honour Lady, by Bettor’s Delight from Ladona Franco, by Falcon Seelster from the Talk About Class mare Lotta Talk, a half-sister to the Derby winners Late Bid and Lotsnlots and a cup class pacer in Franco Lotsmore.                       

Hi Manameisjeff is the second foal of his dam.

Fremantle Cup prospect

One of the stronger Fremantle Cup candidates, particularly among the younger group will be Ideal Agent (American Ideal), who has proved himself in the top flight and has won his way back to cup class.

His latest winning run over 2130 metres at his first appearance for 12 months was a terrific performance. He raced without cover throughout, but finally won decisively at a 1:55.7 mile rate.

A tough customer, Ideal Agent is a seven-year-old entire, being by American Ideal from Lady Smack, dam also of the promising Dom Toretto. Lady Smack, who was unraced, was sired by Bettor’s Delight from Lady Fingers, by Artiscape from the Soky’s Atom mare Matter Of Fact.

Lady Smack was a half-sister to the outstanding racemare and six-time Group 1 winner The Orange Agent 1:51.1 ($725,542) and the Australasian three-year-old fillies’ mile record holder Cheesy Fingers (1:50.3).

Ideal Agent, the winner of 17 races and $259,496, was bred by Paul and Mary Kenny, of Woodlands Stud.

Adore Me Stakes winner

Its Ebonynivory (American Ideal), who won the Adore Me Stakes, the main race at Menangle last Saturday, is an American Ideal mare from the same family as that which produced a top Victorian racemare in Life Inthefastlane.

Its Ebonynivory, who was a Victoria Oaks and Vicbred finalist at three, has been a model of consistency throughout her career, and it was a handy field she beat at Menangle.

Bred by Victorian couple John and Christine Yeomans, she is a seven-year-old mare with a wealth of breeding on her dam’s side, being out of the Dream Away mare The Dreamtime, a member of the prolific Bright Alice family.

The Dreamtime, who won four races, was a half-sister to a fine racemare in Life Inthefastlane 1:54.7 ($264,566) and the metropolitan winners Awaitinginstructions 1:57.2 ($114,871) and Lanista 1:54.4 ($107,415).

Their dam, Indigenous (1:59.1), a Tasmanian Oaks winner of 14 races and $112,245, left 11 individual winners.

This has been one of Victoria’s most successful families over a long period. It was established in NZ by the Lordship mare Black Debate, who was later shipped to Victoria by Helen and the late Graham Head where she left a string of winners including Mabo (1:57.5), Jillette and Indigenous.

Uniquely Ideal unbeaten three-year-old

Uniquely Ideal, who won her second race from as many starts at the Ballarat Cup meeting, is a three-year-old filly who can claim some worthwhile blood.

By American Ideal, by Western Ideal from Lifetime Success, by Matt’s Scooter from Three Diamonds, Uniquely Ideal is out of the Real Desire mare Unique Desire, whose dam, Forest Glory (7 wins), ranked as a sister to Gloriette, dam of the Vicbred champion Secret Desire, their dam, Racist, being a half-sister to Lourenco Marques, the dam of the crack racemare Newbold Penny.

The family, which traces to the Tommy II mare Miss Tommy, produced a champion pacer in Lennytheshark, who won eight Group 1 races including the Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile and $3million in stakes, and other top pacers in Frith, Classic Garry, Provocative, Nolarama and Mother Courage.                                                                                                                                              

Uniquely Ideal was bred and is raced by Bruce and Vicki Edward.

Sew What makes the grade

One of the most capable mares racing in Victoria at present is Sew What (Western Terror), who has gradually made her way through the grades. She has won 16 races so far and $234,810 and has worked her way back to a NR 113 mark.

Sew What ranks as a half-sister to the Albion Park winner Sewican (1:55.4), being a seven-year-old Western Terror mare from a handy racemare in Sewinyaface (1:58.7), by Live Or Die from the Falcon Seelster mare Spring Thaw, a granddaughter of Sakuntala, the foundation mare of the Cummings’ Tuapeka Lodge, Lawrence in Central Otago.

Sewinyaface was a half-sister to the Victoria Ladyship Cup winner Talaspring 1:53.4 ($194,145), the Perth winner Hez The Artisan 1:57.7 ($135,919), the Albion Park victor Spring Campaign 1:53.6 ($109,082) and to Kabet (1:56), dam of the NZ Harness Million winner Off N Gone 1:50 ($316,332) and the Timaru Cup winner Above N Beyond.

Among others from the Sakuntala family have been the NZ Cup winners Iraklis and Monkey King, the Victoria Derby winners Brad Adios and Lavros Star, O Baby (Harness Jewels and QLD Oaks), Ermis, Blue And Royal and the outstanding Perth pacer Galactic Star.

Yearling sales kick off this weekend

Tasmania and Gold Coast will kick off the annual sales round this weekend. The Tasmanian Harness Yearling Sale, to be conducted by Nutrien Equine, will be held at Carrick Park on Friday and the Australian Pacing Gold will be staged at the Magic Millions, Gold Coast on Sunday.

The Tasmanian sale comprises 23 lots by 16 different sires, while the Gold Coast sale has 84 entries featuring the first crop of highly credentialled stallions Tall Dark Stranger, Capt Midnight and Ride High.

Well related three-year-old

Axe And Deez, an American Ideal three-year-old gelding and an impressive winner on debut at the midweek Melton meeting, is not short of rich relations.

He is out of Life Sign mare Consummation, a half-sister to the Bathurst Gold Tiara and Vicbred champion Distant Memory, dam of the Group winners Delightful Angel, Hows The Memory and Beach Memories.

Their dam, Macranda, a winner, left 14 individual winners and was the grand-dam of the Vicbred Final winner Sahara Breeze, the Mildura Cup winner Sahara Tiger, Sahara Sirocco, Starofshara and Our Money Rocks (1:50).

Axe And Deez was bred by Wagga enthusiasts Denis and Jo Howe.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink