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.

First Australian bred millionaire trotter

The Orlando Vici gelding Just Believe achieved yet another moment of glory in a brilliant career when he became the first Australian bred trotter to reach seven figures in stake winnings.

His superlative success from the front end in the $50,000 V. L. Dullard Cup at Melton boosted his earnings to $1,011,673.

Just Believe won in the manner of a true champion, and the crowd accorded the eight-year-old a warm reception on his return to scale.

Summing up after the race, his driver Greg Sugars said that it was a perfect hit-out for Saturday night’s Group 1 $300,000 Great Southern Star.

“He’s just a wonderful horse and keeps getting the job done,” Sugars added.

Just Believe began racing as a three-year-old, winning once from eight attempts. He won a further six races at four, while as a five-year-old he included among his seven wins the Inter Dominion Grand Final at Melton, the Bill Collins Sprint and the Kilmore Trotters Cup.

One of his most memorable wins as a seven-year-old was the Inter Dominion Final at Albion Park, and at the same age he won the Great Southern Star, Australian Trotting Grand Prix and the Cochran Cup.

Bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms, Just Believe is a son of the French stallion Orlando Vici, a top trotter himself and who was later to stand stud in Victoria. Heavens Above, the America-bred dam of Just Believe, was a Like A Prayer mare from Armbro Odalisk, by Super Pleasure (son of Super Bowl) from Armbro Harem, by Joie De Vie (also by Super Bowl) from the Speedy Crown mare Armbro Blush, the champion trotting filly of her day, who won Stakes race in America and Canada.

The latest member of the ‘Million Dollar Club’ is certainly a splendid advertisement for Franco-American breeding.

Better Eclipse joins ‘Million Dollar Club’

Better Eclipse (Betterthancheddar) has joined the list of Australian bred pacers to top the million dollar mark in stake earnings. He reached the milestone when he was successful in the $50,000 Casey Classic at Melton last weekend.

By the Bettor’s Delight horse Betterthancheddar, a grand pacer himself, Better Eclipse is from Power Of Eclipse, by Northern Luck (a grandson of Cam Fella) from Cammag Girl, by Windshield Wiper from the Salvation mare Starting Out, and tracing to the a noted foundation mare in Miss Tommy.

Better Eclipse was bred by Victorian horseman Joe Bajada.

Won Ladyship Cup

One of Victoria’s top races for mares, the Group 2 $75,000 Ladyship Cup, at the Summer of Glory carnival was won by the Captaintreacherous mare Encipher, whose career lay in the balance after surgery to a broken pastern bone.

Encipher was racing midfield in the early running but moved upsides with the leader at the bell and finally won in a photo finish from Jilliby Willow and Rakero Rebel.

Bred and owned by Kadina (SA) horseman Tyson Linke, Encipher has banked $1,635,479 from 18 wins in 30 starts and is unquestionably one of the best racemares ever produced in this country.

She is a five-year-old by Captaintreacherous, a Somebeachsomewhere horse who is a leading sire in both hemispheres, from Our Cavort (1:57.9), by Falcon Seelster from Bizzie Girl, by In The Pocket from True Lies, by Holmes Hanover from the Lordship mare Laudit, and tracing to the imported mare Estella Amos.

Encipher is the first produce of Our Cavort, whose family includes horses the calibre of Seel N Print (WA Derby), Percy The Punter, Le Sol (NZ Kindergarten), Shanlou and All The Way.

Sergeant Lou is Derby material

Sergeant Lou (Sweet Lou), who won the $50,000 VHRC Caduceus 3YO Classic at Melton and is regarded as Derby material of the highest order, is a three-year-old colt by Sweet Lou from Bellas Delight, a top racemare who won three Group 1’s.

He is a member of an old fashioned NZ family which was also represented by the recent winner Le Belle Bijoux (1:55), a half-sister to Sergeant Lou. 

Bellas Delight was a Bettor’s Delight mare from Bella Aurora, by Northern Lights from Precious Milly, by What’s Next from the Harold Park winner Sheza Beauty, a mare by Torado Hanover. Bella Aurora left a useful pacer in Rockabella Starz (1:52.8), who won 15 races and $150,930, and Bella Sainz (1:56.2), a Sportswriter mare who left Valencia (1:53.2) and Smooth Bon Bon (1:56.1).

In the back removes of Sergeant Lou’s pedigree are classic and winners in Heza Jazza (Tas. Easter Plate), Everybody’s Shout (Tamworth Golden Guitar), Cheeky Chick (NSW Challenge Stakes 2YO) and Mister Karalta (Tas. Debutante).

Nights of Thunder winner

Jawsoflincoln (Art Major), who won the $50,000 Night of Thunder Final at Gloucester Park, and was bred in NSW, owned in SA and trained in WA, is a five-year-old pacer of some potential.

He has an all-American breeding background and one which has been most successful. By Art Major, Jawsoflincoln is out of the Presidential Ball mare Lincoln Room, who won four races in USA and took a mile record of 1:55.4. Lincoln Room, who was bred in New Jersey, was out of Hatchery (1:53.4), by Abercrombie from Crowded, by Albatross from Close Feeling, By Bret Hanover from Stand By, who founded a noted branch of the Midnight family.

Lincoln Room, who was imported by Melbourne breeders Colleen and Kevin Bamford, has left seven winners including four in 2:00. Besides Jawsoflincoln, a winner of 17 races and $139,430, she is also the dam of Art Rite (1:51.6), Room With A View (1:56) and Major Rainbow (1:56.4).

Jawsoflincoln was bred by John Markham, of Rainbow Farms, Muswellbrook (NSW).

Missed The Truth wins Tamworth Cup

The most important race in the northern NSW region, the $60,000 Garrard’s Horse and Hound Tamworth City Cup, was won by the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Missed The Truth.

Bred and raced by Rochester (Vic.) couple Mark and Sue-Ellen Thompson, Missed The Truth has not done a great deal of racing, having averaged 10 starts a season. In four seasons of racing he has won 11 races and has been 22 times placed from 41 starts for $153,156.

A five-year-old gelding, Missed The Truth is out of Lies (1:58), a handy racemare, by Total Truth, a Jenna’s Beach Boy horse who won the North America Cup and belonged to the noted May Taylor family.

Lies was out of the grand producer Karamea Toastime, by Armbro Aussie from the American-bred mare Toast To Missy, by Bret Hanover. Lies was a half-sister to the dual Vicbred champion Jadah Rose 1:49.6 ($465,424), the first Australian bred mare in the 1:50 list and the dam of a top colt pacer in Guaranteed (1:50.4), a winner of 24 races and $856,316 and now siring winners in Victoria.

Others from Karamea Toastime have been the Tasmanian Derby and Easter Cup winner Scooterwillrev 1:55.5 (253,673), the Tasmanian Sweepstakes winner Karalta Shine 1:52.6 ($168,973), the exported Timeseel 1:52.7 ($169,530) and the Dream Away mare Elegant Outlook, dam of the Albion Park winner Ajay Breezy Rose 1:55.1 ($140,110) and Karalta Kruise ($110,243).

Tigerpie is top Tasmanian pacer

 Rackemup Tigerpie (Rock N Roll Heaven), a gelding bred and raced by Victorian western districts horseman Ian Stanley, beat the best Tasmanian horses in commission in the $40,000 Hobart Pacing Cup last Sunday.

A nine-year-old by Rock N Roll Heaven, Rackemup Tigerpie has a wealth of breeding on his dam’s side, being out of the Albert Albert mare Victoria Street, a member of the prolific Millie C family.

Victoria Street, who was unraced, left a smart racemare in Bluecolla Tigerpie 1:53.8 ($212,507), a Group winner in three States, and others in Will Be Doc 1:55.3 ($115,078), Thebackpagescribe (1:54.7) and Vicstar Sharazz.

Victoria Street was a half-sister to the WA Rising Stars winner Sandler 1:55.9 ($125,101), their dam, Esperia Lee, being by Keystone Scotch from Game Hope, by Black Gamecock from the grand producer Sand Lass, by Brahman from Sandy Wave, by the trotter Good Report from Sarah Sands.

This has been one of Victoria’s most successful families over a long period. It was established by Edgar Tatlow at his Derby Lodge stud at Epping and was later bred from extensively by Leo and Marj Brennan.

Among others from this family have been the Victoria Mares Championship winner Lassken, Heliograph (Shepparton Gold Cup), Peter Rowan (WA Triple Crown), Skyring Boy, Tar And Cement and Gay Sands (SA Breeders Plate).

Breakthrough to Sanday 

Sanday, who outfinished a strong field in the $40,000 Breakthrough Final at Melton, has now won 14 races and looks a country cups candidate of the highest order.

A seven-year-old gelding, Sanday was gotten by the Western Hanover horse Western Terror from Ezee Duzit Lombo (1:57.5), the dam of others in Fletchas Roy (1:53.9) and Florenceofkintail (1:58.3).

Ezee Duzit Lombo, who won 12 races, was out of Ezee Lombo (1:58.3), by What’s Next from the Hilarion mare Liberty Lombo, dam of the good Perth winner Baylan Jett 1:54.2 ($171,807) and the WA Oaks heat winner Dynamite Freedom and the second dam of the Group 2 WA winner Alta Engen 1:49.8 ($213,271), the Victoria Rising Stars winner Looks Like Heaven 1:54.8 ($127,115) and Roman Aviator 1:53.8 (WA Great Southern Derby).

Lombo Quest, the winner of the WA Sales Classic and runner-up in the Australian Pacing Gold, is another member of this fine family.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink