Weekly spotlight on breeding

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Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.

Hunter Cup siring trifecta 

Rather a notable siring feat was credited to the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight at the Summer of Glory carnival at Melton, when he had four runners in a 12-horse field in the $500,000 A. G. Hunter Cup. 

Three of his stock, Leap To Fame, the reigning Inter Dominion champion, the En Zedder Don’t Stop Dreaming and Max Delight finished first, second and third respectively, and his fourth runner, Beyond Delight, finished ninth. 

Leap To Fame became Bettor’s Delight’s fourth Hunter Cup winner, joining Tiger Tara (2019), Lazarus (2018) and Arden Rooney (2015). The Woodlands Stud flagship is now the most successful sire in the 75 year history of Victoria’s signature event. 

Bred by Paul Kahlefeldt’s Redbank Lodge Standardbreds, Leap To Fame is a five-year-old entire from the smart racemare Lettucereason 1:55.9 ($180,073), by Art Major from Left For Me (1:59), a grand producer by Fake Left from Our Lady Delwin, by Lordship. 

Leap To Fame’s first three dams have left 25 winners from 33 foals between them. 

Equalled trotters track record 

Callmethebreeze (Trixton), a trotter by an American sire out of an Italian bred mare, registered in France and imported to Australia, matched the track record of 1:53.1 held by Tornado Valley when he annexed the $300,000 Final of the Yabby Dam Farms Great Southern Star at Melton. 

It was Callmethebreeze’s second win from three starts on Australian soil and his mile in 1:53.1 was put up when he had nothing in his favour, drawing on the outside of the back row and being three-wide outside the dual Interdom champion Just Believe for the final 500 metres. 

Earlier in the night the six-year-old entire clocked 1:53.4 winning his heat in emphatic style. 

All told, Callmethebreze has won 14 races and $1.7million in stakes including Group 1 successes as a two, three and four-year-old in Europe and a Group 1 in Victoria at six. 

Bred by renowned French studmaster Philippe Allaire, of Haras de Bouttemont, Normandy, Callmethebreeze was gotten by the Muscle Hill horse Trixton, a Hambletonian winner and 1:50 sire, from Gilly Lb (1:58.7), by Supergill (son of Super Bowl) from Rasia Lb, by Nevele Pride from the American-bred Caryn Lobell. 

Besides Callmethbreeze, Gilly Lb, a dual Group 1 winner of $341,952, left Onestar Lb, 1:57.3 ($144,271), who was imported by leading Victorian breeder-owner Pat Driscoll as a broodmare prospect in 2016. 

However, Onestar Lb has proved a shy breeder, leaving only three foals so far including a talented racemare in Courmayeur (1:58.4), a winner of eight races and a finalist in the Vicbred and Breeders Crown. 

Callmethebreeze is certain to add interest to the Australian breeding scene when he hangs up his racing plates. 

Frankie Ferocious’ Bonanza 

Frankie Ferocious, who won the $75,000 4YO Bonanza at Melton, after appearing to be hopelessly out of it at one stage, has now won 11 races and is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class. He ranks as a four-year-old brother by Captaintreacherous to the Group 1 Queensland winner Captain Shuffles 1:51.3 ($190,829). 

Captain Shuffles has won 12 races to date including the $106,000 QBred Triad 3YO. Both were bred and are raced by veteran Brisbane horseman Bill Crosby. 

Morethanmeetstheye 1:56.2 ($112,059), the dam of Frankie Ferocious and Captain Shuffles, was a P B Bullville mare from the QBred Triad winner And More (2:00), by Fake Left from Native Lady, by Land Grant.  

Morethanmeetstheye, a QBred Breeders Classic winner, was a half-sister to the Menangle winner Conada (1:58.4) and to the As Promised mare At Least, dam of the QBred Triad 2YO champion Jack Malone 1:54.8 ($112,746) and the Albion Park winners Steveejay (1:55.1) and Not The Kingswood (1:55.7). 

This has been one of the most successful branches of the Norice family, And Moore being a sister to the Albion Park winner All That, who in turn, left a useful pacer in Feelingforamiracle (1:53.5). 

Cup winner by Sweet Lou 

Classic Choice, who won the Media Guild Cup at Gloucester Park – Alcopony and Solesseo Matuca filled the placings behind him – has been an ultra-consistent performer since being imported from NZ. 

He is a grand stayer and one of the best progeny of the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou, who sired top pacers of the calibre of Spirit Of St Louis, Never Ending, Cantfindabettorman and others.  

Classic Choice is a seven-year-old gelding from Heart Of Jessie (2:01.1), by Bettor’s Delight from the good producer Jessie Grace, by Vance Han                                                                                                                                                       over from Ollie’s Chance, by Colonel Kenton (grandson of Light Brigade) from Take A Chance, by Jack Chance – a pedigree with some real background with a strong staying influence behind it. 

Sugar Apple, also by Sweet Lou, who won on the same card at Classic Choice, is another member of this family. Both were bred off Woodlands Stud. 

Well related three-year-old 

The Answer (Sweet Lou), who won the Garrard’s Horse & Hound 3YO Gold Chalice at Melton, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when she won a maiden race at the Melbourne headquarters track. 

She has opened her three-year-old season in great form, finishing third in the Graham Head Memorial at Shepparton and the VHRC Caduceus Classic (Melton) before her convincing end-to-end triumph last weekend. 

She is a filly by the Yankee Cruiser horse Sweet Lou from Boadicea’s Fury (1:54), dam also of Rocknfury (1:58.8). 

Boadicea’s Fury ranks as a half-sister to the Vicbred finalist Mia From Memphis (1:55.4), being by Live Or Die from the Melton victor Armbroosky (1:57.8), by Armbro Operative from the Soky’s Atom’s mare Roosky, who left four winners including Manassa Sky (1:54.5), who won 10. 

The Answer was bred and is part-owned by Jenny Curran. 

Loyalist in 1:49.8 

The NZ bred gelding Loyalist (Bettor’s Delight)has joined the ever growing list of horses to enter the 1:50 list in Australia. He recorded 1:49.8 when he was successful in the $30,600 J. E. Binskin Free-for-all at Menangle last Saturday. 

By the Cam’s Card Shark horsed Bettor’s Delight, Loyalist is from Loyal Arden, by Art Major from the Walton Hanover mare Tosca Hanover NZ, dam of the NZ Cup and A. G. Hunter Cup winner Arden Rooney and the prolific Menangle winner Arden Messi. 

Loyalist was bred by Steve Baucke and David Sutherland. 

Waratah winner 

One of the most capable young pacers racing in NSW at present is Wills Way (Somebeachsomewhere), the longshot winner of the $25,500 Waratah Final at Menangle. 

Wills Way has a background of blood to back up his claims to further promotion, being a five-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere from Annas Innocent, by Bettor’s Delight from the outstanding racemare and dual Oaks winner Innocent Eyes. 

Annas Innocent, who took a mile record of 1:57.2, left others in the metropolitan winners Mea Culpa 1:54 ($191,282) and Rock Of Delight 1:55 ($126,912) and last season’s juvenile winner Mondello Beach (1:57.1). 

Annas Innocent was a half-sister to the good Perth winner Cordero 1:56.3 ($221,235) and to the unraced Art Major mare Without Guile, dam of the Vicbred champion and 4YO Bonanza winner Bondi Lockdown 1:50.3 ($459,567), the Group placegetter Rocknroll Eyes 1:53.6 ($172,707), Joeys Hangover 1:56.4 ($110,850) and the APG Gold Bullion runner-up Will He Reign (1:56.5). 

This is the family which produced the Cups winner and successful colonial sire Restrepo, Major Rush (Northam Cup), Goodfellaz (The San Simeon), Galante ($202,300), Carabao and the WA Gold Bracelet winner Lady Maryclaire. 

SA yearling sale on Sunday 

The Southern Stars Yearling Sale will be held at the Barossa Gawler Jockey Club on Sunday, starting at 1:15.  

The sale features yearlings by Captain Crunch, Stay Hungry, Rock N Roll Heaven, Always B Miki, A Rocknroll Dance, Betting Line, Tintin In America, Soho Tribeca, Bling It On and Major Secret. 

They are eligible for two-year-old sales races in 2025 worth $25,000 and $50,000. 

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink