Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America brought to you by Yabby Dam Farms & Racing!

Yabby Dam Racing, principal Pat Driscoll’s dream to breed and race world class trotters was born after seeing a billboard on the Champs Elysees in Paris advertising the famous trotting race the Prix d’Amerique. Driscoll attended the Prix d’Amerique and immediately a love affair with the trotter was formed.

Driscoll spent the next five years visiting world class trotting establishments in Europe before embarking on his own venture here in Australia where he has lead the charge in the significant advancement of Southern Hemisphere trotting.

My Ultimate Barney eyes Derby

The Downbytheseaside colt My Ultimate Barney, who may be fitted for the Queensland Derby next month, returned to the winning list beating older, more experienced rivals at Melton last Saturday.

He had been placed in three of his previous six starts this season. 

A well developed youngster, possessing both speed and stamina, My Ultimate Barney won six races as a two-year-old last season and was placed in the Bathurst Gold Crown.

My Ultimate Barney’s dam, Treasure Me, was only lightly raced, being by Sweet Lou from Revere Me, an unraced mare, and by Bettor’s Delight, the leading sire in both Australia and NZ for the past decade.

Revere Me was out of Scuse Me (1:53.5), a Great Northern Oaks and Taylor Mile winner who became the dam of 13 individual winners headed up by the Miracle Mile winner Have Faith In Me 1:47.5 ($2 million) and the NZ Cup heroine Adore Me 1:47.7 ($1.6 million). Scuse Me was the NZ Broodmare of the Year twice.

Won NSW Waratah

Play It Cool, who won the Waratah Final at Menangle, has now won three races and is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class. He ranks as a four-year-old brother by Bettor’s Delight to the NSW and Victorian Group and Listed winner Betabcool 1:51.4 ($679,724), who later raced successfully in North America.

Cool Sandy, the dam of Play It Cool and Betabcool, was a Sands A Flyin mare from Andrew’s Song, by Oblivion from Andrew’s Sister, and proved a most successful broodmare. She is also the dam of the NZ winner Cool Changes (1:57.3) and the NSW provincial winner Virginia Cool (1:55.1).

Cool Sandy won only once but she was a half-sister to the NZ Kindergarten Stakes and Victoria Derby heat winner So Cool (1:58.1), the exported Athendoftheday (1:52.8) and Oh Carol, dam of the Menangle winner Nick Of Time (1:53.7) and the Albion Park victor Whole Lotta Rosie (1:54.2).

Play It Cool was bred by Geraldine breeder Phillipa Hanley.

The Protostar bound

The Downbytheseaside colt Cardigan Dan became the latest graduate to the $500,000 The Protostar at the Brisbane winter carnival when he won the Durham Park 2YO Rising Star at Ballarat, covering the 1710 metres at a 1:53.6 rate.

Bought for $45,000 at the Nutrien Equine sale in Melbourne in 2024, he has won two of his three starts to date.

By the Somebeachsomewhere horse Downbytheseaside, Cardigan Dan is out of the former 3YO Filly of the Year and seven-time Group winner Rocknroll Magic 1:54.5 ($466,183), by Rcok N Roll Heaven. Rocknroll Magic left others in the Breeders Crown champion Let Her Roll (1:53.2), Michaywey (1:59.4) and Littlebitofmagic.

Rocknroll Magic was out of All The Magic, by Live Or Die from Celebrity Ball, a Presidential Ball mare from the prized matron Larrakeyah Lady.

Rocknroll Magic was a half-sister to the freakish pacer Ride High 1:49 ($289,427), now siring winners in Victoria, the Listed winner High Above 1:52.5 ($236,530) and the Group 2 winner Always Fast (1:52.8).

The Larrakeyah Lady family has had a terrific influence on Australian breeding through several branches.

Star four-year-old mare by Always B Miki        

A bright future is being predicted for the Always B Miki four-year-old Can Be A Ruebe, whose success in the Warragul Pacing Cup was her fourth winning run from only 12 starts.

She has a good deal in her favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Always B Miki, and one of his third crop, Can Be A Ruebe is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Can Can Bromac, the dam also of the Queensland The Western Star winner Madrigal (1:53). 

Can Can Bromac, who was unraced, was a half-sister to Rhianna Reigns 1:54.5 (9 wins), being out of Cha Cha Bromac, by Art Major from Classic Blue Jeans, by Camluck from the Albatross mare Oh Please, and descending to the famous American taproot Maggie Gaines.

This is the family of the NZ Cup winner Cruz Bromac, District Attorney (NSW Treuer Memorial), Attorney General (1:48.4), Our Cullen’s Crown ($491,044), Cullen Bromac (Vic. Youthful), Cheyella and the top Tasmanian pacer The Majority.

Well related three-year-old

There was never much doubt that Fate Awaits was the season’s top rating three-year-old in Queensland as he was the previous season at two years, and he has duly confirmed his class by effortlessly winning his first start this campaign at Albion Park last Saturday.

Starting from the outside gate, the Always B Miki colt worked forward to face the breeze and proved a class above his rivals.

It was his eighth success from 14 starts and lifted his stake tally to $435,036.

Bred by Phil and Denise Thurston, Fate Awaits is out of For All We Know (1:54.2), by Art Major from Tout Le Monde, by Mach Three from Front Cover Lover, a What’s Next half-sister to the champion racemare Under Cover Lover.

This is the family which produced such winners as Bettor Cover Lover, Amore Vita, Vampiro, Match In Heaven, Major Trojan and others.

Breeding of The Pure Steel winner

The most important race at the opening winter meeting at Gloucester Park, the $30,000 The Pure Steel, was won by the Cam’s Fool gelding Cam’s Boulder, who led throughout.

Cam’s Boulder, a nine-year-old, has not done a great deal of racing, having averaged nine starts a season. In four seasons of racing the gelding has won 10 races and has been 16 times placed from 55 starts for $84,548.

By the Cam’s Card Shark horse Cam’s Fool, he is out of the handy racemare Beautiful Night (1:58.2), by Western Terror from P J’s Dream (1:59.3), by Dream Away from In The Road, by In The Pocket.

Cam’s Boulder was bred by leading Perth breeder Neven Botica.

Up-and-coming trotter

One of the most promising trotters racing in Victoria is Jilliby Ballerini, part-owned and trained by Marg and Paddy Lee. A four-year-old, Jilliby Ballerini is in her second season of racing, but from 14 starts she has won four – including two at Melton – and been eight times placed.

Jilliby Ballerini has a background of trotting blood second to none. Her sire, Majestic Son, has left the great NZ trotter Oscar Bonavena and other top trotters in Majestic Man, Majestuoso, Watts Up Partyime, Glenferrie Typhoon and Plymouth Chubb.

Her dam, Shesasundon, is by Sundon, the leading sire of trotters for many years.

Jilliby Ballerini ranks as a half-sister to a fine racemare in Shesawish, winner of the Holmfield and Vicbred Homegrown 3YO Classic.

Sheasundon, a useful trotter herself, was a half-sister to the Nutrien 3YO Classic winner Prince Of Rock (1:57.2) and the good Menangle winner Princess Faith (1:56.2).

The family, which traces to the prized matron Maori Miss, produced a champion trotter in Maori’s Idol (1:59.3), who won 40 races including 24 on end, and other top trotters in Noopy Kiosk, Maori Time, Danny Bouchea, Spidergirl and Keayang Zahara.

Jilliby Ballerini was bred by Malcolm and Joan Shaw and their daughter Louise Pangrazio.                                                    

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink