Bettor’s Delight, Majestic Son have strong ID2026 entry

The influence of leading sires Bettor’s Delight and Majestic Son underpins the breeding of the finalists in the Inter Dominion Pacing and Trotting Championships respectively at Albion Park on Saturday night. 

Bettor’s Delight has three runners in the $1 million pacing decider in pre-post favourite Leap To Fame, Minos and Max Delight. The Woodlands Stud flagship also figures as the damsire of the lone female entrant Captain’s Mistress, along with Nyack and Cheerstolou. 

Sweet Lou, the studmate of Bettor’s Delight, also has three representatives in Dangerous, Nyack and Cheerstolou. 

Alabar Bloodstock’s champion sire Art Major is dually represented by War Dan Buddy and Dashing, while the Artsplace horse is also the damsire of Leap To Fame, Minos and Max Delight. 

Captaintreacherous (Captain’s Mistress), Bay Of Biscay (Somebeachsomewhere), Always B Miki (Fighter Command), Tintin In America (Tim’s A Trooper) and Well Said (Triedtotellya) are singlely represented. 

Presidential Ball, who was part of the Alabar roster, is the sire of the dams of Dangerous and Triedtotellya. 

Max Delight is the oldest finalist at 10 and Captain’s Mistress the youngest at four. Five of the runners are five-year-olds, four are six-year-olds and the stablemates Leap To Fame and Tim’s A Trooper are seven-year-olds. 

Only three finalists are the first foals of their dams, namely Minos, Bay Of Biscay and Cheerstolou.  

Max Delight and Dashing are second foals, Fighter Command is a third foal, Leap To Fame, Dangerous and Nyack are fourth foals, War Dan Buddy (fifth), Captain’s Mistress (sixth) and Tim’s A Trooper and Triedtotallya (seventh). 

Five runners were bred in NSW, three in Victoria, two each in Tasmania and New Zealand and one in WA. 

In the $500,000 Trotting Grand Final, Majestic Son has the largest representation with three – Gus, Im Bobby and Gotfeelingsyouknow. He is also the damsire of Jilliby Dreamlover. 

Love You ranks as the sire of Toro Stride and Jilliby Dreamlover and the damsire of Lovemeto, while Skyvalley is the sire of Golden Sunset and the damsire of Im Bobby. 

Trixton (Arcee Phoenix), What The Hill (Lovemeto), Father Patrick (Mufasa Metro), Aldebaran Eagle (Rockinwithattitude), Wishing Stone (Keayang Stuka), Pegasus Spur (Zealous Spur) and Im Stately (Hide And Seek) have one runner each. 

Sundon and Monarchy both have two broodmare sire credits. The former is the damsire of Arcee Phoenix and Golden Sunset, while the latter figures as the damsire of Gus and Toro Stride. 

Zealous Spur and Golden Sunset are the oldest finalists as nine-year-olds and Jilliby Dreamlover, one of only three mares in the Grand Final, is the youngest at four. 

There are five six-year-olds in Lovemeto, Gotfeelingsyouknow, Rockinwithattitude, Keayang Stuka and Hide And Seek and four seven-year-olds namely, Gus, Arcee Phoenix, Im Bobby and Toro Stride. 

Mufasa Metro is an eight-year-old. 

Four of the finalists are the first foals of their dams – Gotfeelingsyouknow, Rockinwithattitude, Keayang Stuka and Jilliby Dreamlover. 

Toro Stride is a second foal and Im Bobby, Zealous Spur and Hide And Seek are all third foals. 

Arcee Phoenix and Golden Sunset are fourth foals, Lovemeto (fifth), Gus (sixth) and Mufasa Metro (ninth). 

No less than seven of the 13 finalists were bred in Victoria, five were bred in NZ and one in NSW.  

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink