Captains Mistress from Mile winning family

Captains Mistress, the commanding winner of the Group 1 $200,000 Queen Elizabeth II Mile (formerly the Ladyship Mile) at the feature harness racing meeting at Menangle, is a member of the same family as that which produced earlier winners of the race in Dream About Me (2019) and Adore Me (2015). 

Bred by Todd and Fleur Anderson’s Taffy Limited from Winton in New Zealand’s Southland district, Captains Mistress is a four-year-old Captaintreacherous mare out of the 2024 NZ Broodmare of the Year Imaginary Bet, the dam also of the standout pacer and 10-time Group winner Merlin. 

Arrhythmia, the end-to-end winner of the Group 1 $200,000 NSW Oaks, was bred and is raced by Victorians Danny Zavitsanos and Ray Sellwood and the Tasmanian Warren Viney.  

The thrice Group winner is a daughter of the Auckland Cup and dual Derby winner Vincent and the Group winning Somebeachsomewhere mare Jo An Leonie, the dam of four winners from four foals of racing age including the Listed winner Jo An Jo. 

She belongs to the same maternal family as top pacers the calibre of Majestic Cruiser, Miki To Success, Bus To Harland, Her Sparky Self and Robric Jonboy. 

Shes A Delaney, who posted her third success from six starts in the Listed $30,600 NSW Pink Bonnet, was bred by the Picker family of Yirribee Pacing Stud, Wagga and was a $20,000 purchase at the Nutrien Equine Sydney Yearling Sale in 2025. 

By Captain Crunch and one of the third crop of the Captaintreacherous horse, Shes A Delaney is out of the Roll With Joe mare No Escape, a member of the immediate family of the top flight performers Soho Tribeca, Carla’s Pixel, Villagem, Nostra Beach and Miss Graceland. 

Seasider, who took out the Listed $150,000 Regional Championship State Final, is a four-year-old gelding by Downbytheseaside and thus the fourth winner on the night carrying the blood of the great Somebeachsomewhere. 

Bred by Penrith horseman Simon Ellul, Seasider is the second foal and winner from the McArdle mare Miss McArdle, a half-sister to Celtic Spirit (1:47), the cups winner Rick Reilly and the Listed winner Bledisloe. 

Rockinwithattitude, the winner of the Group 1 $100,000 Macarthur Mile, is a six-year-old by the deceased Muscle Hill horse Aldebaran Eagle from a predominantly pacing family including the likes of Life Inthefastlane, Tanabi Bromac, Indigenous and Brutally Handsome. 

Gladiatrix, who boomed home from midfield to claim the Group 1 $75,000 NSW Trotters Oaks, is a three-year-old filly by last season’s leading first crop sire Elite Stride (son of Muscle Hill) out of the dual Listed winner Maximiser, who also produced the 2023 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year and Australasian two-year-old trotting male record holder Maximus Meridius. 

Gladiatrix was bred and is raced and trained by the well known McDowell family, who trained her dam Maximiser and grand-dam Frozen Funds NZ. 

Alabar Bloodstock’s sires left half of the six feature winners on the night in Captain Crunch, Vincent and Elite Stride, while Downbytheseaside stands at Woodlands Stud, Captaintreacherous is available from Empire Stallions and Aldebaran Eagle stood at Aldebaran Park.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink