Don Hunter from Breeders Challenge winning line

Don Hunter (Huntsville), the winner of an opening round heat of the NSW Breeders Challenge two-year-old series at Menangle and who has won five of his seven starts, is a son of Miss Halfpenny, who won the Breeders Challenge 2YO Final herself in 2018.

Furthermore, Miss Halfpenny is a half-sister to the 2021 Breeders Challenge three-year-old champion Anntonia and to Rocknpenny, who captured the Breeders Challenge 2YO Regional series in the same year.

Other members of this family have been the NSW Ladyship Mile winner Our Sixpence, the Oaks winner Threepence, Humble (1:49.4) and Ideal Crown (NZ Caduceus Club Southland Classic).

The top priced yearling at last year’s Australian Pacing Gold Sydney sale at $140,000, Don Hunter was bred by Phil and Denise Thurston, of Celestial Standardbreds, Forbes (NSW).

The colt is one of three heat winners sired by Huntsville, the others being Slip Slidnaway (colt) and Birdsong (filly), the latter from the same family as the Breeders Challenge winners Willing Whiz (1989) and Cuttheattitude (2009).

Slip Slidnaway is the 15th foal and 11th winner out of the Perfect Art mare Slip Slop Slap, whose produce include the Group 1 winners Jilliby Kung Fu and Alby Two Chains.

The Captaintreacherous colt Disturbance, who won a heat at Newcastle, is another with close family ties to the NSW Breeders Challenge. He’s a brother to Lux Aeterna, who won the two-year-old final in 2023 and the four-year-old decider in 2025, and a three-quarter brother to the Regional series two-year-old victor Crunch Time.

Disturbance, a $100,000 buy at the Nutrien Equine Sydney sale, was bred by Doug and Janet Moore’s Brooklyn Lodge Stud and the La Spina family.

Boystrous (by Tall Dark Stranger), the Wagga heat winner, is out of the Sportswriter mare Minaj, a sister to the brilliant but ill-fated 2YO Colt of the Year Lumineer, while Sophie’s Wish, a heat winner at Newcastle, is a Bettor’s Wish filly from Slick Sophie, a daughter of the dual Listed winner Sophie’s Ideal.

The other Breeders Challenge two-year-old heat winners were Tri Time (Soho Tribeca-Holm Three), She’s A Delaney (Captain Crunch-No Escape) and Comeandsee (Cattlewash-State Of Euphoria).

Second round heats carrying a stake of $15,000 will be held at Menangle on October 6 with $25,000 semi-finals at Menangle on October 17 and $150,000 Finals at Menangle on October 31.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink