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.

Young Bluey wins Mildura Cup

The signature race in Victoria’s Sunraysia district, the $30,000 Mildura Pacing Cup, was won by the Betting Line gelding Young Bluey, who downed the strongly favoured Catalpa Rescue in a keen finish.

Young Bluey, who was bought for $20,000 at the Australian Pacing Gold Melbourne sale in 2021, has been one of Victoria’s most consistent pacers over the past two seasons. He has chalked up 10 wins and 16 placings from 39 starts for $111,891 in stakes.

A five-year-old gelding, Young Bluey is out of Lots A Blue, an unraced mare, by Courage Under Fire, an In The Pocket horse who won a record six Derbies and belonged to the noted Entice family.

Lots A Blue was out of Kaseba, by Classic Garry (Garry Rowan-Gay Acres) from the Windshield Wiper mare Magi Lune, dam of the Inter Dominion heat winner Hexus 1:55 ($555,199) and the second dam of the exported Stars Align 1:48 ($860,241).

Young Bluey was bred by Brisbane enthusiast Adam Cahill.

American influence on Melton winners

There is an American influence about the breeding of four winners at Melton last Saturday – Sir Jimmy, Big Bad Ossie and Odin.

Sir Jimmy, a winner of seven of his 17 starts, is a four-year-old Art Major gelding from the Western Ideal mare Carolsideal USA 1:50.6 ($545,401), the dam of other winners in Keayang Payton and Carolsdiamond. He was bred and is raced by Bruce and Vicki Edward.

Big Bad Ossie, who was bred by Shepparton breeder Ross Gange, is a six-year-old gelding by Life Sign from the Artsplace mare Trulyawork Of Art, a half-sister to three sub 1:50 winners including Northern Luck, the leading sire in WA for many years.

Odin, also bred by the Edwards, is a four-year-old gelding by Art Major out of Molly’s Ideal, by American Ideal from the American-bred Molly’s Lucky Star, by Bettor’s Delight from Pacific Destiny, an Artsplace half-sister to the millionaire and successful sire Pacific Fella.

Odin ranks as a half-brother to the Victoria Cup and Derby winner and Breeders Crown champion Act Now 1:52.6 ($910,885).

By Poster Boy

The Somebeachsomewhere horse Poster Boy, who stands at Llowalong Farms in Victoria, continues to churn out some smart three-year-olds from his first crop.

The Highlight Reel, who won the Nutrien Sales Classic as a two-year-old, and Cigano captured the two heats of the Nutrien three-year-old series at Melton last weekend.

The Highlight Reel, the winner of six of his 10 starts and $294,300, is a colt by Poster Boy from the Rocknroll Hanover mare Rockin Diva, who belongs to a noted family. She was out of Atworthy Maid, by Presidential Ball from Crown Velvet, by Thor Hanover from a fine racemare in Purple Para, by Aachen.

Crown Velvet left a top flight pacer in Croesus ($253,050), a dual Group 1 winner, and the cup class trotter Velvet’s Bee Gee ($134,600).

Cigano, who has four wins from six starts, is the first produce of the Melton winner Frankincense (1:55.3), by Betterthancheddar from Our Poppi Girl, by In The Pocket from the Glen Almahurst mare She’s Cool, a blind mare who established a very successful branch of the Pride of Lincoln family.

It included such winners as the dual Derby winner Menin Gate ($574,758), the triple QBred Triad winner For Real Life, Smooth Showgirl (Seymour Nursery), the dual Vicbred champion Rocknrollrolla, Fourbigmen, Some American (Breeders Crown 3YO), Aussie Scooter (1:49.8) and the Group winning trotters Aleppo Sunrise and Alpha Male.

Lulu Mae in top form

The Sweet Lou mare Lulu Mae is proving one of the ‘finds’ of the season in Queensland, particularly among the female brigade. She has won seven of her 10 outings, the last four end.

Lulu Mae has a background of blood to back up her claims to further promotion, being by Sweet Lou from Bettor Stepaside, by Bettor’s Delight from Stepaside, by Jeremy Lobell from Sally Eagle, by Eagle Armbro from the Garrison Hanover mare Tiny Sal and tracing to the noted foundation mare First Water.

Bettor Stepaside, a half-sister to seven winners, ranks as the dam of the Menangle winner Ella’s Reason (1:51.8), who later raced successfully in America.

Stepaside was a half-sister to the Listed winner Shy Alto (1:58.8) and the Bylaw mare Sarah Alto, dam of the Moonee Valley winners Slim Alto, Sarina Alto and Spot Alto.

A top Victorian pacer in Bitobliss belongs to this family. He won 24 races – nine at Group level – including the Kilmore Cup twice, 4YO Bonanza, Legends and the City of Melton Plate and $473,733 in stakes.

NSW Foundation Trot winner

The NSW Foundation Final, for four-year-old trotters, one of the features of the Menangle program, was won by G O A T, a North American bred trotter by Walner from This Dreams On Me.

Walner, a son of Chapter Seven, was a world champion juvenile and has been one of America’s top sires of trotters in recent years. 

He has sired such winners as Jiggy Jog S 1:49.4 ($3.1 million), Venerable (2YO Filly of the Year), the Breeders Crown champions Special Way and Winner’s Bet, King Of The North ($1.1 million), Ari Ferrari J and other top trotters.

This Dreams On Me, the dam of G O A T, was by Cantab Hall, who also distinguished himself as a sire of trotters, from Sleep Tight My Luv, by Credit Winner from the Stakes winner Bold Dreamer 1:55 ($531,258), dam of the champion trotting filly Pampered Princess ($1.6 million) and the top Canadian colt Was It A Dream.

This has been a most successful family, as Satins Pillows, a half-sister to Sleep Tight My Luv, was the dam of the Grand Circuit winner To Dream On ($975,395).

The latest NSW Foundation Trot winner, G O A T, has certainly a wealth of successful trotting blood on both sides of his pedigree.

The fastest skewbald ever

Always B Colour, an Irish bred four-year-old by Always B Miki, became the fastest skewbald in history when he clocked 1:52 at his North American debut in a $15,500 race at The Meadowlands last Saturday.

The entire is out of a mare by the Australian bred Rorschach, a skewbald by the great Preux Chevalier who raced successfully in Queensland in the 1990’s.

In the back removes of Always B Colour’s pedigree is the Meadow Skipper horse Rough Seas, who was imported from USA to Australia.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink