Weekly spotlight on breeding

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every Friday brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.

Iolanta is top mare

Iolanta, winner of the Group 3 Richmond Lass at Melton, continues to prove herself in the top bracket among the Victorian female pacing ranks. She has now won seven races and $160,300 in stakes.

Iolanta is a member of one of New Zealand’s most successful families, being a four-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare from a handy racemare in Long Live Lana (2:01.2), an In The Pocket mare who has produced others in the Victoria and NSW Oaks heat winner Delightful Lana 1:54.5 ($148,269), Son Of Lana (1:57.9), Major Coo (unbeaten in two starts) and the Breeders Crown heat placegetter Rock N Roll Doo (1:55.6).

Long Live Lana was out of Infante Elana, a good producer by Soky’s Atom from Entrancing, by Mark Lobell from the Morano mare Coo Doo, the dam of 11 winners including the Kaikoura Cup winner Palestine, Finest Hour (1:55), the NZ Welcome Stakes winner Barbara Del and Stereo Light (Waimate Cup).

Infante Elana produced the multiple Albion Park winners Ruato Bay 1:53.8 ($128,600) and Nonno Stride 1:54.3 ($138,554) and the NZ winner Cabo Wabo. She was a sister to Conchita, the dam of the American Stakes winner Long Live America 1:55 ($265,648) and the Addington free-for-all winner Tennis Ball 1:56.3 ($186,277).

Iolanta winning at Melton – Stuart McCormick photo

Eye Can Run’s Championship

Eye Can Run, the longshot winner of the $100,000 NSW Regional Championship Metropolitan Final, is a four-year-old mare expected to graduate far beyond her present rating.

Eye Can Run is a mare by the American Ideal horse Heston Blue Chip, and one of his first crop, from Eye Betta Fly, by Bettor’s Delight from Grace Robinson, who established a great winning line for Mary, Jackie and the late John Gibson, of Success Stud, Young (NSW).

She left a top flight juvenile in Two Eye Cee 1:52.4 ($306,703), the NSW Breeders Challenge winners Eye See Diamonds 1:51.6 ($284,875) and Hardhitter 1:51.4 ($175,430) and the NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO Final victor Oh Eye See 1:54.5 ($101,705), the dam of the George Croxford Tribute winner Private Eye (1:50.3). Others from Grace Robinson have been Now Eye See (1:55.8), Eye Catching (1:56.8) and Roboat (1:57.4).

Two daughters of Grace Robinson to breed on with distinction were Zoeyzoey, an unraced Fake Left mare who left Seeuinnashville 1:51.1 ($137,457) and the SA Kindergarten winner Eye See Double, and Hava De Grace (by Jaguar Cam), the dam of the NSW Breeders Challenge 3YO Final winner Rockin Marty 1:50.8 ($175,955).

Grace Robinson was a daughter of one of the glamour racemare of the 1980’s in Jasmarilla, who won 50 races and $503,000 in stakes and held the Australian two-year-old mile record for some years at 1:57.3.

Eye Can Run was bred and is raced by Alex Smith and Russell Woods.

Siblings win at Albion Park

It was an unusual feat for the siblings Rocknroll Icon (by Rocknroll Hanover) and Looking Fabulous (by A Rocknroll Dance) to win on the same night at Albion Park last weekend.

Both were bred in Victoria by Bill and Anne Anderson, of Lauriston Bloodstock.

National Gallery (1:54.4), the race-winning dam of Rocknroll Icon and Looking Fabulous, was out of a handy racemare in Lil’s Dream, who took a time trial record of 1:55.7. Besides National Gallery (by Artsplace), she was also the dam of Outta Sight (1:59), Almaza and Limerick Star (1:59.2), who became the dam of None Bettor, a prolific winner at Albion Park who later took a record of 1:48.8 in America and the Victoria Sapling Stakes winner Abouttime (1:52.9).

One of Limerick Star’s daughters, Rosie Oreilly (1:56.5), a Melton and Menangle winner, left this year’s promising juvenile Irish Black Label (1:56.6).

National Gallery also figures as the dam of the highly promising Honolua Bay (1:51.9), a winner of nine of his 15 starts, and the exported Mach Up (1:53), a winner at Plainridge Park, Massachusetts last Monday.

The Choreographer breeding’s background

A bright future is being predicted for the A Rocknroll Dance five-year-old The Choreographer, whose success in the $100,000 Regional Championship Final at Newcastle recently was his fourth winning run from six starts this year.

He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by A Rocknroll Dance, and one of his first crop, The Choreographer is out of the Modern Art mare Modern Day (1:58.3), a Group 3 winning half-sister to the metropolitan winners American Legend 1:53.4 ($207,997), Ideal Situation 1:51.2 ($203,141) and More Than A Dream (1:57.7).

Their dam, Kidabout (1:59.2), a prolific Albion Park winner, was by Fake Left from Dreamy Sue, by Torado Hanover from Kid Sister, a Hilarious Way mare who produced The Gammalite winner Kid Me Not, Vic The Kid 1:52.4 ($141,399) and Don’t Kid Me 1:57.6 ($104,259), all Moonee Valley winners.

This is one of the best winning families in the Australian stud book as the first four dams of The Choreographer have left 17 winners from 28 foals between them.

The Choreographer. Photo by HRNSW

Half-brother to Keayang Cullen

Keayang Kreuzer, who won the $100,000 NSW Regional Championship Western Final at Bathurst, is a four-year-old half-brother to a Breeders Crown champion in Keayang Cullen 1:53.2 ($406,810) and to Keayang Storm (1:54.4).

They are out of a handy racemare in Inasafeplace (2:02.2), by Safely Kept from Arvee, by Smooth Fella from Aberfeldy, by Mark Lobell from the 1990 NZ Broodmare of the Year Black Watch.

Aberfeldy was a most successful broodmare, being also the dam of the Inter Dominion Consolation winner Reba Lord 1:56 ($384,880), the NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Megaera 1:56.8 ($250,646), Rebhan (NSW Carousel), Il Gusto (1:55), Rebec (2:00.4) and Jayee (dam of Sovereign Hill).

Inasafeplace was a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Patch Adams 1:51.2 ($409,444), Focussed (1:58.5), Prime Prospect and to the Nero’s B B mare Katoucha, the second dam of the dual Victoria Stampede winner Coastal 1:52.4 ($232,826).

Keayang Kreuzer was bred by the Craven family from Victoria’s Western District.

Keayang Kreuzer. Photo by HRNSW

Well related three-year-old

Newsy, who won the $50,000 WA Diamond Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when she won three of her four starts.

She has opened her three-year-old season on a winning note and will be well line for the remaining juvenile classics.

Bred by Woodlands Stud, Newsy is a filly by the Cam’s Card Shark horse Bettor’s Delight from Ultimate Art, and is the first of her produce to win.

Ultimate Art ranks as a half-sister to the Albion Park and USA winner Durango Kid 1:51.6 ($348,616), being by Art Major from a fine racemare in Princess Paua 1:53 ($152,007), by Vance Hanover from the Mark Lobell mare Paua Lobell, a sister to the former national mares’ mile record holder Egmont Inanga (TT1:57.9).

Wagga winner has strong bloodlines

Father Bob, who made a clean sweep of the Riverina division of the NSW Regional Championship at Wagga and has now won 11 races, is a five-year-old gelding with some potential.

He has an all-American breeding background and one which has been most successful. By Somebeachsomewhere (son of Mach Three), he is out the unraced Western Ideal mare Soho Beyonce and the first of her progeny to race.

Soho Beyonce, who was bred in Perth by Robert Watson, was out of Spank Me Hard (1:59.6), an Artsplace mare from the champion American filly and dual Breeders Crown winner Miss Easy 1:51.2 ($1.7 million).

Spank Me Hard, who was exported to Australia by prominent Victorian breeder-owner Kevin Riseley, figures as the dam of the good Gloucester Park and Albany Cup winner Greyhawk 1:56.9 ($139,961).

Father Bob was bred by Brian and Monica Bradley, of Coolamon (NSW).

Leading Victorian stud selling up

Jan Wills, who with her late husband Ken conducted Niota Bloodstock for 27 years, has decided to retire and sell all her horses.

The dispersal of their stock will be at the Nutrien Standardbred Winter Woolies Online Sale from June 4 to 7.

The Niota Bloodstock entries include eight broodmares, a Sebastian K two-year-old colt, a yearling colt by Luck Be Withyou and two yearling fillies by Centurion ATM.

Niota Bloodstock was the birthplace of the dual Vicbred champion Plettonic, the Cups winning trotter Belts and the recent Melton winner Mornings.

Up-and-coming trotters

Two of Australia’s star trotters at present, and both recent winners who promise to be a force in the major trotting races later in the year, are Monaro Maro (by Superfast Stuart) and Monaro Mia (by Imperial Count).

Monaro Maro, who won the Group 3 free-for-all at Melton, has now won 17 races and $176,885, while Monaro Mia, a winner at Menangle, has totted up 14 wins and $205,397.

Both bred in NZ by Maurice and Helen Wharton are from Monaro Miss, a useful trotter herself, and who is also the dam of promising three-year-old Monaro Mako.

Monaro Miss was by the Game Pride horse Wrestle, whose dam Tussle was an outstanding racemare, from Madame Dean, by No Fission (son of No Nukes) from Gay Afton, by Out To Win.

Eighth winner from broodmare

When the Art Major four-year-old Saint Win won at the Swan Hill Club’s May meeting, she credited her dam Torridon with her eighth individual winner.

Saint Win, bred and raced by Noel Watson, had shown good placed form on central Victorian tracks. Others from Torridon to win have been the Tontine winner Saint Flash 1:52.3 ($285,368), Courageous Saint 1:52.1 ($163,570), Torrid Saint 1:54.6 ($108,410), Saint Stormy (1:57.2), Four Star Saint (1:58.6), Saint Tommy (1:59.4) and Saint Grace (1:59.8).

Torridon, who is now in her 21^st year, has since produced a two-year-old gelding by A Rocknroll Dance and a yearling colt by Sunshine Beach. She is now safely in foal to Rock N Roll Heaven.

Torridon was a Safely Kept mare from Lauder Lass, by Armbro Aussie from My Double Birdie (1:57.4), by Birdie Hanover from the noted producer Birdie, dam of the NZ Derby and Free-for-all winner Dillon Dean, Dillon Dale and so on.

Inter Dominion winning breeder dies

One of the NSW Riverina’s best known standardbred breeders, Les Johnson, of The Rock, near Wagga, died last Sunday. He and his sons conducted Atworthy Park, a boutique breeding farm which was established more than 30 years ago.

Over the years they sent many top yearlings to the sales, including the 1995 Inter Dominion and Victoria Cup hero Golden Reign, the Australian Pacing Gold winner Croesus, Two Times Bettor, the Bathurst Gold Chalice winner Lifeonthebeach, We Salute You, Shineonucrazydiamond (1:50), Desirable Guy, Joseph Farran and many others.

Maajida, the 2019 2YO Filly of the Year and dual Vicbred champion, was bred and raced by Les and his family.

By Peter Wharton