b4breeding

Today Cambridge, a small town just south of Hamilton in New Zealand’s North Island, is playing host to William and Kate aka the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (appropriately for today, but I think referring to the Cambridge in England!) They are the Queen of England’s son and daughter in law, and the Queen is also the Queen of New Zealand and Australia, hence the visit downunder.

Cambridge NZ is, of course, a horse breeding centre famous more for its thoroughbreds than its standardbreds, but the place where many very good trotters and pacers have been born and raised. We have a track here which regularly holds harness meetings and hosts the Harness Jewels day every second year.

Lot 116 Karaka yearling sale 2014, a trotting colt by Majestic Son from Miss Whiplash, named Royal Willie.

I’m not a royal follower, but I thought it was appropriate to profile one of the yearlings that really caught my eye at the Karaka yearling sales this year – the delightfully named Royal Willie, a Majestic Son colt from the very good mare Miss Whiplash. What a handsome looking black colt with a strong white blaze! He had me clicking my camera quite a few times, not unlike the paparazzi and the people of Cambridge will be doing at the Royal Walkabout today.

He was passed in on vendor’s bid at $28,000 with a reserve of $40,000, which means he returned to the good care of the Parkers at Drury. Tony Parker is the breeder of many fine racehorses including the great Auckland Reactor.

Miss Whiplash is a half sister to one of my favourite trotters of yesteryear, Lilly The Pink who got a 3rd in the Interdominion Trotters Final. Miss Whiplash herself won 13 races including the Thames Trotting Cup and a second in the Rowe Cup.

They are all from the Nevele R mare Working Girl. Apart from having a lot of fun with the naming (Emma Hamilton, Dutch Annie, Madam Heidi etc), those involved in the offspring are getting some fine results on the racetrack. Miss Whiplash’s daughter Dutch Annie seems to be one of the strongest branches, with her first two foals, fillies by Majestic Son (Hot Pants) and Love You (Yougunnakissmeornot) both making good starts so far. Her third foal, another filly by Majestic Son, was also offered at the Karaka yearling sale by the Parkers, and also bought back on a bid of $20,000. Quite rightly as you wouldn’t want to be giving away fillies from such a strong family. Although having said that, I see her next foal was also a filly!

Likewise, Dutch Annie’s dam Miss Whiplash has produced overwhelmingly filly foals, and in fact Royal Willie is only her second colt foal out of 8 live foals (and several misses).

By the look of him on sales day, he will be yet another from the family to fly the flag – as many will be doing in Cambridge today for “Royal Wills” as he drives past with his princess.

Royal Willie