In the famous speech of Shakepeare’s Hamlet, the speaker is tossing up the pros and cons of life and death. To be or not to be alive.
For me, alive and well, the pondering has been over the PGG Wrightson Sale of the Stars catalogue when it fell open at lots 340 and 341. On the left lot 340 Phoebe’s Delight, and on the right lot 341 Phoebe Royale.
They are both bay fillies, and both the first foal of their dams. Both dams are mature mares – Phoebe Lindenny is a 6yo, and Phoebe Revival is an 8yo.
And there the similarities end. As far as I can tell, the naming is just a coincidence.
Phoebe’s Delight is pacing bred, by Bettor’s Delight from an unraced Christian Cullen mare. Phoebe Royale is trotting bred, by Monarchy out of a Wrestle (Game Pride x Tussle) mare.
While both pedigree pages show some nice black type in the family, on closer examination it’s hard to pick the yearling which will be getting looked at more often in her box.
The Bettor’s Delight filly is from the historically rich Sunburn/No Paba family which means the names of outstanding horses like Beach Towel, Northview Punter and more recently Nearea Franco and Nike Franco appear on the page without it being a stretch. It is a tricky family to read and is it reaching into the future?
The trotting filly’s credentials are less obvious but very consistent, and it is a family that seems to be strengthening again in this branch. It is not flashy but it is consistent. Could it step up the notch it needs to and produce something like William Dee again?
Phoebe’s Delight – Lot 340 – by Bettor’s Delight x Phoebe Lindenny
Owner: D J Bennett, Ms L A Joyce
Breeder: D J Bennett, Ms L A Joyce
Preparer: Dennis Bennett, Lindenny Lodge
The yearling’s dam, Phoebe Lindenny, is a Christian Cullen daughter of No Paba – one of 8 filly foals from the mare, who has produced 14 foals to date (8 to race for 7 winners). Of those 8 female foals, understandably many of them are being tried as broodmares, regardless of whether they were ever performers on the track. At the 2014 Australasian Classic yearling sale at Karaka, Neat Franco’s colt (Boss Man) sold for $25,000, and in February this year her yearling colt (Veluti) sold to Australian interests for $20,000. These are not outstanding prices for colts from a full sister to Nearea Franco. A lot more lucrative action has come from the progeny of Nearea Franco herself – Nike Franco was sold privately and has been a top performer in Australia earning well over $250,000, and her next foal, also a filly, is by Falcon Seelster and as yet untried as a 4yo mare with Spreydon Lodge, so maybe heading straight to the broodmare barn? There is a Bettor’s Delight 3yo filly also retained by Spredon Lodge, called Nyree Franco and she would be worth looking out for this season at the races. Neverland Franco and Nightshade Franco are two more Badlands mares from No Paba that are breeding on. There’s even a P-Forty-seven daughter called Ians Choice that is being given a go with some local sires. The next filly from No Paba after that was Phoebe Lindenny, the dam of Phoebe’s Delight.
At the 2016 Premier yearling sale in Christchurch a Mach Three daughter of Nearea Franco is up for sale from Spreydon Lodge, about 20 lots earlier than Phoebe’s Delight and that could serve the filly well as the wash over from unsuccessful bidders may send a wave in her direction. Of course in between those two lots is another yearling filly from No Paba herself, by Sir Lincoln, who of course has Beach Towel from the mare’s maternal line in his own maternal line. A nice bit of thinking about breeding. She’s called Barras Princess – owner: T Nicholas, preparer: Stefanie Nicholas, breeder: Brisbane Pastoral Company Pty Ltd.
It is a funny family to work out, and like some other exceedingly well-related mares brought here from North America, it is not at all certain that they will outshine the home-grown mares in terms of producing winners and standouts. For this family, the record does favour the fillies.
For those who feel they can unlock the mystery on a more consistent basis – you have three very interesting, well bred fillies to check out at the yearling sales in Christchurch.
Phoebe Royale – Lot 341 by Monarchy x Phoebe Revival
Owner: J R Honeybone, G D Beckett, Mrs D R Beckett
Breeder: J R Honeybone, G D Beckett, Mrs D R Beckett
Preparer: Gael Murray
Check out the Phoebe Stud website here
There is some good black type in this yearling’s pedigree too – of the trotting kind. William Dee is the standout, from her great-grandam Life Line. He’s an Interdominion Champion as well as the winner of a cluster of Group 1 and 2 races and over $344,000 in stake earnings. Life Line also produced Great Life who raced well in America, and the nice trotting mare Ashley Blossom (4 wins, 18 places), who is the dam of 19 win Group 1 winning son Don King, raced in Victoria. Another daughter of Life Line is Ashley Sunset by Sundon, who has produced 3 good winning foals to date – Phoebe Sunset, Phoebe Gladiator, and Phoebe Revival, and the latter is the dam of Phoebe Royal, her first foal. You can see their wins and stake earnings in the catalogue entry for this filly.
A quick aside: another of Ashley Sunset’s foals was racing at Gore today, and I took a cheeky 1/2 bet on her after seeing the connection with this blog and also seeing her consistent formline to date (which is always reassuring in trotters). When I read the Trottech comments online that described her as “Nibbling at the crumbs. Main course appears off the menu today. First 4 fringe” my mind was made up – what a snarky way to describe a consistent form for a trotter who has only had 9 starts! And I enjoyed seeing her trot well all the way around on a fast pace and stick on strongly for third – a paying $6 for a place! Hohoho.
The last horse from this family to the yearling sales was a very nice looking Muscles Mass colt from Ashley Sunset, bought by Robbie Close for $12,000 earlier this year.
To be honest, I think this new branch is a cracker. Phoebe Revival has done a great job on the racetrack. She had a start as a 2yo, won as a 3yo and 4yo, had a super season as a 5yo and retired as a 6yo with 9 wins and 16 places and $62,014. Her sire is Wrestle who did his siring in tiny numbers over many years and came up with a total of 76 live foals for 14 winners. Yet if you look at his pedigree you would be well excused for thinking you were looking at the pedigree of one of the best sires bred here in that era. Tussle, his dam, was a freakishly good and very tough mare, small in stature but one of my favourites of all time. Her own sire was Tuft and she was the only one bred on that cross from her dam Kimmer. Tuft was a Star’s Pride horse from a Dean Hanover mare. Fantastic!
Note that this yearling filly Phoebe Royale has Tuft 4×4. He also comes in as the sire of Life Line, the filly’s great grandam. Tuft is a name that pops up in many topline New Zealand pedigrees, from Changeover and Chokin to Count Isa, Call Me Now and Above The Stars. And of course, William Dee.
Finally, never under-estimate the great breeding of Monarchy, the sire of this yearling filly. We have come to take it for granted but his dam and grandam were super performers and broodmares.
No photos yet on the website for either of these yearlings, but I am sure they will come.
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