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Results next week

Posted in Blogs 2010, Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , on August 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Thanks so much to all of you who entered my “boutique” competition about matching my mare  The Blue Lotus with the most suitable sire available.

It’s been fun and more than 20 entries received, and most of them being well thought out suggestions, which is what the competition was all about. A challenge.

I’ve met new and old connections through this, and it has been a real pleasure.

And a share of the subsequent foal as a prize.

You don’t stick to a word limit any more than I do, so I just overlooked that.

Competition is now closed.

Results by mid August.

I have to say that may of you know much more about breeding and pedigree matching than I do, and that’s great.  I love the knowledge and experience (and also “left field” ideas)  you bring to the table because my aim is to have a blogsite that helps us all learn and recognises those who are trying new or successful things. That includes me. I have found a lot of learning in the responses, and I appreciate the thought many of you have put into your entries.  I want to showcase what you have done, so will post up all entries (unedited) for people to read by mid August when the winner is announced.

 

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Competition ends 31 July 2014

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding on July 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

You still have time to put an entry into my “Match My Mare and Win A Share” competition.

You can win a FREE 5% share in a foal from a very commercial family – the mare is a half sister to stunning racehorse (now a sire) Tintin In America, and she was 3rd in the 3yo Fillies Sires Stakes Final behind
Carabella and Bettor Cover Lover. She has had a Bettor’s Delight filly (sold at yearling sale this year for $26,000) and is currently in foal to Shadow Play.

Who should she go to next? That’s what I want you to tell me.

You have no fees or costs to pay, and will get 5% of any earnings or any sale, whatever that might be.

The competition is open to anyone, anywhere. Entry is free.

Match My Mare

I’d like more entries, and remember that I’m looking for thoughtful entries that explain why a particular sire is a great match for my mare The Blue Lotus.

It may be reasons of pedigree, type, crosses of gold, commercial savvy, a mix, or something quite outside the square.

There is no right answer. I’m judging this on the quality of the thought going into it. You can ask me additional questions about the mare and family if you want further information.

Send your entries to me by email or by a comment on this or the original blog below, which explains the competition in more detail, although I have become relaxed about the length of entries so long as they are well written and interesting.

What the competition is about, the rules and how to enter. 

 

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Alta Christiano adds to Rosehaven’s sire credits

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , , on July 9, 2014| 1 Comment »

Another son of Christian Cullen joins the siring ranks, and that makes 6 of his sons at stud to date – and 3 of those are from the Rosehaven maternal family.

Those 3 sires are

  • Gotta Go Cullen (from Sparkling Burgundy, and 4th dam Rosehaven’s daughter Nancy Iola)
  • Stunin Cullen (from Vicario, a half sister to Sparkling Burgundy)
  • and now Alta Christiano (from Right This Time, who traces back to Nancy Iola’s half sister Black Watch).
Aberfeldy when she was 31

Aberfeldy when she was 31, with Ken Breckon

The Rosehaven family has been a dominant force in New Zealand breeding for decades, and breeders Sandy and Jan Yarndley established many of its branches and sold many progeny through the yearling sales at very good prices. Right: Picture of Aberfeldy (daughter of Black Watch) in 2009 when she was 31. Lovely article about her and a painting of her on Harnesslink 2006.

A trait of the family seems to be prolific breeding and long life – Rosehaven had 12 foals, Black Watch had 16, Aberfeldy had 18, Nancy Iola had 10, Burgundy Lass had 15, Vicario 10, Sparkling Burgundy 12 to date, Corbie 15 to date, which is a credit to the way these mares have been handled. Black Maire already has 9 foals on the ground and she’s only a 15yo.

The sheer numbers of branches and foals, plus the Yarndley’s preference for proven sires, and the quality of the family’s genes has led to a good many very top performing horses arising from the Rosehaven line – far too many to list here but they include the tough older mare Coburg,  the speedy fillies Megaera and Ciccio Star, the sensational Lauraella, the wonderful racehorse Il Vicolo.

In recent times, some of the branches haven’t kicked on much at all, but others have – and hence Alta Christiano brings the line back into the spotlight.

This branch of the family has been under the astute breeding eye of Tony Dickinson (Alta Breeding Co Ltd). Alta Christiano’s dam was the Fake Left mare Right This Time (now dead), and one of her daughters Alta Camilla (by In The Pocket) has already left the very handy son of Jereme’s Jet called Alta Jerome (currently 4 wins from just 11 starts, the last one just a week ago at Forbury Park). Another of her daughters (by Elsu) has been reitred from a pretty average racing career and bred to Mach Three.

When you compare the Rosehaven maternal line with some of the great maternal lines – like Golden Miss and Romola Hanover – that are powering great racing colts and sires, you can see how hope springs that Rosehaven blood can do the same here and produce one or more champion sires.

It wasn’t Creegan (a Smooth Fella son of Black Watch).

It wasn’t Il Vicolo (a Vance Hanover son of Burgundy Lass).

Gotta Go Cullen is struggling for numbers, with just two winners (but 20 qualifiers) from 123 live foals to date, although only about half of that number are of racing age.

Stunin Cullen has been reasonably well received with over 60 mares in his first season, so he has a chance.

Or could it be Alta Christiano?

 

PS Alta Christiano was one of my virtual yearling stable picks in 2011 (just had to brag…)

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Matt’s Scooter

Posted in Harness racing, Horses, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , on July 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The passing of Matt’s Scooter has been flagged up to me by Standardbred breeding for all website – it’s on their Facebook page, with a good summary of his top achievements as a sire.

One of his most incredible achievements is to leave a son as brilliant as Mach Three, who is now (mainly through Somebeachsomewhere) extending the Matt’s Scooter line at the very highest level. That is such a hard thing for any good racehorse and good sire to add to their credentials.

And as Standardbred Breeding For All points out, in addition what a great contribution he makes as a damsire. Well Said and Shadow Play just two of the upcoming sires with that influence.

Tip o’ the hat to Matt’s Scooter.

Matt’s Scooter was, like In The Pocket, the “last chance” for the Direct Scooter siring line (and beyond that for the Volomite line really). What they offered was outcrossing from Hal Dale lines at a time when it was desperately needed, and they added something else, an almost undefinable physical and mental toughness, a will to win. In many of his races Matt’s Scooter was parked out. “The more I pushed him, the more he responded” said Mike Lachance of his world record time-trial.

His passing sent me scurrying to John Bradley’s book Modern Pacing Sire Lines where he has a chapter. Some quotes from that which give an insight into the horse’s attributes:

When you saw Matt’s Scooter on the track, you just knew you would not forget his remarkable, long-reaching stride.

Matt’s Scooter was bred by Max Gerson of New York City and sold for $17,500 at the Fall Classic yearling sale held at the Meadowlands in 1986. Gerson also bred Matt’s Scooter’s dam, the Meadow Skipper mare Ellen’s Glory. The yearling sale catalog page for Matt’s Scooter was not impressive; he was the third foal from a non-record mare whose first two foals had not earned a penny at two and three. He sold for about $4,500 less than the average-priced Direct Scooter colts that fall.

Being the fastest horse ever made Matt’s Scooter “a marked man” as every other driver and owner wanted to beat him. As a result, Matt’s Scooter suffered many parked out trips but continued to show his speed and courage.

Let that be magic to many a disillusioned breeder’s ears!

Other words that stand out about Matt’s Scooter: “He was sound and just kept getting stronger.” (Mike Lachance)

“He was the best gaited pacer I ever drove when he was in high gear.”  (Mike Lachance)

Another interesting observation from John Bradley is Matt’s Scooter’s affinity as a sire with mares who carry connections to The Old Maid/Spinster/Lady Scotland et al. Not dissimilar to In The Pocket and his love of what he found here with our mare’s genetic pool of Bachelor Hanover and Light Brigade.

The photo of Matt’s Scooter “prancing” in John Bradley’s book is so very like the photos many of us will remember of adverts for In The Pocket as a sire – I will try to post them up in a day or so if I can.

 

 

 

 

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Virtual stable update

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding on June 30, 2014| 1 Comment »

These are the fillies and colts selected by Ken McKay, his daughter Alana, and myself at the 2013 yearling sales, to create our “virtual stables” and see what happens. So now these horses are just ending their 2yo season (as at 29 June 2014). After posting these up, b4breeding blog followers Sam and Ray joined in with their selections.

Let’s see how we are all doing.

In terms of financial return, Ken’s clearly ahead at the moment, with Bettor Be Supreme earning over $45,000, plus a qualifier, but nothing else showing up yet.

In terms of strike rate to date, Sam is going great guns with 3 starters and another 2 qualifiers – but no winners so far.

And the rest of us have glimpses of potential to keep us hopeful!

As always, it shows how hard it is to pick “potential” and even harder to pay the bills early on. Very few horses are natural 2yos, and I think all of us will see more results on the board as they move into their 3yo season.

To look at virtual stable yearling selections and results from other years, just use my blog Search function and type in “virtual stable”.

Bee’s selections

Colts:
Lot 15 Kurahaupo King (Live Or Die x Kurahaupo Charm)
Update: Name changed to Robbie Burns. Trainer Robert Dunn. 2 starts, 1 win $4,281 to date.

Lot 133 Classic Bromac (Mach Three x Classic Blue Jeans)
Update: Exported to Australia, not raced yet.

Lot 134 Hard N Fast (Christian Cullen x Black and Royal)Lot 133 Classic Bromac (Mach Three x Classic Blue Jeans)
Update: Owned by Terry McDonald. Not sighted yet.

Fillies:
Lot 10 Comekissmequick (Art Major x Inter Shape)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 122 Classical Art (Mach Three x Art Lover)
Update: Owned by the Whitelocks and with the Purdon/Rasmussen team, but not sighted yet.

Lot 153 Santanna Jewel (Santanna Blue Chip x Cyathea)
Update: 3 starts for 1 third. $2,516 to date. With Telfer/Garlick team.

Ken Mackay’s selections

Colts:
Lot 65 Tenacious Bromac (Bettor’s Delight x Tandias Courage)
Update: Qualified end of January. With Cran Dalgety.

Lot 145 Royal Loyal (Bettor’s Delight x Braeside Lady)
Update: Owned by the Whitelocks, and with Cran Dalgety. Not sighted yet.

Lot 173 Lightning Flight (Mach Three x Flight Of Fantasy)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Fillies:
Lot 107 Heart Stealer (Bettor’s Deight x Fight Fire With Fire)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 109 Hartofdixie (American Ideal x Splendid Deal)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 178 Bettor Be Supreme (Bettor’s Delight x Galleons Supreme)
Update: 6 starts, 1 win, 3 places $45,499 (third in 2yo fillies Sires Stakes)

Alana’s selections

Colts:
Lot 84 De Tiger (Mach Three x Tigers Delight)
Update: Name changed to Shansdelight. Not sighted yet.

Lot 173 Lightning Flight (Mach Three x Flight Of Fantasy)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 105 A Good Deal (American Ideal x Welcome Star)
Update: Exported to Australia. 2 starts, 1 win $3,420

Fillies:
Lot 128 Gotta Go Ice Lady (Gotta Go Cullect x Armbro Ice)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 94 Trixie Bromac (Mach Three x Trapiche)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 41 Verde Lima (Bettor’s Delight x Oaxaca Lass)
Update: A couple of trials and a workout late 2013. Not sighted since.

Sam’s selections

I did not even open up the book to look at the Australasian sale this year, only CHCH I focused on as usual but here goes.

Colts:
Lot 142 Cut Loose (Mach Three x Cullerfillie)
Update: 2 starts, no places. $161. With Paul Kerr’s team.

Lot 56 Alta Ronaldo (Mach Three x Right This Time)
Update :4 starts, 2 places, $4624. With Purdon/Rasmussen team.

Lot 165 My Kiwi Mate (Bettor’s Delight x Classic Nymph)
Update: 2 starts, 2 places, $3036. With Brian Hughes.

Fillies:
Lot 25 Storm Maguire (Bettors Delight x Lethal Mee)
Update: Qualified for Cran Dalgety.

Lot 66 Mythulise Bettor’s Delight x Milagro
Update: Name change to Better Rose. Qualified for Barry Purdon.

Lot 41 Verde Lima Bettors Delight x Oaxaca Lass
Update: See above

Ray’s selections

My stable is based on pedigrees with successful sires from good families.

Colts
Lot 84 De Tiger (Mach Three x Tigers Delight)
Update: See above

Lot 98 Mc Ardle Star (Mc Ardle x Star of the Ball)
Update: Not sighted yet.

Lot 34 Otis Maguire  (Bettor’s Delight x Miss Jubliee)
Update: Name change to Better Scoot. A 1st and 2nd at workouts in Dec 2013, for Ken Barron.

Fillies
Lot 113 Stopandstare (Art Major x Affairs Are Bettor)
Update: 2 trial wins in Nov 2013

Lot 150 Money On The Run (Bettor’s Delight x Christian Watch)
Update: Name change to Miss Daisy. 2 starts, no places. $1146, for Robert Dunn.

Lot 127 Bedouin Brogden (Bettor’s Delight x Bonny Brogden)
Update: Exported to Australia, not sighted yet.

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Competition – one month to go

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding on June 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The Blue Lotus (Grinfromeartoear – Zenterfold – In The Pocket) is looking for a sire this coming breeding season.

Remember – the judging is done on the quality and amount of thought put into your suggestion, rather than whether or not I agree with the choice.

Don’t just tell me WHO, tell me WHY!!!

You can nominate any commercial sire – so long as he is available to NZ breeders. I’ve noted some I have considered briefly myself – you can choose one of these, if you want. They are no more likely to win than a sire I haven’t looked at. Because the competition is a way of showcasing thoughtful breeding decisions. There is no right or wrong answer.

The deadline is 31 July 2014. Join in the fun! Enjoy doing the research or having a go!

The prize is 5% share in the foal resulting from that 2014 breeding season match, with no further expenses to be paid.

If that seems a small percent, consider that The Blue Lotus’ first foal sold for $26,000 at the yearling sales this year, which would result in a prize value of about $1000.

I have received a good number of entries so far, and would love to have more. You can submit more than one for different sires – one sire per entry please.

See here for the conditions and details, and how to enter.

Match My Mare

 

 

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Siring lines – where are they going and why?

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , , , on June 24, 2014| 5 Comments »

Many of you will have already spotted this blog about siring lines on the View from the racetrack grandstand blogspot posted in February this year – but the announcement today that Highview Tommy (son of Bettor’s Delight) will stand at Woodlands Stud has prompted me to revisit it and seek your views. And of course to share mine!

Take time to read his post, and mine, and send in your comments via “Comments” at the very bottom of this blog. (Update: already had a very interesting comment posted from Murray Brown, check it out).

It raises the question of when and if two of the top racehorse producing sires of recent times – Cams Card Shark (Bettor’s Delight) and Artsplace (Art Major)  – will have the ability to continue their siring lines into the future.

It is remarkable that after so long at the top of his game, Bettor’s Delight has so few sons (such as Kenneth J, Betterthancheddar, and now locally Highview Tommy) as candidates to take over that dynasty. I blogged on that myself in September last year.

Likewise Art Major, although less tried in New Zealand, has had plenty of time internationally to throw up more than Art Official as a candidate for the Artsplace succession so far. I mean candidates that grab the commercial interest of breeders as well as their admiration for past deeds on the track. Sires than gain traction and can hold their service fees.  Siring success is such a tough venture.

I can see Art Major’s fortune as a sire or sires changing locally if the crop of young Art Major colts racing here like Isaiah, Sky Major, Tiger Tara and Follow The Stars keep performing like they have done to date. But Kiwi breeders will want to wait a year or so until they show a step up to the Cups and Interdoms before getting too carried away.

The blog highlights the rise and rise of the Direct Scooter siring line, which only 15-20 years ago looked like it might be a goner. There’s the Matt’s Scooter / Mach Thee / Somebeachsomewhere line from the Northern Hemisphere and In The Pocket / Christian Cullen and Changeover giving every chance to the line in the Southern Hemisphere.

Another factor the “View from the racetrack grandstand” blog highlights is the increasing arsenal of the Western Hanover branch of Meadow Skipper’s line internationally – most strongly through Western Ideal / Rocknroll Hanover (neither of which had much influence directly here in New Zealand), most potently through the latter’s sons Rock N Roll Heaven and now A Rocknroll Dance who are both available in Australia and New Zealand.

And yet there are no guarantees, are there!

It would have been a brave person 15 years ago to predict that Western Hanover / Direct Scooter combination in ascendence now.

Siring lines turn up some lovely surprises. For example, the strongest Meadow Skipper line we have today was founded by Oil Burner whose one outstanding son at stud was No Nukes – no other son of Oil Burner reached anything like No Nukes’ siring success. (Downunder we had Oil Burner’s son Devil’s Adversary standing for about 10 years from 1992, and he got a couple of decent books but didn’t show up much and dropped right away).

In the same way, it only took one of No Nukes’ sons – Western Hanover – to open up a range of strong branches that are still evolving and sorting themselves out. Will the Western Ideal branch keep growing? Or will a “dark horse” like Shadow Play or Well Said turn out to be Western Hanover’s most successful siring son?

Cam Fella, born in the same year as No Nukes, appeared to have many more successful siring sons to carry on his legacy – Cambest, Camluck, Cam’s Card Shark, Presidential Ball…. and yet he is struggling now with just one descendant – Bettor’s Delight – as a top sire, and no proven inheritors yet.

What does this tell us? That it takes just one, just one, to turn a line’s fortunes around.

And that one “sire of sires” can come from the less-than-obvious sources.

As breeders, we have a role to play in all this. Thoughtful breeding and giving quality new sires an opportunity are two ways we can contribute.

In another 15 years we might be looking back and saying: “Well, you’d never have guessed a son of Mister Big would reignite the Artsplace line.” Or perhaps: “Cam Fella line was almost gone until those sons of Roll With Joe really stood up to be counted!” Or even: “So it’s the Changeover line rather than Christian Cullen that’s blossoming down here.”  Or in my own dreams: “Thank heavens for Tintin In America, keeping that Bret Hanover line alive, and his outstanding son Tantan has already left 50% winners to foals.”

What do you think?

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Back to the future – mares become broodmares

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , on June 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Bachelorette

Bachelorette (RIP) – didn’t win the Harness Jewels but was such a tough classy mare. She died before she could leave any foals.

This is the second in the series I’m doing looking at New Zealand Harness Jewels fields in terms of their breeding.

This time I have gone back to the first “Jewels” held in 2007.  The winners of the 2007 mares Harness Jewels Diamond are now 11yo broodmares, and probably at a fairly critical point in their broodmare career when there are 2 or 3 foals of racing age. About now, breeders have their fingers crossed that something will have shown or start to show some real potential, as this makes the prospect of future breeding more likely to at least bring in some decent return on investment (if they are breeding to sell) or some optimism (if they are breeding to race themselves).

So look at this page for the detail I’ve put together on how they are doing as broodmares. You are invited to add information via comments/response or direct to me at bee.raglan@xtra.co.nz if you want.

Particularly if you have information about Lucy Thundercloud, who raced in that event and then went to North America with considerable success, and….. I’d love to know if she has had any foals and what has happened to her? I  don’t have access to USTA in that detail. Thanks! Add a comment to the blog if you have any information.

Another puzzle is Slick Lavra who appears not to have any progeny yet, in spite of doing so well after exported to Australia. Any ideas why?

But updates on how any of these mares and their progeny are going is welcomed.

 

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The breeding of good racing mares

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding on June 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Quality mares are the foundation of the standardbred industry. Brilliance can come from anywhere, but long-lasting quality is something else.

Although we remember the names of the brilliant racehorses, often the really great maternal lines are built on the qualities of those mares who were not stars on the track. Many are good or very good performers, but may be retired to breed with a handful of wins and perhaps $20 – 40,000 to their name. These “middle range” mares, often from consistent families, prove to be a good breeding investment, whereas the stars can struggle to leave good performers, certainly in their first generation, and hardly ever leave one better than themselves.

4yo mares are one of my favourite categories of racehorses.  Their sires often include those who needed time and will eventually add real value as broodmare sires even if they lacked the flash of leaving fast enough 2yo colts. I’m thinking of Helena Jet and Whisper Jet (Jereme’s Jet) and Christy Breanna (Lis Mara), and Tactful Lady (McArdle) as examples, and even Chillyjustastrutter (Sutter Hanover) and Lauramegan (Tinted Cloud) as examples of mares with sires that are currently less fashionable but have real quality in their own maternal lines.

In the Harness Jewels 4yo Diamond the final field had 3 mares by Bettor’s Delight, but as you can see from those listed above, the breeding was very open apart from that.

I have done a “breeders summary” of the field, and will do several more, using the fields from Harness Jewels as small groups of good age performers. I will also look at the fields from some of the early Jewels fillies and mares races and see what has happened to those in terms of their breeding career.

Breeding summary 4yo Diamond – located under the Articles section which you can reach on the tabs across the top of my blog.

 

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Competition

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged on June 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Thanks to those who have entered already my “Match my mare and win a share” competition. Remember you are welcome to recommend a sire that I have used before or mentioned, they are not excluded. I am looking for the quality of your thinking about the match – put forward a thoughtful and interesting rationale for the sire you are suggesting. You can have more than one entry.

Harness Jewels – breeders missing from the programme

P.S. Cracker day at the Harness Jewels – brilliant sunshine, a couple of New Zealand records, some super finishes, and a good crowd. Congratulations to Harness Racing Waikato for putting on a fantastic event, and to the sponsors for supporting it.

Just one glitch – no mention of the breeders of the horses, either in the racebook, the pull-out booklet from HRNZ in the Harness Weekly, or during the announcements and presentations. Such a shame, as the horse only exists because some breeder somewhere put it together.

It is definitely time the Harness Jewels took a stronger lead in acknowledging the breeders – not so much with the proposed photo and presentation months from now, but on the day – at the very least, a mention in the notes.

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