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Remarkable maternal family recognised in US awards

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , , on December 27, 2013| 2 Comments »

Among the awards presented today by the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) is a 2013 Broodmare of the Year award to Worldly Treasure:

The pacing broodmare of the year, Worldly Treasure, is the dam of world champion Captaintreacherous p,3,1:47.1 ($2,973,286). Worldly Treasure herself was no slouch on the track, taking a 2-year-old mark of 1:53.1 en route to earning $97,923. She hails from a strong maternal family, as her full sister is the outstanding pacing mare Worldly Beauty, who was a two-time Dan Patch Award winner with nearly $2 million in career earnings.
They are both out of World Order p,3,1:53 ($267,205), whose dam was Rodine Hanover p,2,1:54 ($231,630)-the dam of Real Artist p,3,Q1:51 ($424,94) and the grand-dam of Art Major p,4,1:48.4 ($2,727,224), Perfect Art p,3,1:51 ($629,122) and Panspacificflight p,3,1:50.3 ($368,843). She is also owned by White Birch Farm of Allentown, NJ.

See here for full report on all the awards

This is a maternal line (Romola Hal) which, for me, is really ranking up there with the all-time greats like Golden Miss, Spinster/Old Maid and Roya McKinney and her sisters. I’m talking about “engine room” power that endures and adds value.

Check out also my blog about Somebeachsomewhere crosses of gold and Captain Treacherous (the section down the end titled “Credit should go to strong maternal lines”. Often sires/sirelines get most of the credit for a great horse (“the brilliant son of …..”) whereas the maternal line may not get much of a mention. And yet, think how many shots a good sire has at leaving great progeny compared to a maternal family through broodmares – foal by foal, year by year.

This is one maternal line that is popping up in so many top-level cross-references that it is getting the recognition it richly deserves. Yet another branch of it leads to Sands A Flyin, which makes for some interesting crosses with Sands A Flyin mares and some of the very good sires from the same family, although it hasn’t been tried much as yet – more breeders are trying for a connection via the Mach Three-Beach Towel cross (Sands A Flyin being the son of Beach Towel of course), and are patronising Mach Three and his full brother Extreme Three in significant numbers. It’s an interesting thing to ponder on – which my blog on the Somebeachsomewhere crosses of gold canvases. Comments from readers and breeders welcome!

Other links

Worldly Beauty – Odds On Racing’s Legend Horse of the Month for September 2013

Comments from breeder White Birch Farm on World Order, their “foundation mare”

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2012 virtual yearling stable update at end of 2013

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , , on December 26, 2013| 2 Comments »

The Sale of the Stars catalogue is out for the New Zealand standardbred yearling sales – and online of the PGG website/upcoming sales pages It’s always good to have a look through and pick out some trends and some interesting breeding choices – and I will start my usual run of pre-Sales blogs in early January, featuring lots that catch my eye.

Time to check out how Ray, Sam and I are going with the 2012 yearling sale picks which are 3yos now. We are not making huge progress but we have a few with real potential and an interesting 6 months ahead.

I picked mainly on type (seen at the Karaka sale). Sam pedigree and type. Ray picked on top families matched with top sires.

Further update 9.20pm: I’ve just checked the Auckland Trotting Club fields for their premier day meeting on 31 December and I see that between us we have three picks at that meeting – Destination Moon in the PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales Open Final for 3yos ($250,000) , and Charleston Belle in the Alabar Sires Stakes Fillies Championship for 3yos ($160,000) (both drawn badly at number 8), and then Going To California on the supporting card race 11, a very nice field racing for $15,000.
Charlie Chuckles

Charlie Chuckles at the 2012 yearling parade

Bee’s stable (fillies first)

  • Kamwood Courage (Courage Under Fire-Kamwood Lass) – 1 start for a 2nd in May $1071, and exported to Australia mid year, yet to have a start there.
  • Schleck (Muscle Mass-Merckx) – 6 starts for 2 wins, 2 places – no further starts, also exported to Australia, and I misread the earnings last report, she has actually won $16,489
  • Stolen Secret (Mach Three-Hot Secret) – nothing yet
  • Delia (American Ideal-Merrily Merrily) – nothing yet
  • Charlie Chuckles (Grinfromeartoear-Charioteer) – He got 2nd in his qualifying trial and also 2nd in a workout. One to keep an eye on, I reckon.
  • Derringer (Bettor’s Delight-Bury My Heart) – Name changed to Strawberry Heart, and has had three starts for a formline of 3,4,3 and $1098.
  • Crixus Brogden (Real Desire-Swift Mirage) – Now named Real Impulse – nothing yet
  • Destination Moon (Grinfromeartoear-Zenterfold) – Had an injury spell after his first win and has come back to racing looking stronger. Now 6 starts for 1 win and 2 seconds, $9220, and the trainer likes him a lot.

I think my two Grins will give me some encouragement over summer, and I do like what I see of Strawberry Heart, who races locally with Sean McCaffrey.

Sam’s stable (fillies first)

  • Going To California (Art Major-Child In Time) – Nice one, Sam and Ray! You both picked this yearling. Now he’s got 2 wins and 2 thirds from just 6 starts, and $10,333.
  • Code Cracker (Art Major-Cracker Kate) – Nothing yet
  • Petite Royal (Monarchy-Petite Sunset) – 3 starts but 5,9,13 formline, yet went out favourite in the last start and looks like she is now stood down, so perhaps the manners will improve with time because it looks like the ability is there.
  • Digital Art (Art Major-Wave Runner – racing but the formline is 4,7,0,7 and just $472.
  • Romeo Denario (American Ideal-Presidential Sweet) – exp to Australia, and so far 1 start for 6th at Geelong.
  • (My) Mach Scooter – (Mach Three-Gail Devers) – exp to Australia, now 6 starts but no improvement to the 1 win, 1 place $4125 record yet.
  • On The Rantan (Bettor’s Delight-Funontherun) – renamed On The Town. Nothing yet.  Correction, this is is the previous foal renamed Ohoka Cooper and to date 8 starts,  1 wins,  2 seconds,  2 thirds.
  • Rattling Thunder (Santanna Blue Chip-Tammy Franco) – now qualified and showed up very nicely at workouts and trials in Sept/Oct. Worth watching.

Ray’s stable (fillies first)

  • Change Time (Christian Cullen-Changeer) – now 9 starts for 2 places (including YSS Graduette) $13,129
  • Going To California (see Sam’s picks)
  • Charleston Belle (Christian Cullen-Elite Belle) – qualified well in October. Has 5 starts for 1 win and 1 third so far. $8783 and looks like she could do well.
  • Gotta Go Artelect (Art Major-Elect To Live) – yet to qualify, hasn’t raced since her May trial where she went ok but none of them were fast enough to qualify.
  • Nureyev (Christian Cullen-Idancedallnight) – showing up nicely in trails and workouts Nov/Dec and worth keeping an eye out for.
  • The Pacman (Christian Cullen-Black Maire) – more trial starts including a win on 25 November so could be racing over summer?

It shows again how hard it is to get an early return on investment, and that patience is the winner in many cases.
Go to my blog of 25 March 2012 for my original picks and view the Responses/comments for Sam and Ray’s rationales for their picks. You can use the search function on my blog to find all references to the virtual yearling stables concept over the past few years.

Will start a 2014 virtual stable in mid January and welcome your picks at that stage. So start looking at the catalogue!

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Santanna Blue Chip – flotsam or ambergris?

Posted in Harness racing, Horses, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , on December 23, 2013| 2 Comments »

I thought I should add a few stats on how Santanna Blue Chip has performed in New Zealand as a sire – and perhaps someone can do the same as a blog comment for the Australian bred foals.

Right now he’s had 22 qualifiers for 10 starters and 4 winners (oldest are 3yos) – being Three Blind Mice (now in Australia), I Smart, Carlos Santana, and Hear The Call (exported to Australia). There would be another couple in Mullinalaghta Lad and Macey Blue Chip who are not far away, which would make his percentages quite respectable for a new sire. None of them have blown us away, but they are showing some toughness.

Surprisingly for me, only a few of his qualifiers are out of In The Pocket, none from In The Pocket sons. I would have thought we would see Matt’s Scooter on the maternal line as an opportunity? But it is a wide mix of mares, not uncommon scenario for a middle range new sire, as breeders search for what their mare needs. His best performer as a 3yo in North America was Windsong Jack, who has won almost $300,000 and is by a Million Dollar Cam mare. That mare has both Jate Lobell and Die Laughing in her pedigree close, which Australian mares echo perhaps, rathe than New Zealand?  But one swallow doesn’t make a spring I guess.

For New Zealand? Well, its all too late, but if I was looking now I would say good scenarios with this particular sire would have been McArdle, Mach Three and Grinfromeartoear. And I’m wondering why owners/breeders aren’t looking harder at the younger mares they have who have remarkably good genes as broodmares.

But that’s another blog, which is coming up on NZ yearling sales damsires.

Santanna Blue Chip live foals numbers were 52, 65, 46 in his first 3 years, and the results are not in from this season’s foals of course – where, incidentally, he served by far his biggest book (at 114). These are very typical stats for an imported horse that comes without heaps of hype but a very good record and suitable pedigree. They have to get enough mares to make their own niche as a sire. The same is true for our own locally bred sires. Getting 40 to 60 mares is a basic requirement, just to end up with enough foals on the ground from a range of mares to give the sire any sort of chance. A good sire will capitalise on that, but often that’s only clear after the 3yo season is done and dusted. A glamour 2yo is a huge bonus, but from a small number of foals it is potentially labelled “just a freak”.  The fact that his bookings went up again is interesting. Breeders seemed to be liking what they saw.

Santanna Blue Chip obviously still has the will and ability to race and win, and the future may lie in him becoming a really good all-aged racer, like Mister Big and others have done. A reputation won twice,  but perhaps indicating qualities of toughness, enduring competitiveness and soundness which will also stand his foals in good stead.

So his “retirement” back to the racetrack is both a blessing (if he really does well) and a pain-in-the-butt for breeders, especially those who are just getting foals on the ground. Marketing: “He’s a wonderful Dad, but he pissed off when I was just a baby and went back to a life of adventure and competition. I don’t think Mum misses him, but I might at Sales time.”

I know how you feel. I went to Real Desire, like many others, only to find he’s been withheld by North American owners (for the good of the horse, I give them credit). But shuttle sires like Real Desire, Santanna Blue Chip and Jereme’s Jet are always going to vulnerable to a change of mind/circumstances and suddenly disappear from the market. It’s frustrating, but that’s life.

We need to retain confidence in the sires and our foals until time (rather than this year’s sales prices) really tell the story.

Shuttle sires are “flotsam and jetsam” on the sea currents of a fickle standardbred market.

As breeders we need to be very canny “beachcombers”.

Who knows when we will find the sire that is ambergris – and particularly ambergris for our mare?

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Santanna Blue Chip giving up siring for now

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged on December 19, 2013| 2 Comments »

In case  you misssed it, Santanna Blue Chip, a very well performed son of Art Major, has not performed well enough in the competitive North American market to warrant keeping him standing as a sire. So he has been working up again as race horse, and winning!

See article  and  video of his qualifying trial  and  another article  from Canada where he is now racing.

What effect does that have on breeders here who have gone to him as a sire? It leaves you a bit stranded. But don’t panic. The fact is he has not produced the 2yo excitment machines that a sire must have to make his commercial mark and this creates difficulties for you as a breeder/owner.

In New Zealand we often stand back from new sires, so he has taken time to even get a foothold. He was not available this year and will no longer be a “Sales” sire although a great individual type can still sell well.

But that doesn’t mean that your foal/yearling/2yo/3yo can’t run. The sire has some great genes, and is a very athletic horse. He was competitive with Somebeachsomewhere (who has young progeny that have some very good Downunder trainers scratching their heads, by the way).

Santanna Blue Chip Alabar Parade NZ

Santanna Blue Chip – handsome and athletic at the Alabar Parade a few years ago.

Personally, I think Santanna Blue Chip’s pedigree may be better suited to our Direct Scooter line here, which he has through his maternal side and of course we do too, and through the best local siring lines as well. Or maybe, like so many excellent top racehorses, he lacks the dominant siring gene that stamps progeny with the very things he did so well. That is such a tall order. Very very few stallions have it, or have the luck to find the mares they need to show it.

The standards for commercial sires is brutal and quick, but hindsight shows time and certain nicks can produce very good individuals – or that the sire fits a particular niche in breeding/training that is really important. I would class Elsu in that latter category. Not a sire of Group 1 horses but great bread and butter horses for owners and trainers who want horses that try hard and are consistant and willing, and increasingly showing up some classy types. Bread and butter makes a great pudding!!  (A tip o’ the hat to Richard’s wife Barbara who makes great B&B Puddings he says).

I was in the same position when Island Fantasy (great breeding, good race results, handsome sire) was a potential sire, only to find he was gone and I was left with a pretty but not commercial yearling. It’s part of the learning curve.

In the end, the individual horse will perform or not. If you have a nice type by Santanna Blue Chip, don’t be afraid to feel positive about that horse. Put into it what you would if the sire had been top of the siring pops in North America.  Because it’s different here, and each horse has it’s own ability, with 50% coming from your mare.

I saw Santanna Blue Chip at the Alabar parade a few years ago (see photo) and thought he was a very athletic and handsome individual. And the few yearlings I’ve seen at Karaka Sales were lovely types. It all just shows how damn hard it is to get even a foot hold into a market that makes unreasonable demands and rewards only those few who have the genetics and luck to become successful sires.

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Race 2 Horse 2 – a blast from the past

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged on December 19, 2013| 2 Comments »

Forbury Park tomorrow night (Thursday 19 December) is the second start for a 3yo filly who has a pedigree that makes you say “no, surely she’s a 10yo mare!”

Because she is by Soky’s Atom out of Gentility. Her name is Kilmorich. Her owner-breeder-trainer is Mike Stratford of well-known Classiebawn Stud in Prebbleton.

Soky’s Atom was advertised as “Last chance to breed..” in the 2003/4 season here in New Zealand. Yes, that’s 10 years ago. He was standing in Australia at that stage but there was “limited frozen semen available” for New Zealand via Nevele R.  Mike Stratford says Soky’s Atom frozen semen is still available from Nevele R on enquiry for a reasonable price, and he understands Bob McArcle may also have some.  But the next oldest Soky’s foals bred in New Zealand are four 9yos, so there has been little demand over the years.

The other side of Kilmorich’s equation is her dam Gentility (Lordship-Strathmea-El Patron) who was well into her 20s when she foaled Kilmorich. Kilmorich is her last foal; Gentility was later put down after her arthritic knees became too much of a burden for her.

Kilmorich has a 4yo full brother called Classiegent who was a recent race winner at his 9th start (with two placings as well) and looks good enough to add a few more.

So right now there is a 4yo brother and 3yo sister from a now dead mare who was served by frozen semen from a dead sire. Both results, however, are very much alive and showing up at the races this spring.

Kilmorich qualified recently and then was placed second in her debut race at Forbury Park last Friday 13 December, a standing start over 1700m. It was a good effort, running on strongly wide. Eye catching. She will learn a lot from that experience. Have a look at the race video at HRNZ website race results

A week later she will strip fitter and is drawn better, again 1700m from a standing start. (I have no idea why they are expecting a relatively inexperienced field to do a standing start over short distance on a tight track, but maybe I missed something! The video shows plenty of early trouble in Kilmorich’s first race, and it’s a brave punter who bets on these types of races).

 (UPDATE POST RACE: Watched her race tonight (19/12) and it was a very conservative drive, especially with an outsider (or two) in lead and trail, so it could well be that she felt flat even in the prelims and that is why driver Ben Williamson chose to not get flushed out into a parked position over 1700m.  Could well be also she doesn’t yet back up within a week, which is quite an ask for younger horses especially fillies. Still one to follow , I reckon.)

Mike Stratford says Kilmorich “goes well” and is on the market if someone is interested in buying.

It’s an interesting prospect for breeders to consider – because she looks like she could get a couple of wins under her belt this season without too much trouble.

If you breed from a mare that is such a “time warp”, would you be starting with a handicap, or would you have the benefit of hindsight (including all the stats from Soky’s career as a broodmare sire) and be able to jump straight into the newer sires that offer what this family and Soky’s Atom might really respond to?

Soky’s Atom himself came full of speed breeding – Albatross, Adios, Tar Heel. Some well-credited current sires for Soky’s Atom mares would be Christian Cullen, Courage Under Fire (who also crossed well with Lordship mares), Washington VC, Live Or Die, Bettor’s Delight and Mach Three. But I would look at the stats for Real Desire, too, and there’s potential to leap-frog over the last decade’s sires and do bold crosses with some of the new sires coming available.

As people who read my blog know, I respect what quality genes can bring to the mix, regardless of how “fashionable” they may be at the moment.

Tip o’ the hat to Soky’s Atom

At the time he was last advertised commercially available to New Zealand breeders (2003/4) Soky’s Atom was ending an illustrious career as a sire who gave strength and speed to many of his progeny, and of course went on to become one of New Zealand’s best broodmare sires, and is still rating high on that count.

He had died the previous year, in 2002, just before Christmas, so that’s another reason why this blog is timely.

New Zealand’s best pacer lost his dad, super sire Soky’s Atom, who was found dead at Alabar Stud in Victoria.
The US-bred stallion had become one of the greats of Australasian harness racing, siring millionaire Desperate Comment among a string of outstanding pacers.|
Young Rufus’ form in the past 12 months helped boost Soky’s Atom’s career at an age, 25, when most stallions are winding down.
He had already served 155 mares this season.
Although he looked healthy when Alabar staff fed him on Sunday night, he was dead yesterday morning.

Check out the full version of Mick Guerin’s article about Soky’s Atom’s death in the NZ Herald. In an aside, Young Rufus of course went on to almost die himself of a twisted bowel early the following year, but made it back to the winning circle later and then stood briefly as a sire before being put down in 2007 when it was discovered he had advanced cancer.

Soky’s Atom was one of three incredibly influential sons of Albatross who stood at stud in New Zealand – the others being Holmes Hanover and Vance Hanover. None of them left a commercial siring line here, but left a very enduring contribution through their racing progeny and then their broodmares. That’s very much the story of Albatross.

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Destination Moon supporter

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , on December 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I was there last Sunday to see Destination Moon’s return to the race track. and a close up second in the workout. Also on course was his owner Kerry Hoggard, who says they are still interested in some of the big 3yo races for this horse. He was very pleased with the workout result, and yes, there is improvement from that. He’s looking well and keen.

Destination Moon heading out to track for workouts

Destination Moon heading out to track for workouts

This is a horse I bred that I have a lot of time for, partly because I think the pedigree match is a good one, but also because he has characteristics of Tintin In America. To be honest, that mare Zenterfold stamps the engine room and temperament of her foals to a large extent, and the sires just sort of line up behind with their own important contributions. That’s why I take a lot of care in choosing the sires. You can add to things or subtract from things. Never was good at maths at school but knew that much!

It is interesting how we focus on sire stamping rather than dam stamping.

The eye catcher of that workout heat was the winner White Nights, a 5yo Real Desire half sister to Lively Nights (7 wins), and both owner by C. Blackwell and trained by John/Josh Dickie. She ran on well from the back with Destination Moon off a relatively slow pace, so it was a sprint home in 28.9 and she tipped him over by a head.

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Tintin In America foals

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , on November 24, 2013| 2 Comments »

The ones I’ve seen have all been attractive types. The photos below are two of Tintin’s foals bred by Studholme Bloodstock’s Brian West – one out Titled, an unraced Mach Three mare, and the other out of Stunning, a winning Island Fantasy mare who has to date produced a couple of lovely looking Courage Under Fire foals that went through the yearling sales for Studholme Bloodstock, one selling for $70,000 and the other passed in at $30,000. I like the pedigree of both mares with Tintin In America. The mares both bring blood that Tintin In America will enjoy.

But on type alone, I thought these were both very attractive foals.

Brian West is not afraid to try newer sires if they have the qualities he’s looking for, especially if they are likely to attract some commercial interest because they were racehorses much admired by trainers and punters. This season he’s putting several of his mares to Auckland Reactor for that reason, and also some to Stunin Cullen and Sir Lincoln I believe. He’s supported Changeover previously and of course had a lot of return from Courage Under Fire as a sire of Lancome and Secret Potion among others. It is great to see a breeder of Brian’s calibre supporting the top homebred sires who offer that x factor.

The eyecatcher for me was the Titled colt foal, and I’ve put in two photos of Tintin In America at about the same age for comparison. Just on type, he looks strong and intelligent. He could develop into a very nice yearling for the sales!

Tintin In America x Titled colt foal 2013

Tintin In America x Titled colt foal 2013

Titled colt that reminded me very much of Tintin In America at a similar age

Titled colt that reminded me very much of Tintin In America at a similar age

And for comparison, a photo of Tintin as a foal

Tintin In America as a foal

Tintin In America as a foal

Tintin running December 2005

Tintin running December 2005

The foal from Stunning is a filly, and very correct. I’ve said before that Island Fantasy was a flop as a sire, but his pedigree is beautiful and he brings quality bloodlines to the table as a damsire. The mare is leaving some ‘stunning’ foals!

Stunning and her Tintin In America filly foal

Stunning and her Tintin In America filly foal

Stunning and her Tintin In America foal

Stunning and her Tintin In America filly foal dozing in the shade

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Cup winners and foals make it a week to remember

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding on November 24, 2013| 1 Comment »

Terror To Love

Terror To Love wins the New Zealand Cup

The last time I saw the New Zealand Cup in person was a few years ago when Monkey King got his second win in the great race, and the crowd cheered him heartily. The same this year, when Terror To Love (Western Terror – Love To Live – Live Or Die) won the cup for the third time. The crowd rose and cheered him along the straight – partly recognising a great individual horse achieving a sensational three-in-a-row, but also because of the nature of that win. It is an extremely hard race to win, but to win it after giving away lengths at the start was phenomenal and deserving of total respect. And that’s what he got.

My week in Christchurch was a lovely one – seeing top horses and up-and-coming horses racing, but also being up close and personal with some newly born foals and some beautiful mares.

It was full on breeding and foaling time for Brian West at his property at Coe’s Ford, and he is overalls-on and hands-on (and hands-in of course!) regarding all the aspects of the breeding and raising of Studholme Bloodstock’s horses.

Lancome and foal

Lancome and foal both having lunch

Among the foals I saw most notably was a Bettor’s Delight colt from Brian West’s great mare Lancome. What a wonderful mum she is. The photo I took opposite shows mum and foal on day 2.

I also saw two very nice Tintin In Americas  from that sire’s second crop, as well as the yearling filly by Tintin In America from Brian’s mare A Legend that I’ve bought a half share in. My next blog will include some photos and more details about these foals.

But right now, I want to go back to Terror To Love’s family.

His dam Love To Live has produced a large number of filly foals for owner Terry McDonald, which are being bred from. Out of interest I’ll quickly review these (and you can always delve into the detail on the HRNZ Horse Info database for free). It’s not an outstanding family – but you can see the interest (and investment) gathering a bit of momentum as Terror To Love has climbed the heights of his career.

Terror To Love has an 11yo Soky’s Atom half sister (unraced) which Terry McDonald started breeding from recently for a Badlands Hanover (by Western Hanover) foal in 2012 and went back to Vintage Master (by Western Ideal) the next season.

Then there’s a 7yo Courage Under fire half sister who had four race starts for a third, but did well enough with a fourth to take a time of 1.57.6 over a mile at Ashburton  in 2009. She’s had a 2011 Santanna Blue Chip filly foal who is therefore just a 2yo now, and then a Jereme’s Jet (by Western Hanover) colt foal, and went last season to Mach Three.

Terror To Love’s qualified but unraced 5yo Artsplace half sister has a 2012 grey colt foal by Charles Bronson (for those not familiar with him, he’s a son of Christian Cullen out of a Falcon Seelster mare who stands at Pinelea Stud). The Artsplace mare then went to Somebeachsomewhere the following year – presumably due to be born or has been born.

His unraced 4yo half sister by Christian Cullen was served by Well Said (by Western Hanover) in 2012.

A 3yo Mach Three half sister qualified as a 2yo in January this year but not sighted so far this season. Her name is Mach’s Love, so keep an eye out fo that one, she’s trained by the Courts.

Terror To Love’s youngest half sisters are a 2yo Somebeachsomewhere filly, and a yearling filly by Rocknroll Hanover (by Western Ideal), and Love To Live is having a foal by Well Said this year.

It’s interesting how some mares leave a huge numbers of one sex – Terry McDonald is blessed with fillies because Western Terror has made such a mark, but as a keen racing man he must be looking forward to a colt foal soon.

You can see quite a range of breeding choices, with a fondness for Christian Cullen/Direct Scooter line and the sons of Western Ideal/Western Hanover, from where Western Terror came of course.

Certainly he’s giving the family every chance to revive its fortunes. It’s like so many families where an outstanding horse will pop out like a nugget in the river, and it is a breeder’s challenge whether to keep panning the same stream for more – and for how long.

Terror To Love’s maternal bottom line traces back to Roydon Dream, the dam of Roydon Scott and the great Royden Glen, so there have been other large nuggets of gold but quite a way upstream.

Terror To Love doesn’t need his family as a basis for success. He’s an amazing horse in his own right and it will be his own qualities rather than his pedigree that will deliver any future fortunes on the track or in the breeding barn.

Just a quick note about Western Terror, the sire of Terror To Love. He stood here in New Zealand for only three seasons for 169 live foals, with 73 winners which is not a bad ratio. They are all 5, 6 or 7yos now. Some of the best (apart from Terror To Love) would be Baby Bling, (18 wins, $767,000) and (My) Dusky Sound (13 wins, $132,000) who both happen to be on the card at Menangle tonight. Ted West is doing a good job here, Johnny Fox looks promising, (Sir) Bobby Lashley has done a good job in Australia, as has (Im) Corzin Terror.  Western Terror’s dam Arterra is a sister to Artiscape, and their dam Deliquent Account was a brilliant mare who paced as a 2yo but went on to win USTA and Canadian Older Pacing Mare of the Year awards. My overall impression is that Western Terror foals here  weren’t early types at all or had a temperament unsuited for early racing (i.e. a bit “hot headed”). He was bred himself on the classic Western Hanover/Artsplace cross, but that cross is a bit of a numbers game, and it is not something that has had a lot of relevance in New Zealand with our breeding pool. Western Terror continues to do the job as a sire in North america, standing for a respectable $7,500 and from 442 starters, is the sire of 281 in 2:00, 158 in 1:55, 12 in 1:50, with 6 millionaires to his credit. Several of his best have been by Matts Scooter mares.

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Chestnut filly brings shadows to light

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged , , on November 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Shadow Play’s first qualifier in the Southern Hemisphere is the chestnut filly Lettuceplayginger, in Australia.

It’s interesting to see once again the predominance of Shadow Wave references in Shadow Play’s progeny to date. I blogged about this earlier, re Shadow Play’s qualifying and racing offspring in North America and then about what might suit him in New Zealand.

This filly is chokka with Shadow Play references, and also the Golden Miss line which has been so influential in the engine room of sires like Art Major, Real Desire, Grinfromeartoear, and the click with Breath O Spring/Old Maid and Good Time. so in terms of pedigree she is off to a damn good start.

Her dam Rollon Rodi is by Aces N Sevens who has No Nukes as his damsire and hence connections back to both Shadow Wave and Good Time (and then back to Nedda Guy). Aces N Sevens also has the Big Towner mare Town Tramp as his dam, so that brings in Shadow Wave again via Tiny Wave (who interestingly also goes back on her maternal lines to Nedda Guy).

Then the grandam of Lettuceplayginger is Remember Rodi, a very good Australian racehorse (1.57.4, 18 wins, $78,271 in the late 1980s and early 1990s), by Hilarion (a Meadowlands Pace winner) who brings Shadow Wave in again as his damsire, as well as that marvellous Golden Miss line via his sire Strike Out.  She’s a lovely broodmare who has left some nice racehorses by beautifully compatible sires like Grinfromeartoear (Grinforseymour) and Panorama (Rollon Seymour) as well as the very good Fake Left colt Rollon Bigred ($343,903).

There’s a New Zealand connection too – Remember Rodi’s dam Dorana Star is a daughter of Bachelor Star (a son of Bachelor Hanover) who is part of the family of Adio Star that produced Bionic Star who in turn produced one of my favourite mares in New Zealand’s racing history, Bionic Chance (18 wins,  $323,630).  Dorana Star produced not much else – but I notice that Remember Rodi and the colt she had by Hilarion were both chestnuts – no surprise since Hilarion’s sire Strike Out was a chestnut and his damsire Shadow Wave was also chestnut.  Not just that, Bachelor Hanover was also a chestnut!

So the chestnut filly Lettuceplayginger is carrying on a good line of colour and talent, and her breeders have chosen well in selecting Shadow Play as her sire.  It will be interesting to see how she develops.

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Jack Black kick starts Elsu’s damsire story

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding, tagged on October 28, 2013| 1 Comment »

If you are still debating whether to put your Elsu mare in foal, take heart.

Yesterday at Forbury Park the win by Jack Black (Mach Three-Black And Royal, bred by Michelle Carson) gave Elsu his first winning credit as a damsire. It wasn’t in a super time or by 10 lengths, but it was very comfortable and hinted of more to come. First start and it’s a nice win. You can’t do better than that.

Jack Black’s dam is an Elsu mare from a nice family  – and he was a Sales yearling in 2012 that caught my attention for that very reason. Here’s the blog I wrote at that time.  

There are only 4 registered foals aged 3 in New Zealand with Elsu as their damsire, and Black And Royal’s foal is the only colt (actually a gelding). Two of the filly foals from Elsu mares have qualified: Donegal Boyd Creek (Jereme’s Jet – Boyd’s Creek – that’s the Kahu Del family that produces some outstanding types like Lyall Creek and Harnett’s Creek) and Ohoka Royal (Ohoka Arizona – Ella Bea Royal). In both cases they are the mare’s first foals.

Looking down the list of what Elsu dams are producing, there is plenty to like about their prospects. There are just 17 registered foals listed, and overall the sires chosen are very commercial ones, including Christian Cullen (a sister to Jack Black), Bettor’s Delight, Rock N Roll Heaven, Shadow Play and Mach Three.

Among those with Elsu as their damsire are 6 win mare Matai Mies which breeder Pat Laboyrie put to Rock N Roll Heaven – I’ve seen the resulting yearling filly called Emily Blunt and she is a lovely type.

Brian West of Studholme Bloodstock is breeding from his Elsu mare The Actress, 2 wins and from his very nice Stage Talent family (dam of Slippery Mckenzie, About Ambition, Collectable). The yearling colt has been named The Actor.

Graham and Sue Henley of Alabar NZ are breeding their Elsu mare Esha – to Shadow Play for a now 2yo colt called Playingintheshadows who is with Lance Hanrahan, and now a filly by Santanna Blue Chip called Machineguns N Gems.

You can check out the details on the HRNZ website Info Horse database.

One interesting one is the Elsu mare Suzen Star who is out of Zenola Star and so a half sister to my own Zenterfold.  That makes her 2 x 3 to New York Motoring and 3 x 3 to Zenover. It’s close to inbreeding, and something Geoff and Aria Small also tried with Zenterfold when they put her to Elsu – in that case the resulting foal was a lovely big type who qualified but was retired, after being given plenty of time to develop, with reoccurring soreness, and seemed to lack the real element of speed required for racing.

The Henley’s leased Suzen Star to breed her to Grinfromeartoear, and the resulting filly (now named Yolo) was sold through the PGG Wrightson Autumn Weanling and All Aged Sale in May this year for just $3500 to the Blakemores. It will be interesting to keep an eye out on that one. The cross with Grin is one I have tried of course with Zenterfold to good success.

Elsu is a sire that has not left those outstanding racehorses required to really make him commercial. However he has gained respect from the smaller owners and trainers as a sire of horses that can become good “bread and butter” horses, affordable, honest and competitive, accumulating their wins and places over time rather than a flash in the pan. So he’s always thereabouts on the sires stats tables.

His real legacy, given the lovely maternal line he comes from – the engine room, may well be as a damsire especially when his mares are given a real chance with quality sires that can inject some speed into the progeny. Jack Black is a great example of that.

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