b4breeding

Historical footnote shows the passion for harness racing

June 26, 2015 by b4breeding

Addington main stand fire

A fire alarm callout at Alexandra Park tonight recalled the historical event from 1916 when the stand caught fire at Addington raceway.

I recall a number of photos of the event, and some of them show not only the blazing stand, but the on track punters turning their backs on the fire to watch the exciting final straight finish of the race that was happening at the time. Go, you passionate harness racing followers! It was, after all, NZ Cup Day.

Another fire in the stand happened in the 1950s, again at Addington.

Is this the night for Courage Under Fire horses to show their worth?
Good to see the old guy is still available to Australian breeders at $5,500, and he deserves a good book. One of my all-time favourites is “Might Mouse” as he was known. As smaller horses can show as racers and sires (like Bettor’s Delight, Tintin In America, Highview Tommy, and in older days ones like Good Time), size only matters when it comes to the size of the cup you win or the stakes you make.

Update later same night: Ah, there you go, winner of the last at Forbury Park tonight a talented 4yo Courage Under Fire x Denice’s Dream (Armbro Operative) who now has 8 starts for 2 wins and 3 seconds. Nice. Australian blog readers might know the family through (I’m Elmer Fudd) who got about 8 wins and $50,000+ here before crossing the ditch to more or less double that in total.

Posted in Harness racing, Horses, Standardbred breeding | Leave a Comment »

Zee Dana catching the eye in Australia – first race start tonight

June 24, 2015 by b4breeding

Update: Won in very impressive form. Reports here and here, but you read it here first. lol

Zee Dana is a colt from Tintin In America’s first crop, so a 2yo now. He was bred by Dave Kennedy who made quite a comitment to the sire, and got some nice payback when Zee Dana was taken over to ready-to-run sales in Australia and performed/sold very well, and has recently appeared at Shepperton trials and will be racing tonight. His ownership has just been joined by NRL player Brett Stewart – read article here. He has his first up race start tonight Race 2 at Bendigo. All the best for that Dave! Another Tintin foal that is showing up well in Australia is Dame Puissant (also NZ bred), who has had just the two starts, both this month, for a second then a first. She is from a P-Forty Seven mare, and perhaps the most interesting thing in her pedigree is a 3×3 to In The Pocket through the maternal lines of her sire and dam. Of Tintin’s 15 Australian-bred 2yos, Just Wantano had three starts earlier this year for 2 wins, and has just come back after a spell for a 3rd on 12 June in a heat of the Vicbred 2yo Fillies series, quite a distance from the first two runners after being checked. Aussie Vista has been consistent with 8 starts for 1 win, 2 seconds and 2 fourths, but faded after setting a hot pace and being eyeballed in the final of the Group 2 Yearling Sales Series Final for 2yos at Redcliffe. And I believe another Tintin filly Velvet Kisses is having her debut this week as well.

If you have bred or bought a Tintin, let me know how it is developing.

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding | Tagged tintin in america | Leave a Comment »

Isa Smiling again?

June 20, 2015 by b4breeding

Update as at 24 June: She won her workout (only three trotters in the field) but yet to hear any details.

An interesting nomination for today’s workouts at Auckland is the 5yo trotting mare Isa Smiling (Pegasus Spur x Sun Isa), owned by Jo and Jack Davies who bought her at the 2011 yearling sales from breeder Kym Kearns. She qualified as a 2yo in April 2012 in a race where she was second behind Sheemon and in front of KD Hall. She is a big, beautiful trotter, sister to Flying Isa and with a heap of ability and speed. But she always had issues with settling at the start of races, often reacting strongly to lining up with other horses even behind the mobile. It became such an issue, getting her so worked up, that trainer John Dickie and the owners decided to stop trying and go in another direction completely – and put her in foal.

Several years later she’s having a second go at the racing game, after foaling a Majestic Son colt in early September last year.

I’m not able to get to the workouts this morning, as we already have an afternoon trip to Auckland planned for this afternoon, talking our “shuttle mare” Zenterfold back to Geoff and Aria Small.

But I will be interested to see the results, and whether a complete break away for over 3 years has worked the oracle.

Posted in Standardbred breeding | 1 Comment »

Meet my new mare

June 14, 2015 by b4breeding

Nostalgic means looking back with yearning affection to the past. But my new mare Nostalgic Franco is all about me looking to the future with interest.

I managed to tie my hands behind my back and not buy a weanling at the recent Weanling and All Aged sales in Auckland and Christchurch….but I couldn’t resist this mare.

Nostalgic Franco

She’s from a family that has been well regarded and has produced some classy horses. Her dam’s half sister Nevermore was a very good 2yo filly whose career went through to 4yo and ended up with $124,712. Other good ones from the close family are Franco Nester, Chancellor Cullen, and Natal Franco (who is the dam of the 3yo Art Major filly Princess Arts).

As Don Wright wrote in the Southland Times in 2012 in an article about Franco Nelson, who is from a branch of the wider family:

If bloodlines count for anything, the boom youngster has much to live up to, being out of Notafella Franco, a Falcon Seelster mare from the stout branch of the Trilby taproot that produced two New Zealand Cup winners in world harness racing’s first millionaire Cardigan Bay and Globe Bay.

Franco Nelson has gone on to win over half a million, including a second to Adore Me in last year’s New Zealand Cup.

The family has become quite sprawling in its branches, and as usual not all of them will fire consistently. Many seem to produce just one really good one, but there is enough in the deeper and wider family to catch my interest. Will this branch throw up some really top horses? That’s my challenge.

Nostalgic Franco is a 13yo mare by Rustler Hanover out of a Falcon Seelster mare. Rustler Hanover is a son of the great mare Rich N Elegant and with bloodlines to die for as a damsire. He has clicked well with Falcon Seelster mares in America (of the 16 foals on that cross, 25% of them have won $100,000+).

Nostalgic Franco had a win and a couple of placings from just 8 races and showed a bit of ability before she threw herself on the track one day and hurt her back. She was put aside to heal, and with the numbers of new ones coming along at Spreydon Lodge, she never was a priority to get back to the races and ended up being bred from. She’s had 7 foals, 5 of racing age, for 3 to race and 2 winners to date, including 7-win Franco Nadal (although he is an accumulator rather than a brilliant horse). Franco Nikau (Lis Mara) won his first three races for Steven Reid and Simon McMullan, but he struggled a bit since going up in the grades or maybe he has some niggles. There are some potentially nice ones in the pipeline like the Bettor’s Delight 4yo mare who qualified very well late last year, a couple of Changover fillies, and a Gotta Go Cullen weanling. So apart from the Bettor’s Delight, it is very much a Nevele R/Spreydon Lodge pedigree.

What really sold me on Nostalgic Franco is that she’s in foal to Tintin In America, and if you look at that match you can see why I might be interested. Normally I don’t go for simplistic double-ups, but these are very nice ones and beautifully structured. I have already bred a Rustler Hanover mare Sophie’s Choice to Tintin In America and we’ve got a strong, well conformed weanling colt (ownership shared with Lynda Mellsop and Ann Claridge).

So for just $1,150 I’ve got a well-bred mare in foal to a sire that I think will really suit. She’s based at Macca Lodge with my other mare Dreamy Romance, who is due to foal to Big Jim.

Where to with Nostalgic Franco this coming season? I’m taking a close look at the newcomer Sunshine Beach as a match – I’d be interested in what you think.

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding | 2 Comments »

Two runners and a qualifier keep us very happy

June 8, 2015 by b4breeding

Update: Both horses ran at the Cambridge track last night, after elect To Go made it into a much more suitable field in the Waikato meeting that was brought back from Sunday to thursday in a move to help find a space for the flooded out Forbury Park meeting. Elect To Go ran an exciting 2nd after being awkwardly placed 4 back on the inside, coming with an eyecatching run wide. View video here. Souvenir Glory had even less luck in the running, having to drop back from the 7 draw and just ran around nicely at the back of the field, and will be ready for next time.

Original blog:

The last month or so has been really enjoyable with a range of horses we have either bred or bought as weanlings showing up at the track.

Kym’s Elsu mare Souvenir Glory – 2nd at Cambridge. Thanks to a nice drive from Kyle Marshall she got handy on the pace, and ran home very well wider out. It was a gutsy effort. She starts again this Thursday at Cambridge. It was an Elsu quinella. Just an interesting by-note: The talented 2yo Emily blunt, a Rock N Roll Heaven filly bred and owned by Cambridge breeder Pat Laboyrie, has had an eye-catching second and then win at the Nelson meeting lately – in its first two starts. She’s by Pat’s nice 6-win Elsu mare Matai Mies. Nothing wrong with those good Elsu mares!

Elect To Go – 2-length win at the workouts at Pukekohe by the Gotta Go Collect x Innsbruck weanling Kym and I bought from the Alabar draft at the 2011 weanling sale. Never been pushed along when young, although she did qualify as an early 3yo with Kym as trainer. We’ve sent her to Geoff Small now to see what she’s got, and it looks like she’s got enough to be competitive. She is the half sister to mare Sovereign Faith, who has done a good job here and over in Australia (11 wins from 51 starts lifetime, $72,234). She’s nominated for the first race at Alexandra Park this Friday, but her draw of 7 is a head-scratcher for trainer Geoff in a tough field for a maiden.

In the trot qualifier trial at Pukekohe on the same day, Angus Fogg (Angus Hall x Sun Isa) qualified comfortably for trainer Derek Balle. A gorgeous looking big gelding, he’ll be another we will follow with as much passion and interest as the current owners! Read about him here and his pedigree here. Sun Isa is currently in foal to Angus Hall.

In North America we continue to follow the adventures of Destination Moon (Grinfromeartoear x Zenterfold) and Driving The Dragon (Sutter Hanover x Shark Alert), the latter, like Souvenir Glory and Elect To Go, was a purchase from the Alabar draft at weanling sales. Both continue to put their hooves in the till.

Posted in Harness racing, Standardbred breeding | Tagged Angus Hall, Elsu, Gotta Go Cullect | Leave a Comment »

Jewels 4yo Emerald throws some curve balls

May 27, 2015 by b4breeding

The New Zealand Jewels is only a few days away now and the fields and draws are out and being analysed. And some of the fields throw a few curve balls!

I suggest you keep track of the Harnesslink field-by-field analysis, which is a good overview of current form and a reasonable analysis of the chances.

Those of us who are interested in breeding know that the horses who make the finals of events like this (based mainly on seasons earnings in New Zealand) may not always reflect the dominance of sires overall. In the end, fields are made up of individual horses who are either “consistent as” or “brilliant” – and both sorts have to be tough to get to this end of the season and front up yet again.

So check out the fields and the view of Harnesslink NZ which is quite a short summary but good one,and they also show the basic breeding of each horse which is welcome information.

There are some intersting observations to make.

The 4yo Emerald for example. Who would have ever thought that dear old Grinfromeartoear would end up with three representatives in a Jewels final? Mr Franklin, Provocative Prince and Milligan. What have they got in common apart from ending up in this field? (1) awful draws, (2) consistent form, (3) willingness (4) durability. And a bunch of delightful owners I would think. OK they may not make it into the winners circle but don’t write them off – their horse’s breeding is indicating something that many breeders are not paying attention to – that “slow cooking” is often the sweetest meat. These are horses that, by the very fact they are in the Jewels, show they can earn their keep for their owners and give them a run for their money at the top end. I love that.

Another highlight of that field is the number of In The Pocket broodmares, and the cross of those mares with Art Major in particular. Four of the top pick horses in that field are by Art Major out of an In The Pocket or Christian Cullen mare. What an amazing job In The Pocket continues to do here in New Zealand. With the Direct Scooter line having such a resurgence in North America, it is good timing and a relief for the breeding world that we nurtured another Direct Scooter line down under.

In terms of the fillies and mares races at the Jewels, again it is interesting to see the VARIETY of sires and damsires that are producing fillies (and in the longer term mares) who can accumulate wins and earnings to get into the Jewels. Girls are not that obvious – so the mix of sires and broodmare sires and families is a lot more complex.

On the day, what happens…happens. But I like variety and although I hope the best horse wins, I also hope there are some surprises that bring unexpected joy to owners and breeders.

Posted in Harness racing, Standardbred breeding | Leave a Comment »

Some sons somewhere

May 24, 2015 by b4breeding

It’s an interesting development just how quickly sons of Somebeachsomewhere have appeared on the scene – and especially interesting here in New Zealand where the sire himself is still struggling to get any long-term traction. His mares/live foals statistics to date here are: 2010 16/4; 2011 13/4; 2012 1/1; 2013 75/56; 2014 88/34 (but “no returns” yet); and last season he served 35 mares. There have been reasons for these figures including some issues with his frozen semen. However they also reflect a “stand back and see” attitude that happens with some top new sires but not others, and it isn’t always easy to pick why. Art Major has had the same battle, but overcoming it now. There’s also been reports from “across the ditch” (i.e. Australia) that his progeny have been quite hard to get going. Of course rumours are always a challenge for sires and can be the final straw in some cases. But there was some indication that, with our different style of racing and training, and different breeds of mares, Somebeachsomewhere was not a “given”.

As can happen, it is likely a son of Somebeachsomewhere may pick up support and breeders’ interest skip over a “puzzle” in favour of one of his sons who is more readily available and perhaps has a maternal pedigree that appeals more with our mares.

So far it looks like we may have access to three sons (although I have not heard anything yet to confirm Captain Treacherous’ availability downunder).

The others are Alabar’s Sunshine Beach, and Macca Lodge’s Net Ten EOM. The latter is less proven, although obviously had a heap of talent. The other two raced at the top end for a couple of years at least, and Captain Treacherous was magnificent as a 3yo.

What these three have in common is a very strong maternal pedigree that offers some real potential in matching with our mares. And perhaps this is the area that Somebeachsomewhere found trickiest with us – Beach Towel and Cam Fella are both highly respected here, but are not seen as types that have worked particularly well with our types of mares.

Captain Treacherous is from the stunning Romola Hal family, and one of its most brilliant branches. He’s closely related to Art Major, Perfect Art and Panspacificflight. His damsire is Artsplace and his grandamsire is Nihilator, one of the toughest high-speed machines we have seen. My favourite engine-room sires are stacked in his bottom lines – Big Towner, Shadow Wave, Tar Heel. I’ve blogged about Captain Treacherous as a sire and his maternal line previously – check it out here

I covered Net Ten EOM in that same blog – his maternal line is a less spectacular but extremely solid one. He was a very quick horse himself but retired from injury before making his mark on the big stage. His damsire is Artsplace and his grandamsire is Matt’s Scooter. It is the same maternal line as Well Said ($2.5m), and it is a family that has crossed well with Artsplace (and then to the Western Hanover line in the case of Well Said). In his first season here as frozen semen at Macca Lodge he got 32 mares. I’m impressed by his credentials and the ability of Brent McIntyre to suss out a very interesting and well-bred sire who could work well here (as Panspacificflight is looking like he will be).

Sunshine Beach is the latest announcement from Alabar. Sunshine Beach is also from an Artsplace mare. It is interesting how all of them are from an Artsplace mare – and you may recall the link I made to Ray Chaplin’s theory that this was not necessarily the “rainbow” match it appeared to be. Must see how his research is progressing… But for now, it is just interesting to note – and not all that surprising since North America is awash with nice Artsplace mares whose owners are looking for the pot of gold.

Sunshine Beach also has a really lovely maternal line in terms of producers and performers. His second dam Lights On was a damn good 2yo filly by Jate Lobell – and that adds another interesting element to this sire’s pedigree, and one which will resonate with downunder breeders, particularly in Australia. What’s extra interesting for me is that Sunshine Beach’s maternal line is that of Golden Miss, in this case the amazing Shifting Sands/Shifting Scene line through a daughter of Shifting Scene called Blue Gingham. This line is a hugely successful maternal line producing sires and females that breed on. Blue Gingham’s best foal by far was the very good filly Enroute, who won $753, 658, and she also had a decent son by Jate Lobell called Armbro Khaki. One of her daughters called Armbro Invite had a super son called Armbro Proposal who went 1.48.2 and earned over $1m. Those of you who are interested in pedigrees will see some very interesting double ups in Armbro Proposal’s pedigree (thanks to Classic Families) with the reintroduction of Golden Miss and also Shadow Wave.

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding | Tagged Alabar, Macca Lodge, Net Ten EOM, Romola Hal, Somebeachsomewhere, Sunshine Beach | 1 Comment »

Weanlings are the new black?

May 21, 2015 by b4breeding

The Auckland Autumn Weanling and All Age Sale is starting to hit its straps. Yesterday (20 May 2015) the sale lifted to another level as buyers identified and got some fairly priced young horses rather than wait for the yearling sales. It is a concept that has shown promise, and one which I have promoted as a great opportunity to see progeny of new sires and others that may fly under the radar. For sellers, it is now a viable option in the North Island for moving good stock on rather than carrying the risk further. Yes, there were plenty of cheaper prices, too, and the prices for progeny from newer sires are low-ish and all over the show as buyers go on individual type and family rather than proven ability of the sires. Weanlings from sires like Bettor’s Delight and Mach Three, and to some extent American Ideal, were very well received as would be expected. The buying market remains very conservative, but at last the sale gives new sires an early airing.

Top price for the sale was Lot 73, paid by Mike Berger for a Bettor’s Delight colt from Spirit Of Eros, a good producer (dam of one of my favourites Spirit And Desire as well as of the very good Bettor Spirits which is part owned and trained by Mike Berger) and that’s the family of Tabella Beth (Stars And Stripes, Light And Sound). He must have been an exceptional weanling to get that price – he was from the Woodlands Stud draft, bred by Woodlands Stud, and I only previewed the Alabar draft and couldn’t get to the sale myself, so haven’t viewed him or seen a photo.

Brent Mangos bought three horses – one as an agent and the others on his own account – above the $20k mark.

You can see all the results here at the PGG Wrightson Sale of the Stars website

Tintin In America x Westerly Wind weanling filly

There are a couple I want to mention – one is Lot 23, a sturdy looking Tintin In America weanling filly bought by Andrew and Lyn Neal for $4000 for a syndicate I am aware of, and I wish them all the best with her. This is the second Tintin filly from the Western Terror mare Westerly Wind. It’s a nice pedigree match with multiple double ups to influential males and females (especially when you consider that Happy Motoring and New York Motoring were full brothers) plus it is a family that is on the rise.

Westerly Wind is a daughter of Shazza’s Dream who also had a weanling for sale – a Mach Three filly that Gavin Smith bought for $13,000. He knows this family – another Mach Three foal from Shazza’s Dream, a 2yo colt called Blade, was racing tonight at Forbury Park in awful conditions and sat parked for a long way before battling on for 7th, but he is worth following.

Shazza’s Dream is the dam of Offtocullect who won here and in Australia for 7 wins from 11 starts, but I am not sure what has happened to him since. Anyone know?

Shazza’s Dream and Westerly Wind are from the Russianero family, and there were several other weanlings in the sale from branches of that family which Alabar is breeding from.

Mach Three x Shazza’s Dream weanling filly

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding | Leave a Comment »

A response from Kevin Seymour re Mr Feelgood

May 16, 2015 by b4breeding

Always good to get an update from those who know. And extra good to hear he can be available to NZ breeders this season – I already have a mare lined up that looks suitable.

Mr Feelgood is in great health and had a great season last year with around 340 services.

This is as much as we could supply with fresh semen and his fertility was very good.

We gave Nevele R Stud and Lee Morris (Equibreed) a supply of frozen semen and they will have it this season to service New Zealand breeders.

Our problem last year was that we were late in getting the semen to New Zealand as we didn’t know the export procedure.

Nevele R and Equibreed are at liberty to set the service fees for New Zealand this season.

We will be standing him again at Egmont Park this season and we are yet to set a service fee.

He is a beautiful stallion and has a gentle nature and is a pleasure to take semen from.

His first crop in the US and first Australian crop records are as attached:

Mr Feelgood USA stats 150429 Stallion Stats

As you will see, these records are outstanding.

With his third crop he only had two foals (from two services), A Good Chance and Feel the Faith, both outstanding youngsters.

He has been a dream horse for my partner Peter O’Shea and myself having won the 2009 Inter Dominion and other Grand Circuit races in Australia winning a total prize money of $3.3M.

There is no doubt he will be an outstanding sire and his maternal family is fantastic. One of the best bred stallions ever to stand in Australia.

Those who have Mr Feelgood stock are highly impressed and have already booked to him again this season.

Thanks

Kind regards
KW & K SEYMOUR

Posted in Harness racing, Pedigree matching, Standardbred breeding | Tagged Kevin Seymour, Mr Feelgood | 2 Comments »

The battle for Mount Isa

May 13, 2015 by b4breeding

It’s only a small mound of earth in the paddock, but it is an animal magnet. And sometimes the competition for “king of the castle” becomes an entertaining and strategic play acted out on the “Mount Isa” of Isa Lodge – as you can see in this sequence with my Rock N Roll Heaven filly(without cover) and Shadow Play colt, plus two of the neighbour’s sheep we’ve borrowed. You’ve meet these two weanlings before.