Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every week brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound.
NSW Trotters Derby-Oaks double
Brilliant Aldebaran Eagle filly Rockinwithattitude joined a select list when she effortlessly won the $75,000 NSW Trotters Derby at Menangle. She became only the fourth filly to complete the NSW Derby-Oaks double joining Habibiti (2013), Right Interest (2006) and Jauriol (2005).
It was her fifth success on end, and she soundly defeated the best three-year-olds in commission in the Trotters Derby after leading from the outset and posting sectionals of 29.8, 28.1 and 28.8. She is a very good youngster.
ROCKINWITHATTITUDE REPLAY
In 16 starts Rockinwithattitude has now won 11 and been three times placed for $211,750 in stakes for Victorian trainer-driver David Miles.
By the Muscle Hill horse Aldebaran Eagle, and one of the second crop of the American horse to race in Australia, Rockinwithattitude is out of the thrice Melton winner Rockin Shiraz (Tr1:58.8), by Rock N Roll Heaven from Elite Shiraz, by Grinfromeartoear from Cindy Shiraz, by Safely Kept. Cindy Shiraz, the dam of five winners, was a half-sister to Tanabi, dam of the Victoria Derby winner Tanabi Bromac.
Rockinwithattitude is the first foal of her dam.
Expensive Ego eyes Brisbane
Expensive Ego (Rock N Roll Heaven), one of Australia’s outstanding pacers and who is being fitted for a Brisbane winter campaign, made short work of a smart field in the Bill Green Free-for-all at Menangle. He won as he liked in 1:51.1.
A six-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven entire, he is out of Art Start (1:58.2), who was by Perfect Art (a brother to Art Major) from Sweet Clementine (1:59.6), by Land Grant from Sue Adios NZ, by Jerry Adios.
Expensive Ego, who is raced by Jason Grice and Belinda McCarthy, who trains him, won the Chariots of Fire, Australia’s premier race for four-year-olds in 2021.
Wonderful To Fly top WA four-year-old mare
There was never much doubt that Wonderful To Fly (Fly Like An Eagle) was the season’s top rating WA four-year-old mare as she was the previous season at three years, and she duly confirmed her class by winning the $50,000 APG 4YO Final at Gloucester Park.
Actually the Fly Like An Eagle mare was a class above her rivals, and was not seriously tested in running out the 1730 metres in 2:06.2, a mile rating of 1:57.4.
It was her third Group 1 success and lifted her stake tally to more than $480,000.
WONDERFUL TO FLY REPLAY
Wonderful To Fly is out of Not Now Delilah, an Allamerican Ingot mare from Queen Delilah, by Orange Sovereign (son of Abercrombie) from Dainty Delilah, by Rock Butler from the Frosty Nelson mare Dainty’s Last, a half-sister to the champion racemare and WA Pacing Cup winner Dainty’s Daughter.
Dainty Delilah, a dual Gloucester Park winner, was the dam of six winners including the WA Western Gateway and Navy Cup winner Jumbo Operator 1:57 ($313,175) and the WA 2YO Sires Stakes winner Getaway Plan 1:58 ($135,549).
Wonderful To Fly was bred by Kevin and Annette Charles.
Won Western Regional Championship
Iam The Captain (Captaintreacherous), who came from worse than midfield to win the $100,000 Western Regional Championship at Bathurst, is a four-year-old entire of some potential.
He has an all-American breeding background and one which has been most successful. By Captaintreacherous (by Somebeachsomewhere), he is out of the Blissfull Hall mare Heavenly Beauty, who won a string of races in North America and took a record of 1:52.
Heavenly Beauty, who was bred in New Jersey, was out of Beauteous (1:58.4), by Jate Lobell from Absolutely Gorgeous, by Niatross and tracing to the taproot Fanny Skinner. Heavenly Beauty left two winners in America including Gratias Deo (1:50.4), before being shipped to Australia where she has left Jilliby Gypsy (1:58.6), Iam The Captain and the unraced Suenos Dulces, dam of the Melton juvenile winner Roryville (1:54.6).
Other top pacers further back in this pedigree have been Escapable Beaux (1:50), a Derby winner in Canada, Paprike Blue Chip (USA John Simpson Memorial) and the USA Stakes winner Vincent Fra (1:50.8).
Timmy Rictor is promising
Timmy Rictor (Modern Art) is proving himself a smart two-year-old – he has won two of his three starts to date and finished second in the Bathurst Gold Crown in the other – and could develop into one of the best his age this season.
A colt by Modern Art (son of Artsplace), he is out of a useful racemare in Bettor’s Package (1:55), who produced earlier winners in Shoobee Gotcha (1:58.3) and Moreartsthanclass (1:59.7).
Bettor’s Package, who won 12 races, was a Bettor’s Delight mare from Total Package (2:00.3), by Mystical Prince from the Classic Garry mare Classic Figure, a sister to the WA Pacing Cup and Derby winner Saab, the former 2YO Colt of the Year Talladega and the Vicbred champion Saabella.
Bred by Maitland studmaster Paul Carmody, Timmy Rictor was bought for a modest $7,000 at the Bathurst Gold Crown Yearling Sale in 2022.
First winners by Volstead
The Cantab Hall horse Volstead, a multiple Group winner in Sweden and who stood at Haras Des Trotteurs Stud in Victoria before returning to America, was represented by his first winners in the two-year-old fillies Violet Stanford and Third Eye.
Both won heats of the Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic at Maryborough on debut recently and will be among the leading fancies for the $50,000 Final at Melton on May 20.
Bred by Bruce Phillips, Violet Stanford is the first foal out of the good NZ and Menangle trotting winner Mingara NZ, a Thanksgiving mare from Sporty Spice, by Payson’s Brother from the Soky’s Atom mare Daniella and tracing back to the Medoro mare Paulina, who founded a strong family of trotters.
Third Eye, bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms and knocked down for $15,000 at the Nutrien Equine sale in Melbourne in 2022, is out of Roxy Maguire NZ (1:59.3), a Bettor’s Delight mare from the celebrated Zenover tribe.
Canberra Cup winner
A bright future is being predicted for the Mach Three five-year-old Im Presi Belle, whose success in the Canberra Cup was her fourth winning run in as many starts this season.
She has a good deal in her favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Mach Three, and one of his last commercial crop, Im Presi Belle is out of the Presidential Ball mare White Thunder 1:57.4 ($344,717), winner of the Queensland Oaks and APG 2YO Final.
White Thunder, a winner of 22 races, was a half-sister to the Menangle winner Cousin Christian, being out of the Group 1 placegetter Latoya Franco, by Holmes Hanover from Lady Franco, by Plat Du Jour from Eastwood Jubilee and tracing to the imported mare Berthabell.
Other members of this family include the current NZ sensation Akuta, the dual Derby winner Franco Enforce, Franco Emirate (NZ Messenger), Artemis Belle (WA Oaks), the exported Our Corelli ($470,655) and the former top WA juvenile Franco Edward.
Up-and-coming trotter
One of the most promising trotters racing in Victoria is Aroha Koe, bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms and trained by Chris Svanosio. A four-year-old, Aroha Koe is in his second season of racing, but from 15 starts he has won five and been four times placed.
Aroha Koe has a background of trotting blood second to none. His sire, Love You, has left the great Australian trotting mare Queen Elida and other top trotters in Monbet, Enghien, Habibti, Ultimate Stride and Parisdian Artiste.
His dam, Sumthingaboutmaori, is by Pine Chip, the leading sire of trotters in America for many years.
Aroha Koe ranks as a brother to the Home Grown Classic winner Central Otago and a half-brother to the Breeders Crown champion Gus An Maori and the Group winner Imamaorijet.
Sumthingaboutmaori, an Inter Dominion Trotting champion, was a sister to Maori Vacation and to the dams of the Group 1 winners Aldebaran Crescent, Kyvalley Clichy and Needabacardi.
The family, which traces to the Lincoln Yet mare Dot, produced a champion trotter in Maori’s Idol (1:59.3), who won 40 of his 46 starts and set a string of records, and other top flight trotters in Maori Time (1:51.5), Australasia’s fastest ever trotter, Noopy Kiosk, Spidergirl, Blitzthemcalder and Danny Bouchea.
by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink