Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every Friday brought to you by Garrard’s Horse & Hound
Gloucester Park winners closely related
Texas Tiger, who won the $50,000 4YO and 5YO Championship at Gloucester Park, and Suing You, a winner on the same night, are both members of the same family.
Texas Tiger, who is undefeated in six starts in Western Australia, is a four-year-old American Ideal gelding out of the In The Pocket mare Tiger Dion (2:01.2), who produced others in the Gloucester Park winner Twoandahalf Tigers 1:56.4 ($170,761), Ida Tiger (1:55.5) and Urban Tiger (1:57.3).
Texas Tiger winning at Gloucester Park –Daryl Hallows, Paceway Photos
Tiger Dion, who won three races, was a sister-in-blood to the Breeders Crown champion All Tiger 1:49.2 ($496,107), being out of the former NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Tiger Turner, by Holmes Hanover from the Butler B G mare Tigerish 1:57 ($491,957), an outstanding racemare and dual Oaks winner.
Suing You, a four-year-old mare by the deceased Alta Christiano, is from the Perth winner Tiger Su (1:56), an Elsu half-sister to Tiger Turner, the second dam of Texas Tiger.
Suing You ranks as a half-sister to the Westbred 3YO Classic winner One Off Delight 1:54.2 ($237,931).
Tasmania Cup winner
Bullys Delight, a Bettor’s Delight five-year-old and the winner of the $75,000 Tasmania Cup at Hobart, is out of Mi Coconut, a fine racemare and a Group 1 winner who is proving a successful broodmare.
Bullys Delight —tasracing.com.au Photo
Mi Coconut is also the dam of Kid Coconut 1:55 ($146,951), a prolific winner at Melton, and his half-brother Blisstar (1:58.8), a winner at Melton and Hobart. Mi Coconut was an Albert Albert mare from Milady 1:59.6 ($147,351), by Kotare Knight from Lucky Piece, by Aachen from the Meadow Vance mare Marana, a half-sister to the Kilmore Cup winner Free Vance.
Mi Coconut was a half-sister to Milady Meg (2:00.8), winner of seven races including the Granny Smith, and Mi Mademoiselle (2:00.4), who won five. Their dam, Milady, a Bandbox and Granny Smith victor, was a half-sister to Family Revenge (2:02.1), dam of a top Tasmanian pacer in Armbros Revenge 1:53.4 ($291,006).
Mister Rea unbeaten two-year-old
The Pet Rock colt Mister Rea firmly clinched his claim as the season’s top rating two-year-old in NSW when he won the Group 2 $50,000 Sapling Stakes at Menangle, and is now undefeated in two starts.
Actually he was a class above his rivals, and, after being required to overcome a difficult draw and a wide passage, the colt careered away to prevail by four lengths in 1:52.1.
A well developed youngster, possessing both speed and stamina, Mister Rea is the first Sapling Stakes winner trained by Riverina horseman Ray Walker, who brought out the cup class pacer Imastrongone.
Mister Rea’s dam, Just Glenburn (1:59), was a Harold Park winner, being by Village Jasper from Glenburn Smoothie (1:59.8), a winner of three, and by the Most Happy Fella horse Smooth Fella, sire of a fine racemare in Smooth Sensation (winner of $249,419), dam of the Group winner Lombo Serene.
Glenburn Smoothie was out of Directa’s Special, by Hilarious Way from the UK mare Saunders Directa, by Holly Sand, a leading sire for many years in Tasmania. This is the family which produced winners such as Vincent, Self Denial, Full Pleasure, Kept for Pleasure, Nowitzki, Our Femme Fatale and others.
Oaks winner by The Gold Ace
Annerie, winner of the Tasmanian Oaks at Hobart at her first start on Australian soil, could develop into one of the best her age this year.
By the Bettor’s Delight horse The Gold Ace – a grand pacer and Derby winner himself – Annerie is from Feyonce, by Changeover (a son of In The Pocket) from My Khan, by the Meadow Skipper horse Genghis Khan, winner of the inaugural World Cup at The Meadowlands and one-time world mile record holder.
This family has produced some useful pacers over the years. Feyonce is a half-sister to the Harness Jewels winner Safin 1:55.3 ($246,810), the exported Kodan (1:52.4) and Drell (1:55.4) and the Harold Park winner Our Kumar (1:56).
Annerie has strong claims of colonial blood but she is none the worse for it.
Matai Geordie’s breeding background
The Washington VC gelding Matai Geordie, whose success at Gloucester Park recently was his fourth winning run in WA from six starts, is rated one of the brightest prospects in his class.
He has a good deal in his favour on the score of blood. Apart from being by Washington VC (sire of Im Themightyquinn), Matai Geordie is out of the Christian Cullen mare Matai Princess, a half-sister to the Menangle winner Matai Dream Away (1:57.1), being out of the B G’s Bunny mare Matai Gigi, who is a half-sister to the Queensland Governor’s Cup winner Matai B B C 1:56.1 ($143,485).
The family descends through mares by the leading stallions Neros’ BB, Tempest Hanover, Flying Song and Josedale Grattan to the Harold Rothschild mare First Water, a daughter of the noted foundation mare Red Diamond.
From the First Water branch of it and to which Matai Geordie belongs, top flight pacers such as Blacks A Fake, Tactile, Noodlum, Viking Water and others belong.
Won Go Girlfriend
Semi Sensation, who won the Group 3 Go Girlfriend at Menangle, leading from end to end in a fresh lifetime mark of 1:52.4, is by the Grinfromeartoear horse Mr Feelgood, sire of a top racemare in Charming Allie.
Semi Sensation is out of Left Laughing (2:00.7), by Fake Left from the Hilarious Way mare Peals Of Laughter, a daughter of Burgundy Belle, the dam of the Harold Park free-for-all winner Saint Albans, a smart juvenile in Star Of Alban and others.
Semi Sensation is a sister-in-blood to Happyever Laughter 1:53.2 ($113,583), a winner of 13 races.
Well related three-year-old
Alby Two Chains, who won the Tasmanian Guineas-Derby double at Hobart, showed ability as a two-year-old last season when he won two of his starts.
He has opened his three-year-old season on a winning note and will be well in line for the major classics on the mainland.
Bought at the APG Melbourne sale in 2019 for $70,000, Alby Two Chains is a colt by the Somebeachsomewhere horse, Captaintreacherous, from Slip Slop Slap, the best of whose several progeny has been the thrice Group 1 winner Jilliby Kung Fu (1:48.8), now at the stud in Victoria.
Slip Slop Slap ranks as a half-sister to a capable racemare and Victoria Gold Chalice winner in Lombo Mondoluce, being by Perfect Art from the SA Oaks winner Slaps, by Tuapeka Knight from the American-bred mare Tabella Ace, by Slapstick.
Slip Slop Slap was 15 when she left Alby Two Chains.
Fourth win on end
Highway To Heaven, winner of the Mount Gambier Gold Cup and five days earlier a winner at Horsham, is one of the most promising four-year-olds in Victoria at present.
The gelding has won at four of his five appearances in Australia for $22,000 in stakes. By the In The Pocket horse Christian Cullen, he is out of Last Port Of Call, by a champion sire in Live Or Die from Port Medley, by Meddlesome from Sea Dream.
Last Port Of Call, the dam of Highway To Heaven, won only once race but she was a half-sister to 11 winners – five in 2:00 – including two high class WA pacers in Lively Medley 1:54.6 ($131,055), winner of the Mount Eden Sprint and WA 4 &5YO Championship, and Falcon’s Medley 1:55.1 ($186,312).
Highway To Heaven was bred by Nevele R Stud, Christchurch.
Sire for South Australia
The Christian Cullen horse Gotta Go Cullect has been relocated to South Australia where he is to do stud duty at Mario Borg’s property at Sampson Flat, near Gawler.
Gotta Go Cullect in winning action
Gotta Go Cullect was first at the stud in New Zealand before doing a term at Egmont Park Stud in Queensland. His current crop of two-year-olds are grand individuals and those in work have shown marked promise.
His stock include the top WA racemare Gotta Go Gabbana, Al Raza (winner of $445,000), the Queensland Oaks winner Nek Time, Come Cullect (NSW Ranji Bill), Gotta Go Henry, He’s Okey Dokey and Sparkling Cullect.
A particularly well bred horse, Gotta Go Cullect is by Christian Cullen from a champion racemare in Elect To Live, the dam also of the Harness Jewels winner Gotta Go Harmony.
Elect To Live was by Live Or Die from Lopez Elect, by Lopez Hanover from Ruling Miss, by Card Shark from the Brahman mare Ruling Caste, who established a strong winning branch of the Norice tribe.
Gotta Go Cullect proved himself a brilliant pacer on his day, taking a NZ record of 1:57 beating Highview Tommy and Tintin In America in the Cardigan Bay Stakes.
Blue blooded youngster
Lightning Dan, a very impressive winner on debut at Horsham recently, is a two-year-old colt who can claim some worthwhile blood.
By Captaintreacherous, by Somebeachsomewhere from Worldly Treasure, by Artsplace, he is out of the Art Major mare Beninjurd, whose dam, My Liberty Belle (1:57.5), left a brilliant pacer and dual Inter Dominion heat winner in Philadelphia Man 1:52.6 ($559,135).
Beninjurd, who was unraced, ranks as the dam of the outstanding juvenile pacers Centenario 1:53.4 ($332,520) and Tough Tilly 1:54.9 ($191,040), both Vicbred champions, and the top Tasmanian pacer Somedan 1:55.9 ($131,690).
First winner for Dreamcatcher
The Love You horse, Dreamcatcher, who was bred in Sweden and raced in Victoria, was represented by his first winner from his first small crop when the two-year-old Eds Dream emerged successful at Melton recently.
Having only his second start, the colt led from the outset, and, after a brief mistake in the last lap, recovered his gait and marched away for a half-length win.
Bred by Pat Driscoll, Eds Dream ranks as a half-brother to the Group/Listed winners My Valerie 1:54.8 ($132,655) and Parisian Chic (1:58.8), being out of Xena Hest, by Pine Chip from the Inter Dominion Consolation winner Amy Hest, by Game Pride.
Dreamcatcher will stand his first public season at stud at Driscoll’s Haras Des Trotteurs’ property near Ballarat next spring.
by Peter Wharton