BREEDERS’ WEEKLY

EDITION 32
DECEMBER 1, 2016
WWW.HARNESSRACING.CO.NZ
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THE BREEDERS
BREEDERS’
WEEKLY
Duane Ranger caught up with
Ross Britten, the breeder of
recent winner Raptors Flight.
Read more on page 10.
INSIDE THIS EDITION
/SMART LINKS
BAGS OF WINNERS
BREEDERS WEEKLY SNIPPETS
2016 NRM BREEDERS CUP EVE FUNCTION
FROZEN EMBRYOS FOR NEW ZEALAND!
RAPTOR NOT EXTINCT FROM WINNERS CIRCLE
ANOTHER CREDIT FOR BLACK WATCH
WELL BRED HORSES SHARE THE PRIZE
COURTING DAD’S BREED
DELIGHT IN THE DISTRICTS FOR AUCKLAND BREEDER
HERBERT NOT SHOCKED BY GELDING’S PROGRESS
BREEDING BASE CHANGING HANDS
LAZARUS WINS CUP AND FFA BUT ALSO WINS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY
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15
17
18
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Ben Smith is presented the
Broodmare of Excellence award
for 2016 from John Mooney.
Find out more on page 7.
1

BAGS OF
WINNERS
Invercargill lawyer Cleland Murdoch
(also known as “Bags”) is among a
small group of the legal fraternity in
Invercargill that have an interest and or
investment in harness racing.
The likes of Mary-Jane Thomas, Murray
Little and Lester Smith are all lawyers,
race horse owners and breeders in the
province.
But it must be said that Murdoch is
the biggest and the most successful to
date.
Cleland ‘Bags’ Murdoch with recent winner Northview Dave
His initial interest in the horse industry
was in the thoroughbred code back in
the boom years of the 60’s, 70’s and
early 80’s.
“Initially I was more interested in
gallopers because when I was a kid
Southland had Rex Cochrane, Ted
Winsloe and Bill Hillis. The best trainers
in New Zealand. We also had Kurdistan
and Bellborough. I used to follow the
gallopers more than the trots. I was
brought up in the Eiffel Tower era,” he
said.
But that changed when he and a few
mates bought a mare off Southland
trainer Johnny Henderson.
“I was friendly with Mike Hughes (Tour
of Southland winner) and he arranged
to buy a mare called Cheeky Lass with
a foal at foot by Knowing Bret, and she
was in foal to Knowing Bret. I think
we paid $6,000 for her. Mike, Peter
Kerslake and I went a third each. The
foal at foot was Mike Adios which was
my first winner.”
Mike Adios wasn’t initially trained in
Southland.
“Nifty Norman arranged to send him to
Derek Jones and that was my first win
as an owner. He won a penalty bearing
trial at Addington so I never even saw
it.”
“He had some issues so we brought
him back down here. He was trained by
Murray Brown and he gave Murray his
first win as a trainer.”
Brown has trained 69 winners for
Murdoch whether it be individually,
through shared ownership or in
syndicates.
Murdoch has also had winners trained
by Ali Malcolmson, Billy Heads, Tim
Butt, Dave Anderson, Hamish Hunter,
Ken Barron and Phil Williamson.
Fast forward thirty two years and
Murdoch is still breeding and racing
plenty of horse flesh with shares in a
good number of racehorses such as
Sam Galleon, Swamp Major, Northview
Dave, American Magic (American
Ideal – Cher’s Magic),Triple VC, Ideal
Art, Arnold and Elle Ko Highlanders
Syndicate).
He’s also breeding at the top end of the
trotting market with the past chairman
of HRNZ Gary Allen.
“I got to meet Gary when I was the
president of the Invercargill Harness
Racing Club and going to the trotting
conferences. Over the years Gary and
I have become close friends and are
breeding from C J Galleon (which we
own) and also on an alternate years,
Rae Galleon & Niamey which Gary
owns in partnership with Trevor Casey.”
CJ Galleon has left James Galleon
(Washington VC) which qualified at
Gore, winning by fourteen lengths and
pacing 9.2 seconds under qualifying
time. He was sold to Australia for big
money and has since won eight from 13
starts for Gary Hall in Western Australia.
“The Halls really like the horse. I
think he has had some injury issues.
We’ve got a full brother at home. Brent
McIntyre (Macca Lodge) actually saved
the mare from going to Gore and he’s
bred a foal out of her and she’s going
back to Washington VC.”
On the trotting side of breeding with
Gary Allen, they bred alternate years
CONT. P3
Mike Adios beat fourteen other rivals at
the Canterbury Owners and Breeders
Trials with a winning stake of $1,000.
2

CONT.
from the Sundon mare Rae Galleon
which is a full sister to Belle Galleon
the winner of eleven races - owned
by Trevor Casey and Allen, and also
Niamey (Chiola Hanover – Game Flyer)
which is also owned by Casey and
Allen.
Niamey has left Pocaro (Group One
3 year old Ruby at Ashburton - 13
wins), Springbank Sam (20 wins) and
Daenerys Targaryen (15 wins including
the Group One Seelite Redwood Classic
at her first start), and the promising
Sam Galleon the winner of four of his
eleven starts.
“Gary and I have a half-brother to Sam
Galleon by Majestic Son entered in
the sales and we’re sending the mare
to Love You. She’s had seven foals for
seven winners including two Group
One winners and one of her daughters
Pocaro won a Group One race and has
also left a Group One winner. We’re
also breeding from Galleons Respect
which has left the very promising King
Soloman and have a half-brother to
him entered in the sales.”
Over the years Murdoch has also
managed a few syndicates, including
the Watch Your Step and Highlanders
Syndicates.
“Racing horses with syndicates is a
lot of fun. If you happen to win a race
it’s usually a big day. When you win a
race on your own you put your chest
out and think I’ve done alright but that’s
about it. Syndication is the way to go.
It’s sharing the risk because it’s got too
expensive. Some of our leading trainers
are charging a daily rate that’s getting
up there with Australian galloping
trainers.”
And it was through a syndicate that
Murdoch was involved in the purchase
of the American bred mare Watch Your
Step in the early 2000’s.
“We bought her off John Stormont - an
Auckland bloodstock agent who’d
bought a few horses from Murray. He
bought a very good horse off us called
Onedin Sapreme which we sold for big
money. John rang Murray up one day
and said he had this American mare
whose mother was a half-sister to
Beach Towel.”
Murdoch recalls that the syndicate paid
about $60,000 for the mare who had an
In The Pocket colt at foot (Stopwatch)
and was in foal to the same sire.
“We sold the first one for about $50,000
and we thought this was easy. We
sold the next one for $15,000 (being
Announcement).”
Announcement won eight races for
Ashburton trainer John Hay. Stopwatch
and Announcement both went on to
win races in America.
The Watch Your Step syndicate is still
going and sold a Bettor’s Delight colt
out of Cher Magic (Christian Cullen –
Watch Your Step) for $55,000 at last
year’s sale. The group have a Well Said
colt to sell at this February’s sale. The
mare is booked to American Ideal.
“We also have a horse called American
Magic out of the mare at Murray’s
which qualified last year as a two year
old. He’s a pretty smart horse and I’ll be
surprised if he doesn’t put the hoof in
the till.”
One of the stars of the Murdoch
portfolio is the Art Major four year old
Swamp Major which was bred by good
friend Trevor Ryder and is trained by
Ken and Tony Barron.
“Trevor was going to buy a filly from
Sandy Yardley out of Hot Shoe Shuffle.
He asked me if I was interested in going
in. I hummed and harred. We were
duck shooting one day and Murray
Brown said why do you fella’s want to
buy a horse out of Hot Shoe Shuffle.
You’d be better off to buy one out of
Trevor’s own breed. We sat down over
a couple of cups of tea, we did the
deal and bought Swamp Major as a
weanling.”
From eight starts last season he won
three races and was only out of the
money once.
“He’s potentially as good a horse as I’ve
had.”
Murdoch is also breeding from a
number of his own mares.
They include Northview Desire an
unraced mare by Real Desire. Ray
Green trains her first foal Northview
Hustler which he rates.
The race track performances of Ideal
For Real in Australia and He’s Watching
in American have helped Murdoch
to make up his mind about sending
Northview Desire to American Ideal.
Both Ideal For Real and He’s Watching
are by American Ideal out of Real Desire
mares, as is Northview Desire.
Ideal For Real has won thirteen races
from twenty one starts. He’s unbeaten
in his last seven starts, winning the
Group Two Breeders Crown for four year
olds at Melton in August while He’s
Watching was unbeaten in eight two
year old starts and named USA Two
Year Old of the Year. In those eight starts
he set five track record and two world
records.
One mare that has sentimental ties is
North View Lass (Live Or Die – Trans
Lass). She descends from Cheeky
Lass and has a two year old Badlands
Hanover colt called Northview Cam
(named after Cleland’s late father).
He’s also breeding with Murray Brown
from Judes Cullen (Christian Cullen –
Highview Jude) and Cher Magic (with
The Watch Your Step Syndicate). Her
foals include Chers Bettor Babe (4
wins) and Chers Magic Jet (Australian)
and she has a Bettors Delight two year
old colt and a Well Said yearling colt.
Of the many racehorses he’s bred he
rates Northview Punter as the best. He
won twenty seven races in Australia
winning $500,260. He finished third in
the Group One WA Pacing Cup, second
in the Group One Freemantle Cup and
won the 2014 Group Three August Cup.
“He was a lovely horse and I sold him
for not much money. That year I had
another two year old called Northview
Cardle. He was showing a hell of a lot
of promise and we trialled him after
the sales and sold him to Australia for
huge money. If I had sold this horse
before the sales I wouldn’t have sold
Northview Punter because I didn’t
make any money out of him.”
On the trotting side of his ownership
Murdoch’s first winner in that gait came
at Roxburgh in April 1988 when Cilla’s
Son (Alias Armbro – Sure Mart) trained
and driven by Ali Malcolmson won.
Despite being unsound he ended up
winning five races for twenty four starts.
CONT. P4
3

CONT.
Murdoch also had success with King
Galleon (King Conch-Galleon’s Best)
which won eight races.
Those successes have heightened his
interest in the square gaiters.
Last year there were only 540 trotting
mares bred from - down from 700.
John Stiven, he’s got about 16 going to
stud.”
Cleland Murdoch continues to make
a significant contribution to harness
racing both on the local Southland
scene and nationally - with bags of
enthusiasm.
By the way you’ll need to ask him why
he’s called Bags, and why he raced a
horse called Wide Awake Bags. I forgot
to ask!
Bruce Stewart
“The Australians have been raiding
our best families. I personally think
that we have to do our bit to encourage
them (owners of trotting mares). What
also worries me with those mares is
that Love You’s book is full, Muscle
Mass will probably get over 100 mares
or so, so what happens to the rest of
them?” The lack of a variety of quality
fresh or chilled semen is a concern. On
the other hand, breeders have access
to some incredible stallions at very
discountable prices.
Murdoch views the recent changes to
Southern Harness’s stake structure as a
move in the right direction.
“We’ve got our dates in the early part of
the year right by racing fortnightly until
the end of October and weekly after
that. Stakes are heading in the right
direction but I’m not happy with the
differential between trotters and pacers
for maiden races.”
On an administration level he’s on the
NZSBA Executive having also served
a term as President and he’s also Vice
Chairman of the Sires Stakes Board.
“At any one time we (Sires Stakes
Board) have funds well in excess of
seven figures under our control. In
response to some criticism about the
Sire Stakes Series being very elite -
the reality is that it has become elite
because the standard of our horses is
just so good.”
He says the Sires Stakes Board has
helped fund five new races worth
$40,000 which were run last season
and will also be run this coming
season. The Board is the major player
in age group racing.
www.b4breeding.com
A blog about standardbred breeding, issues and topics of interest,
written by New Zealand breeder and writer Bee Pears.
Recent blogs include the legacy of Romola Hal and her down under
connections; what we can learn from other industries; comments on
yearling sales results; Tintin In America’s results as a sire; and a new
series about Nibble Hanover and Lydia Knight.
Plus four years of previous blogs covering new sires, pedigree matching,
the future of harness racing, links to great articles and lots more.
Independent. Information. Interesting.
Check it out.
Often imitated,
never equalled.
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“There’s never been a better time to
breed a horse. I own or have an interest
in about eight mares that are going to
stud this year. Speaking to people like
4

BREEDERS WEEKLY SNIPPETS
ANOTHER CLASSIC FAMILIES
EXCLUSIVE FEATURE
SIR LINCOLN 2YO’S TO THE FORE
Stallions can be made or broken based
on their ability to leave an early going
juvenile. Entering his 3rd season at
Stud, breeders of Sir Lincoln foals will
be chomping at the bit with four early
2YO qualifiers thus far.
Barkley (Itsa Trick – Live Or Die), John
The Plumber (Eve’s Apple – Red River
Hanover), Lincoln Moment (Fleeting
Moment – Falcon Seelster) & Naya
(Secret Smile – Grinfromeartoear) have
all met the qualifying criteria for race
day!
STRIKING SON OF SHADOW PLAY
TAKES GRASS TRACK FEATURE
Brilliant Strike won the 2016 Geraldine
Cup at Orari on Sunday taking the
entire’s career earnings to $161,464.
Coincidentally, the Court’s bred and
trained Shadow Play’s only other
progeny of racing age, Beyond Belief,
is out of a Christian Cullen mare, which
is subsequently a winner also. The two
Court trained runners the fastest male
and female progeny of the son of The
Panderosa standing at Alabar.
SECOND NZ BRED MARE
BREAKS 1:50
Arms Of An Angel could spearhead
New South Wales husband and wife
trainers Lauren and Shane Tritton’s
assault on the Victorian riches in
January and February after her 1:49.5
blitz with Lauren in the cart in the Kevin
Robinson FFA at Menangle at the
weekend.
The lightning-fast five-year-old Elsu
mare will contest the $100,000 Group
1 Alabar Ladyship Cup on Del-Re
National A.G. Hunter Cup Night at
Tabcorp Park Melton (February 4).
Shane Tritton confirmed the Ladyship
Cup was “definitely in consideration”
for the brilliant pacer, whose weekend
romp was a personal best, making her
the second NZ-bred mare to break 1:50
for the mile alongside Adore Me.
The Ladyship Cup will form a key part
of Arms Of An Angel’s preparation for
another tilt at the $750,000 Ainsworth
Miracle Mile at Menangle, a race in
which last year she ran third behind
Have Faith In Me and Lennytheshark
in 1:47.5.
Click here for a link to the race video
In the latest new feature developed
by Ron Groves, users of
Classic Families can access a
broodmare crosses feature to fins
the gold in Classic crosses. You
can instantly see a list of all black
type progeny relevant to their first
five broodmare sires.
By typing in the sires name that
you are interested in (horse box),
clicking on the classic crosses tab
and then clicking the blue “see
broodmare crosses” tab, you will
open up the first five broodmare
sires with all their black type progeny
listed. You have the ability to
drill down on any horse/sire listed,
sort by sex, family, dam sire line to
establish rankings/crosses etc by
clicking on the headings shown in
the base information provided.
A fuller article on Classic Broodmare
Crosses is provided as an
additional link by clicking on
Broodmare Crosses on the home
page.
The sire line colour codes used are
provided as part of the explanation
in this link.
Enjoy this further Classic Families
feature at
www.classicfamilies.net.
Peter Craig
MARES FOR SALE
QUALITY IN FOAL BROODMARES & WEANLINGS FOR SALE
The NZSBA currently has multiple listings of well-bred mares for sale/lease/free.
click here.
To find out more information and to see what is available, please
This will direct you to our website, and then click the For Sale/Lease heading in
the navigation bar.
5

First crop in the world and he has 2 year old on the track.
From small numbers already has Imperial Whiz racing and great
reports on other juveniles
Imperial Count
(2008) $680,392 1:53.2f (Angus Hall – Miss Imperial – Imperial Victory)
Trainer Richard ‘Nifty’
Norman who trained
Imperial Count had
the following to say
about him …
“A horse trainers
dream, never been
sick or lame, never
made a break never
had a bad day.
26 second gate speed.
Very good gaited,
very easy to drive.
Never wore a
headpole on any size
track. Mr Reliable”
IMPERIAL COUNT 2,1:57.2; 3,1:55.3; 4,1:53.2f; 5,1:54.4hmt. 17 wins at 2, 3, 4 & 5yo.
A magnificent 2 & 3 year old Sire Stakes horse, winning or placed in all 2 & 3 year old Sire Stakes
Gold and Grand Finals he contested.
Imperial Count by Angus Hall, out of a Valley Victory line mare, is proving a valuable genetic
match for the New Zealand broodmare pedigree.
Service Fee
A proven genetic cross in New Zealand.
$2000 + GST (Discounts apply)
A sire of 2 year old racehorses in NZ.
Fresh Semen
134 Mandeville Road, Eyreton, Canterbury
P 03 312 0448 M 029 201 3950
barraequine@yahoo.co.nz
www.barraequine.kiwi.nz
SPECIAL
OFFER:
Book to One Over Da Moon and
IMPERIAL COUNT and receive a great deal for both.

2016 NRM
BREEDERS
CUP EVE
FUNCTION
The New Zealand Standardbred
Breeders Association recently held
its annual NRM Breeders Cup Eve
Function where breeding excellence
from the season prior is celebrated.
At the ceremony, we presented awards
to our members who have bred a group
or listed race winner from the 2015/16
season.
DON’T FORGET TO CLAIM YOUR BREEDER BONUS’!!
Any financial member of the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders
Association (as of 31st of August 2016) who breeds the winner of a
totalisator race at a New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (Met)
meeting (excludes premier days, see T’s & C’s) held at Addington Raceway
will be eligible for a $500 bonus payment. Bonus also applies to meetings
held by the Amberley and Cheviot Trotting Club meetings who pay a
Breeder Bonus on their own accord.
Click here for full terms and conditions.
With 650+ members out of 1,200
breeding entities in New Zealand, we
are extremely proud of the fact that our
members bred 100 of the 122 winners of
Group or Listed races in New Zealand!
Each breeder with a starter in the New
Zealand Trotting Cup and Dominion
Trot were presented with a certificate to
recognise the wonderful achievement.
We also made a presentation to
members who bred an Australian
Group 1 winner throughout the 2015/16
season.
Our members were lucky enough to
have bred five Group 1 winning trotters
who between them took out seven
Group 1 races. Who could forget the
farm-bred Woodlands Stud hero,
Speeding Spur, winning the Great
Southern Star from an impossible
position on the final bend?
Our members also bred 11 Group
1 winning pacers who took out 15
Australian Group 1 Races respectively.
He may be another Woodlands Stud
bred horse, but how can you go past the
performance of Have Faith In Me in the
2015 Miracle Mile from a New Zealand
breeding perspective?!
How Natalie managed to straighten the
horse up, at that speed, and still pick
up a champion like Lennytheshark on
the wire is unfathomable? That was
a champion performance to down a
goStallions
Are you leaving mares empty
this season because you
don’t want to pay stud fees?
Well, you wouldn’t have this worry
if you bred to
PRODIGAL SEELSTER
– you don’t pay a cent until the resulting foal
proves it’s good enough to qualify!
Keep hold of your money for Christmas.
PRODIGAL SEELSTER’s oldest progeny are
now yearlings and they look the part!
Check out the details of this deal, and see
how good PRODIGAL SEELSTER was as a
racehorse himself, on our website...
www.goStallions.co.nz
CONT. P8
7

CONT.
champion horse and the time of 1:47.5
only adds to the folklore of a race that
will go down in history.
CEO of Harness Racing Australia,
Andrew Kelly was also on hand to
award the New Zealander owners
lucky enough to take an Australian
Harness Racing award for the 15/16
season home. The large gold trophies
are sensational and sure to be the focal
point of any trophy mantle!
Arden Lodge received their NZ Cup
replica trophy in recognition of Arden
Rooney’s 2015 win in the great race,
while Kypros Kotzikas and Jane
Campbell accepted on behalf of
himself and late wife Mary their award
for breeding last year’s Dominion Trot
winner, Master Lavros.
Last but not least we made a
presentation to the owners of Kahu Del
(1981 Armbro Del - Tee Kahu) who was
the recipient of this year’s Broodmare of
Excellence award.
One doesn’t have to spend too long
on Classic Families to realise the
significant impact she has had as a
broodmare for the New Zealand square
gaiters, as well as a couple of pacers.
Kahu Del never left a group performing
trotter herself, but did leave two group
winning pacers in Harnet’s Creek &
Cullen’s Creek.
The rest of her legacy is felt in the
trotting progeny of her daughters.
Some of which include: Kincaslough,
Lyell Creek, Amaretto Sun, Marcoola,
Kahdon, Arboe & Le Reveur.
Kahu Del will join two other trotting
mares to become a recipient of the
award, Landora’s Pride and Frances
Bee Jay respectively.
A Kahu Del feature will appear in the
next print issue of Breeding Matters to
celebrate her winning of the prestigious
award.
A trotting mare winning the award is
fitting with Monbet last year winning
Horse of the Year and the recent
announcement of the inaugural
running of the Northern Trotting Oaks in
Auckland on May 5th.
John & Judy Stiven of Arden
Lodge receive their NZ Cup
replica trophy as breeders (with
the late Noreen Stiven) of 2015
winner, Arden Rooney.
A huge thank you must go to Katie Vickers and Phil Bracefield of NRM/Farmlands
for their continued support of The Breeders. Having been a primary sponsor of ours
for the last five years, this year saw NRM also pick up the naming rights of the Cup
Eve function. Without such support nights like this are not possible and it would be
great if we could show support of our own when making feed purchase decisions.
Brad Reid
A Message from HRNZ: ATTENTION ALL BREEDERS
Kypros Kotzikas and Jane
Campbell receive the award for
Lavros Lodge breeding 2015
Dominion Trot winner,
Master Lavros.
Application forms to register this seasons foals were posted in November to
the person who according to our records is the first named owner (or lessee)
of the mare.
The branding card provided should be completed and sent to the contractor
designated for your area. (Details of your contractor are shown in the letter to
all breeders and on the branding card that was posted with the application
form.)
If you have not received an application form and believe you should have
please contact this office.
Remember the cost of registration is $150 per foal if application and payment
is made by 1st June 2017. After that the fee increases.
Foal Registrations Phone 03 964 1200
HRNZ Fax 03 964 1205
P O Box 459
Email cameron@hrnzco.nz
Christchurch 8140
Email jfrench@hrnz.co.nz
8

FROZEN
EMBRYOS
FOR NEW
ZEALAND!
ICSI Set Up
Why would you want to freeze an
embryo? Standardbred mares are
only allowed to carry one pregnancy
to term in a year. This seems to be a
limiting factor for mares when stallions
can produce multiple offspring in a
year or preserve their frozen semen for
international breeding or for breeding
after the stallion has died.
The ability to successfully freeze
embryos would enable breeders to
collect several embryos before a
young mare begins her racing career
or while she may be spelling. Embryo
recovery could be arranged for a time
of year that the mare was not in full
work or racing. Once the embryo
is frozen it can be transferred into a
surrogate mare in the breeding season
of the breeders’ choice. Furthermore,
old mares could produce multiple
embryos in their twilight years and their
genetics preserved for future use. One
of the biggest advantages of freezing
embryos would be to reduce the cost
of embryo programmes by enabling
the use of a single surrogate mare,
instead of the current requirement to
manage at least two surrogate mares
for one embryo to optimise pregnancy
rates. The frozen embryo can simply
be stored until the surrogate was ready
and then transferred.
So why has this technology not “taken
off” in horses? The first foal was
produced from a frozen embryo in
1982 in Japan. However, unlike other
species, the horse embryo can be quite
large when recovered from the uterus
at 7-8 days after ovulation. This makes
the embryo very sensitive to freezing
and the survival rates have been very
poor. To circumvent this problem of size,
the embryos are normally collected
for freezing at 6 days after ovulation
when they are smaller. However at
only 6 days after ovulation the embryo
recovery rates are not as good. Once
these small embryos have been frozen,
the survival rate after transfer is only
50-60% and so you need 2 embryos to
obtain one pregnancy which becomes
expensive again!
What has changed to make this
technology affordable and achievable?
Recently, Julia Weiss a veterinary
embryologist from Europe developed
the Weiss Equine Embryo Vitrification
(WEEV) system. This method of
Embryo Transfer
embryo freezing uses a fast freeze
technique that involves removing the
fluid from the large equine embryo with
a micromanipulator prior to freezing.
To date the survival of these frozen
embryos using the WEEV method
has been over 90% after transfer. At
EquiBreed NZ the first 2 embryos
transferred using the WEEV method,
have produced pregnancies! This
opens many doors for the preservation
of valuable female lines and export
opportunities for New Zealand
genetics! The revised rules for HRNZ
have catered for new technologies
such as embryo freezing and each
frozen embryo will be recorded and
registered with the HRNZ Studbook.
The stallion owners will want to include
the best way to manage the service
fees payable for these frozen genetics
in their breeders’ contracts. Watch
this space for more opportunities to
increase opportunities for NZ breeders!
Dr Lee Morris and Julia Weiss,
EquiBreed NZ Ltd, Te Awamutu 3879.
Chelekan - Embryo Lab
Embryo freezing - Collapsing Embryo
9

RAPTOR NOT
EXTINCT
FROM
WINNERS
CIRCLE
If you think Raptors Flight is good then
wait for his full brother to surface.
That’s the opinion of his breeders,
Clevedon-based Woodlands Stud.
“Staff there told our syndicate
spokesman (Wayne Watts) this is the
best yearling they have come across
this season, so that’s encouraging.
“We all love racing our horses, so no
doubt the colt will end up at Barry
Purdon’s as well,” said hobby breeder
and owner, Ross Britten.
The 62-year-old Auckland electrician
said he was loving his first taste of
standardbred ownership and breeding.
“We live in in Epsom, so it’s a lovely,
brief walk to Alexandra Park to watch
the horse run. Wayne and I have been
friends for a while and he formed the
Zac Butcher and Raptors Flight score easily by a length and a half at
Alexandra Park earlier in the month
syndicate with friends. We are really
enjoying watching this horse run,”
Britten said.
The horse he was referring to was the
Barry Purdon trained and Zac Butcher
driven Raptors Flight, which won his
first race in three starts at Alexandra
Park on the 4th November.
The 3-year-old brown Bettor’s Delight
gelding justified his $1.60 favouritism
when too classy in the $12,000 Heinz
Watties Maiden Pace by one-and-ahalf-lengths.
He stopped the clock in
2:44.4 (2200m mobile) and came home
in 57.5 and 28.1. Mile rate: 2:00.1.
“He’s a lovely horse and I think Barry
has a bit of time for him. It was a great
thrill to see him win his first race. The
way he won I don’t think it will be his
last,” Britten said.
Clients of Geoff Small paid $30,000 to
the Jordash Breeding Trust for Raptors
Fight’s dam, Circus Flyer at the 2010
Australasian Classic Yearling Sales at
Karaka.
Those clients were spearheaded by the
syndicate’s major shareholder -Watts,
Britten, Simon Ellis, B.M. Wilson, and
Harold Callagher.
“She only won one of her 14 starts
before we retired her to the broodmare’s
paddock. She had a palette problem
in her throat. Hopefully she can do a
good job at stud. Early indications are
promising,” said Britten.
Circus Flyer, a 2008 Falcon Seelster –
Soleil D’or (In The Pocket) mare, has so
far left Raptors Flight and was then left
empty for a year before producing his
full Bettor’s Delight brother - a yearling
named Flyin Finn.
She has also left an Art Major colt this
year and she will remain empty this
breeding season.
“We are obviously excited about
‘Raptors’ future and if his little brother
can go as good as this early on we
would be delighted.
“The yearling will be broken in by
Woodlands Stud next week. We are
going to be kind to the mare and give
her another year off from breeding this
season,” said Britten.
“Raptors Flight is a big, beautiful, strong
looking horse and Barry seems to
have a lot of time for him. That’s good
enough for us,” he added.
CONT. P11
10

CONT.
He finished second behind Check In
at Cambridge on debut on September
22, and then finished fourth behind
The Sires Stakes starters Star Galleria,
Jack’s Legend (and Neighlor) at
Alexandra Park on October 14, before
his maiden win on Friday.
The talented young pacer is owned by
Watts, Britten, Ellis, M Woolley, and
Callagher.
Duane Ranger
ANOTHER
CREDIT
FOR BLACK
WATCH
At just her eighth start for the Stonewall
Stud Ltd, Stonewall Fillies Syndicate
No.9, Olivia’s Secret delivered the
goods at Cambridge Raceway in late
October. The three year old daughter of
Sportswriter and Armbro Resistance’s
maiden victory saw her record a
2:01.9MR for the 2200mM (2:46.6)
journey in the hands of stable reinsman
Scott Phelan.
The Steve Telfer and Chris Garlick
trained filly is in her second season
of competition, unplaced in three two
year old starts including a Young Guns
fillies heat and the Delightful Lady
Classic. Her five runs in slightly less
esteemed company this season have
seen gradual improvement resulting in
a third at Manawatu in the start before
her winning performance.
Olivia’s Secret is by Sportswriter
(Artsplace/Precious Beauty by Jate
Lobell), standing at Alabar in New
Zealand for the first time this season.
He won eight of his fourteen two/three
year old starts including Nassagaweya
and Metro Stakes at two and North
American Cup at three - p2, 1:49.2, p3,
Olivia’s Secret continues on the success of the Black Watch family with
her Cambridge Victory late last month
1:48.3, both at Mohawk, $1,566,460. His
oldest Australasian progeny are five this
season and his impressive siring stats
to end of October 2016 show in New
Zealand, four winners of five races from
27 starts In Australia, 138 winners from
206 starters (leading sire of 2yo’s in 2014
: 33 winners); in North America, 165
winners.
Olivia’s Secret’s dam Armbro
Resistance (2:00.4, $10,236, Armbro
Operative/Scottish Flyer), was a
winner for breeders Stonewall Stud at
Cambridge, also driven by Scott Phelan
for Barry Purdon. Included amongst
her co - owners with Stonewall Stud
were Gordon and Andrea Robertson,
maintaining a link back to Black Watch,
owned by Gordon Robertson senior.
Olivia’s Secret is her sixth and latest
foal, her fifth winner (one foal died), the
other four taking their best times in
Australia, three sub two minute.
Grand dam Scottish Flyer was unraced
leaving seven foals, all raced for five
winners including Tilt Ya Kilt (1:51,2US,
$367,506) and The Chance To Dance,
dam of Our Jerry Lee (1:51.1US, $80,124),
Twist N Shout (1:57.6, $138,893,
Breeders Crown 2f semi, Nevele R
Fillies heat, second in Jewels Diamond/
YSS - 2f).
Third dam Significant, the fifth foal of
Black Watch, unraced left 14 foals, nine
raced plus qualifier for seven winners
including :
The Unicorn, 1:57,8. $488,524, Kilmore/
Mildura/Warragul/Bendigo/Ballarat
Cups, successful sire
Signify, grand dam of Highview Conall,
1:49.3US
Pacific Flight, 1:51.1US, $562,345, NZ
Oaks, Delightul Lady Classic, Kumeu
Stakes; dam of Droppinthehammer,
1:50.1, $323,617; 2nd dam of Malak
Uswaad, 1:49,2US, $566,058; 3rd dam
of Chicago Bull, 1:54.8, $279,779, WA
Derby,
Gliding By, dam of Raptorial, 1:50.1US,
$256,210
This is the family of Regina (N10), from
which Olivia’s Secret’s fourth dam
Black Watch (1966 Scottish Command/
Rosehaven) was born 50 years ago.
The extensive Regina family branch
extending from Black Watch’s dam
Rosehaven, makes it impossible to do
justice to all but the major players
Rosehaven (1947) was a daughter of
Black Globe (Globe Derby), from Brown
Owl (Southland Classic) by champion
sire Dillon Hall, the first 2 minute pacer
imported into NZ. Rosehaven was
the winner of three and placed on 16
occasions, $1,940. Gifted to Allen (Baldy)
Yarndley by Invercargill (Southland)
breeder Alec McKenzie as she had
proven difficult to get in foal, Don Wright
recalls that “Rosehaven was sold to
Baldy Yarndley for a shilling.”
CONT. P12
11

CONT.
Every filly foal from Rosehaven has
at least one Group 1 winner tracing to
them -
• Justurina (1958 My Chief) : Night
Allowance, ID Trotting Final
• Cabana (1959 Hal Tryax) : Comedy
Lad, Auckland Cup
• Nancy Iola (1968 Black Fury) : Il Vicolo,
NZSS -2c, NZ Championship - 2,
NZSS - 3, NSW/GN/NZ Derbies, NZ
Cup (twice), NZFFA, Ben Hur; Gotta Go
Cullen, NZSS -2c, NZ Championship -
2, NSEW Derby, Messenger, Auckland
Cup; Stunin Cullen, NZSS - 3, GN
Derby, Ballarat/Hunter Cups; Coburg :
NZ Breeders Stakes
• Tata Matapo (1972 Tudor Hanover) :
Smooth Falcon, VIC Derby; Glenferrie
Shuffle, Breeders Crown - 2f; Bonnie
Mahoney, NSW Breeders Challenge -
3f
• Black Watch (1966 Scottish
Command), herself - NZ Championship
- 2; and descendants, grand dam
of Pacific Flight, NZ Oaks; Megaera,
Caduceus Club Fillies Classic 3rd
dam of Lauraella, GN/NZ Oaks, Nevele
R Fillies; Sovereign Hill, Aust Pacing
Championship, 4th dam of Jays Debut,
NZ Championship - 2; Arden Rooney,
NZ/Hunter Cups; aty Perry, Breeders
Crown - 2f; Alta Christano, WA Derby
and 5th dam of Dartmoor, Aust Pacing
Championship; Chicago Bull, WA Derby
Black Watch’s career record : 75
starts for 14 wins, 5 seconds and 10
thirds, $30,940 with a best winning
mile rate performance of 2:04.6 (1
mile Alexandra Park), placed twice in
2:01.0. Interestingly she raced solely
in the Auckland and Waikato area i.e.
Alexandra Park (66 starts), Cambridge
and Claudelands. She attained open
class status as a three year old, being
ineligible for the NZ Cup as her open
class classification related to sprint
distances only.
As a 2YO : unbeaten recording five
consecutive wins for trainer Ken
Morrison and owner Gordon Robertson
Snr (Thames Debutante Stakes; New
Zealand 2YO Championship). At the
conclusion of her two-year old season
Gordon Robertson Snr gave Baldy
Yarndley a half share in Black Watch
and transferred her to him for training
throughout the remainder of her career
As a 3YO : six wins (Cambridge Gold
Cup, Waikato Stakes, Champion Hcp),
placed in Great Northern Oaks (third),
Great Northern Derby (fourth)
As a 4YO : Adams Memorial and a five
no wins.
As a 6YO: winner final running of time
honoured Otahuhu Cup, Champion Hcp
for second time (won at three and six,
placed second at five), her final win
Then in her final season as a 7YO:
placed third in Auckland Cup. Black
Watch ran her final race on Great
Northern Derby night in the C7
Christchurch Hcp, finishing 11th of
sixteen off 30m and was then retired.
Black Watch had 15 foals (8 colts and
7 fillies) beginning with Tay Bridge
(1975) and ending with Annabel
Scot (1992). Her first two foals, Tay
Bridge and Remarkable were Cup
class pacers. She was 1989/90 New
Zealand Broodmare of Year; joint
winner (with Coo Doo) of inaugural 1991
North Island Broodmare Excellence
Award; foundation roster of immortal
inductees into the New Zealand Hall of
Fame (Alexandra Park) in March 1993;
dam of seven winners from seven to
race of which three were 2.00 horses
(Remarkable, Black Mark, Bardon
Bridge) plus three qualifiers. Her legacy
has been continued with significant
family winners apart from those already
mentioned including
• 2nd dam of - Reba Lord, Rebhan, The
Unicorn
• 3rd dam of - Black Reef, Ohara,
Patch Adams
• 4th dam of - Keayang Cullen
• 5th dam of - Coastal, Mevagissey
Black Watch died on 14 April 1997 at 30
years of age.
The influence of the Regina family,
in particular the branch extending
through Rosehaven/Black Watch
and descendants on the NZ harness
racing scene, has been immense. Over
the past five decades, champions,
millionaires, top females/broodmare
performers have continued to emanate
from this productive source.
Peter Craig
WELL BRED
HORSES
SHARE THE
PRIZE
At Methven on Sunday October 16
something occurred that we don’t often
see. In race 3, the Speights Mobile
Pace for 3YO and older C0 horses, there
was a dead-heat for first which saw
Maninthemirror and Beach Skipper
both being victorious.
Maninthemirror is trained by Burnhambased
Mark Jones and was driven by
top driver Samantha Ottley.
Ottley drove the six-year-old gelding
to perfection when she found herself
almost three back on the fence round
the first bend. She got off the fence
and managed to head around to take
the lead which could have been the
winning or the ‘shared winning’ of the
race.
Maninthemirror fought off many
opponents all the way down the home
straight until right at the end Beach
Skipper poked his nose up to deadheat
the race.
Beach Skipper, a three-year-old colt
trained by Paul Court and driven
by Blair Orange was having just
his second start after a seventh in
Invercargill on October 1.
The thing about these two horses is
that both of them come from solid,
breeding backgrounds.
Maninthemirror is by Christian Cullen
out of Classy Celine.
It took the gelding 13 starts although
just two with Jones before picking up
his first win on Sunday. He has now had
13 starts for one win and two placings.
“You would think he will win another
one pretty easy seeing as he didn’t go
up a grade by dead-heating,” Ottley
said.
CONT. P13
12

CONT.
“I knew it was very close so I wasn’t
sure (if we won), Blair said to me I had
won it easy but I didn’t think I had,” she
added.
The mare, Classy Celine was trained
by Brian Kerr first of all, who also had
Maninthemirror up until two starts ago,
the David and Catherine Butt and lastly
Billy Heads.
She had 79 starts for four wins and
19 placings, a horse that definitely
preferred being the bridesmaid rather
than the bride.
Classy Celine was retired to the
broodmare paddock in 2007 where
she had her first foal Celine’s VC by
Washington VC.
She then had Lord Baltimore by
McArdle, Maninthemirror, Classy Desire
by Real Desire and an unregistered
three-year-old by Art Official.
Maninthemirror and Beach Skipper were unable to be separated at the
finish of the 2300m affair at Methven last month
Classy Celine’s record on the track is
proven to be a little more successful
than in the breeding paddock so far.
The now 17-year-old mare won almost
$40,000 in prize money over her racing
career.
Although both horses show promise,
Beach Skipper may have a slight edge
and a bit better breeding to help him
along the way.
OFFICIAL PARTNER TO THE NEW ZEALAND
STANDARDBRED BREEDERS ASSOCIATION
He is by Somebeachsomewhere out
of Star Art. The mare was trained by
Graham and Paul Court and had one
start for a fourth before being put in foal
to produce Beach Skipper.
The eight-year-old mare has had two
other foals since then and is now in foal
to Terror To Love.
The other two foals have both been
colts by Bettor’s Delight and Shadow
Play.
The breeding lines go a lot deeper
for Beach Skipper however with his
Grandam being Christian Star.
Christian Star was trained by Paul’s
father Graham although she didn’t
make it to the racetrack.
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For further information contact:
Carlene 07 958 8632
Liz 07 958 8633
She is the dam of NZ Cup starter,
Brilliant Strike.
CONT. P14
13

CONT.
Christian Star has now had six foals
and is also in foal to three time NZ Cup
winner Terror To Love.
Her best foals have of course been
Brilliant Strike and also Major Strike
who was exported to Australia.
Major Strike has had 132 starts for 14
wins and 36 placings earning him
a total prize pool of $85,897. He has
also raced in a number of Group races
in Australia and placed in a couple of
them.
Christian Star has two up and coming
foals, one by Live Or Die and one by
Well Said.
Ground Rules who is by Big Jim has
had one start for an eighth but will
definitely be one to keep an eye on
considering what his brothers have
done.
It is not often than two lots of owners,
trainers and drivers get to share the
goods from one race on race day.
At Methven however we saw two top
trainers, two highly respected drivers
and two well bred horses take the prize.
Hayley Clarke
harnessworld.co.nz
Your one-stop, harness spot
Is the website that gives you all this and
more:
• Events Diary. (by having your event
listed, it saves clashes)
• Find out about a product.
• Find a Business
• Links to all Stallion/Stud Farm
websites
• Harness Live (links to view live races
in North America)
• plus so much more...
Contact: noel@goharness.co.nz to add
your event or business etc
COURTING
DAD’S BREED
Ivan R. Court smiled with great
satisfaction when Prime Lustre
notched up his third win in 23 starts at
Manawatu Raceway on 13 October.
The 63-year-old Ladbrooks horseman
said he was proud that he preserved
a three-quarter-of-a-century family
breeding dynasty initiated by his late
grandfather Tom Pickering in the early
1940s.
Prime Lustre wins in the
hands of Sailesh Abernethy at
Manawatu Raceway
Pickering bought 1940 Lusty Volo
mare, Golden Lustre, and that grand
old mare’s family now dates back six
generations to the Mathew Hickey
trained Prime Lustre.
“My brothers gave up on the breed and I
took over. They said I was mad because
Dad had used some average stallions
with the mares over the years and the
bloodlines were a bit weak to work
with.
“But I always believed I could get it
back to where it was. It’s taken a long
time now though and I’m proud to
have carried on the ‘Lustre’ breed for
my grandfather. Every time one of
the breed wins you can thank him for
starting it all,” Court said.
Prime Lustre and Sailesh Abernethy
followed up their third placing on the
first day of the Manawatu Harness
Racing Club’s meeting with a gutsy
half-head victory as a $7 second
favourite two days later.
Prime Lustre, is a 2005 Stonebridge
Regal gelding, out of 2002 Live Or Die
mare, Serene Lustre. His pedigree
on his dam’s side then reads: 1993
Dancing Master mare, True Dance;
1985 El Patron mare, True Cavan; 1972
True Averil mare, True Lustre; 1955 First
Lord mare, Bonnie Lustre; and the 1940
Lusty Volo mare, Golden Lustre.
“Dad (Royce Jr) bred the 1962 mare,
Lustre Scott, who was the last of the U
Scoot breed to go around. Dad took her
to Australia and won a couple of races
CONT. P15
14

CONT.
with her there. Her Mum was Bonnie
Lustre, who was in turn out of True
Lustre.
“I started with the family with a half
sister out of True Lustre named Lustre
Girl. She was a 1978 Noble Lord mare.
She was True Lustre’s third foal and I
bred three colts from her. It’s all snowballed
from there,” Court said.
Lustre means ‘honour or glory or a
gentle sheen or soft glow’ and Court
said it was a name his grandfather
took a shine to in the 1940s. He said
his family was also renowned for the
‘Westburn’ title with his horses.
Prime Lustre’s dam, Serene Lustre
who never raced, is a half-sister to the
Court trained and bred Regal Lustre (by
Caprock). He won five races.
“Sadly Serene Lustre was a kneeknocker
and she never made it to
the races. She was a big horse and
qualified in 2006.
“She left four foals – all to four different
sires. Back then I used to use Nevele
R stallions but now I pick and choose.
The first foal was by P Forty Seven. I’ve
bred five horses from him and had four
winners. Westburn Jewel for example
won four races here and a couple in
Australia,” said Court.
That first foal, 2008 gelding Sublime
Lustre won one race for Court, while
foal number two – a Badlands Hanover
black mare named Placid Lustre never
made it to the race track.
Prime Lustre was the third foal, and the
baby is 3-year-old brown Real Desire
gelding named Command Lustre.
“He just failed to qualify at Chertsey
(October 4) and I’ve put him back in the
paddock to grow. He’s got a bit of talent
and just needs time. I’ll bring him back
into work after Cup Week,” Court said.
Court, who has been involved in
harness racing all of his life, said Valor
Lustre (by McArdle) and Fiery Lustre
(Red River Hanover) were the best
horses he had bred, owned and trained.
she should win more than six races
that’s she’s now racked up, while Fiery
Lustre won six races for me here and
then went real well in the United States
where he won more than US$100,000,”
Court said.
Duane Ranger
DELIGHT
IN THE
DISTRICTS
F O R
AUCKLAND
BREEDER
Aria Small considers herself a groom
and float driver these days, but her
truck doesn’t always head to the races.
The only woman to breed a winner on
both days of the Manawatu Harness
Racing Club’s meeting last week
is these days fully immersed in the
equestrian world.
“My oldest daughter Leena isn’t into
horses. She’s into her school work, but I
travel around the country a lot with my
youngest daughter, Leeshelle.
“She’ 14 and in the New Zealand
Equestrian team. In fact we recently
went with her to watch her compete
in Belgium. But while you were trying
to contact me this weekend we were
competing at Mystery Creek,” Drurybased
Small said.
Four hundred kilometres from Mystery
Creek the Geoff Small (husband)
trained Delightful Zen was doing the
business at Manawatu Raceway.
The 3-year-old Bettor’s Delight
gelding won a $6,000 Maiden Pace on
Thursday as a $2.10 favourite, and then
two night’s later he repeated the dose
in a $7,000 R55-R65 Pace. He was the
$9.10 fourth favourite this time.
David Butcher drove him to his twoand-a-quarter
length and neck victories
respectively.
“I was a bit busy in the Waikato but I did
manage to watch the races on HRNZ
later. My involvement in equestrian has
slowly seen me phase out of harness
racing but Geoff still trains and is
involved.
“Maybe I will return one day when the
kids have grown up. I like the sport
but am really enjoying watching my
daughter perform on her equestrian
horses,” Small said.
CONT. P16
“Valor Lustre resumed from a fivemonth
spell with a nice fourth at
Addington last week (October 7) and
Delightful Zen wins in the hands of David Butcher at
Manawatu Raceway
15

CONT.
She said Delightful Zen’s great-great
grand dam, Now And Zen (Chiola
Hanover – Zenover) was still on her
property.
“She is a half-sister to Interchange,
whom we bought at the Sales all those
years ago (1988). We are not breeding
for much these days, but I went out and
saw the old girl the other day and she
looks fine. She’s 29 now,” Small said.
Delightful Zen is out of the Falcon
Seelster 10-year-old, three-win mare,
Zenstar. Her mother was Zenterfold
(by In The Pocket – four wins) and
her mother in turn was two-win New
York Motoring mare, Zenola Star – the
daughter of Now And Zen.
“The family has done pretty well.
Zenstar was Zenterfold’s second foal.
Her first foal – Tintin In America (by
McArdle) was a Group winning pacer
who won 16 races and just under $1
million,” Small said.
“She left some other nice ones too like
Destination Moon (by Grinfromeartoear)
who won five races,” she added.
As for Zenstar, she has left four foals
and all but Delightful Zen has been
retained by the Smalls.
She left a 5yo Mach Three colt named
Zencara, who won a race for Small; an
un-raced Bettor’s Delight mare named
Bettorthanzen; and a yearling Live Or
Die colt named Willie.
“We sold them all. To be honest we
aren’t breeding from too many these
days. We have a deal with Bee Pears to
breed from Zenterfold every other year.
We bred Delightful Zen with John and
Kaye Laurie.
“We own him with them and Greg and
Jill Datsun,” Small said.
Asked what she thought of Delightful
Zen, Small replied:
“He’s not a big horse. He’s hailed from
the smaller side of the Bettor’s Delights.
He tries his little heart out and I love
that about him.
“He’s no star but has won two of his
seven starts now but hopefully he can
win one or two more,” said Small.
She said the best horse she and her
husband had bred was Zensational.
“I’ve been involved in Les Girls
Syndicates who have produced some
champions but on my own I would
say it is Zensational – the daughter of
Soky’s Atom and Zenola Star.
“She won four races so delightful Zen
has two more to match her,” Small
said.
*Editors Note: Delightful Zen is enjoying
her time in the Central Districts having
secured another win at Manawatu
Raceway on the 24th of November
since this story was originally written!
Duane Ranger
Click Here to watch all 6 episodes of StandardBred online!
16

HERBERT NOT
SHOCKED BY
GELDING’S
PROGRESS
Maybe it was the cold Dunedin winters
but South Canterbury breeder Ross
Herbert is pleasantly surprised that the
pacer who was struggling down South
is now kicking goals more than 1,000
km away in the North Island.
Chal Shocked notched up his second
win in three starts for Tim Vince and his
partner (and driver) Sheryl Wigg. The
Jereme’s Jet gelding won at Alexandra
Park on September 30 and then on
October 21st repeated the dose in an
amateur event at Cambridge Raceway.
In between those two runs the
5-year-old bay ran second behind Alta
Valencia.
“He always showed a bit early on but I
can’t believe he is as good as what he
is now. It was a different story in the
middle of winter when he was racing at
Forbury Park on cold old Otago winter
nights.
“I think the change of scenery and
warmer weather has done him the
world of good. I’m delighted for Tim and
Sheryl,” Herbert said.
Between April and July this year Chal
Shocked raced seven times at Forbury
Park for an 11th, a seventh, a fourth, an
eighth, a 10th, an 11th, and a ninth.
His lifetime form now reads 23 starts,
four wins, three seconds, and won
$18,833 in stakes.
Fifty-six-year-old Washdyke-based
Herbert, is a former freezing worker,
and is now employed by Fonterra
at their South Canterbury plant at
Clandeboye.
ADGTN 16/17
“Chal Roco was bred by Charlie Smaill
at Jacca Lodge. I bought her when she
was still on her mother. She was an
honest race horse but she suffered from
near front-leg tendon problems so I put
her to Courage Under Fire (missed) and
then Dream Away in 2006,” Herbert
said.
That foal was named Chal Dream and
he won two races in New Zealand and
then another three in Australia,
Click above to visit website
Foal three – Chal Fire (A1:55.1) won
three races in New Zealand and then
another 12 ($129,188) in Australia.
“He’s the best horse I have bred so far.
He was by Western Terror. He could
have been anything.”
Chal Shocked is the fifth of Chal Roco’s
eight foals. He qualified 7.8 seconds
under the required time at Addington
CONT. P18
He raced Chal Shocked’s mother – Chal
Roco (by Live Or Die) from January 2004
to November 2006. She won on debut
at Washdyke on January 6, 2004 and
then went on to win two more races
from 35 starts.
Sheree Wigg gets Chal Shocked home in the colours of her partner
Tim Vince at Cambridge last month
17

CONT.
Raceway on March 9 last year when
winning by almost eight lengths for
Rolleston horseman David Mitchell.
“Chal Shocked is a nice 5-year-old
and hasn’t finished yet. He has also
recorded a 1:55.7 mile,” said Herbert.
He said he also had a 4-year-old full
brother to Chal Shocked named Chal
Storm, which was about to hit out at
the workouts.
“Her Santanna Blue Chip foal died and
I sold the Art Major 2-year-old out of
the mare (Chalcedony) to clients of Ken
Barron’s at this year’s (Premier) Yearling
Sale in Christchurch for $23,000.
“The mare has also left us a Big Jim
yearling filly (Pacific Chal) who hasn’t
been broken in yet. She was served last
November but missed to him and has
been served by him again,” Herbert
said.
“I really enjoy breeding. It’s more than a
passion for me. I hope the mare keeps
producing winners. She has a great
strike-rate. Every colt she has produced
has so far won at least one race. I rapt
with that,” he added.
Duane Ranger
BREEDING
BASE
CHANGING
HANDS
Carlaw Park is about to re-open and it
will be the sound of hooves rather than
footy boots that will take precedence in
the Waikato this time – and not central
Auckland.
Carlaw Park, which takes over Jubilee
Park in Cambridge, is named after the
famous rugby league ground that was
constructed in 1916 and closed in 2002.
The former owners of Jubilee Park, Ray
and Diana Kennedy have relocated to
Maungatautari in the Waikato.
But to say that former Pukekohe
and now Waikato breeder, Roslyn
Brown, is hooked on league is a huge
understatement. Her brothers Mark
and the late Peter Gosche played many
games for Auckland and she loved
watching them every week.
“I love rugby league and really enjoyed
following my brothers over the years.
These days I am a huge Queensland
State of Origin fan and my husband
Peter, loves New South Wales. That’s
why his name wasn’t listed in the race
book when we won on Friday,” (Roslyn)
Brown said.
Brown was referring to the 5-yearold
brown Shadow Play gelding that
won his first race in four attempts at
Alexandra Park on 11 November. He
was bred and owned by Brown.
“Peter trains him and I named him
Lockyer just to let him know what team
and what players I support. He’s the
trainer, that’s enough for a New South
Wales supporter,” she joked.
It was her husband’s first training
victory since March 31, 2005 when Sir
Henry and Phil Butcher kicked a goal
for him at Alexandra Park.
“Ros only left me off the papers
because I’m a New South Wales
supporter. I’m just the simple ole
trainer,” he joked.
Lockyer is the only horse in work for
Brown. The day after he won his 2200m
mobile (2:46.2) the Browns up and
relocated to Cambridge after 28 long
years in Pukekohe.
“It’s sad to be leaving. We raised out
four kids here, but it’s our time now and
we would gradually like to get more
horses on our new property.
“Perhaps we will attend a few more
Sales in the future but the plan is to
breed and race more horses from
Carlaw Park,” Brown (Ros) said.
Lockyer is the second last and seventh
foal out of the three-win Liker Berger
co-owned and trained OK Saieda (by
OK Bye).
CONT. P19
THE BREEDERS’ FOAL ALERT SERVICE
The Breeders (NZSBA) will once again be utilising the highly popular
Foal Alert message service for Standardbred breeders in New Zealand.
Any breeder who has an orphan foal looking for a foster mare or who has
a foster mare available is encouraged to contact The Breeders at their
earliest convenience.
Last year we were able to find foster mares for 35+ orphan foals!
Simply contact us with your details and we will send a text alert out to all
breeders in the region requested in a prompt and timely manner.
TO REGISTER FOR THIS SERVICE:
Please contact Brad on 021 683 995 or brad@thebreeders.co.nz
18

CONT.
Brown said she and a friend bought the
mare at the Mixed Broodmare Sale in
2006 for about $7,000. She had already
left three foals which have won a race
between them.
“Julija Brosnan and I end up buying two
horses at that Sale but sadly the other
one died. I think I may have slept on
the couch that night because I don’t
think hubbie was too pleased with me
buying one horse, let alone two,” Brown
said.
She said they put the mare to Falcon
Seelster and on November 30, 2007
Mario Fenech was born.
Sadly ‘Mario Fenech never made it as a
racehorse and is these days a 9-yearold
hack. However his namesake
wasn’t a bad sportsman.
Known as “The Maltese Falcon”, or
(“Muzza”) Fenech was a Maltese-
Australian rugby league hooker, who
was captain of the South Sydney
Rabbitohs from 1986 to1990.
“He also played State-of-Origin from
New South Wales,” chimed Brown
(Peter).
After Mario Fenech, OK Saieda
slipped to Real Desire and missed to
Washington VC, but in 2010 she gave
birth to a Santanna Blue Chip Filly
named Tyche.
“Julija and I bred every other year and
she bred him. He won two races and
then Lockyer came in 2010. We had no
return to Art Official in 2012 and then her
final foal was an unregistered Shadow
Play filly.
“She’s three now and been out in the
paddock and I think Peter will bring her
back into work when we are settled into
our new place.
“Hopefully she can pace a bit. If not
she could be a broodmare one day,”
51-year-old Brown said.
Her 52-year-old husband said he was
looking forward to his new lifestyle
away from a fast-growing Franklin
region. A flooring specialist by trade he
said the time had come in their life to do
what they had always wanted to do.
“Roger Rabbit is probably the best
horse that Peter and I have owned and
bred. He won five races. (2004-2007).
Hopefully our best is yet to come,”
Brown (Ros) said.
Duane Ranger
LAZARUS WINS CUP AND FFA BUT ALSO
WINS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY
The following is an excerpt from
Cambridge breeder Bee Pears and her
blog, b4breeding.com;
I have no idea what the future plans
are for Lazarus, and I am sure the very
experienced owners and trainers have a
few – but each step at a time will be the
approach.
However as an outsider, I can put
out one option right now – here is a
potential successor down under to
Bettor’s Delight with some hugely legit
racing credentials.
The breeders were Studholme
Bloodstock and Gavin Chin, and credit
to them and the mare for producing
such an outstanding racehorse.
It’s an American family right through
with the bottom line, like with Raging
Bull’s, arriving down here through an
imported mare but in this case much
further back in the line than Raging
Bull’s. This means less chance of the
line getting world-class damsires
adding their bit along the way. However,
that is mitigated by some good choice
of sires and an absolute “nick” that
appears to have occurred between the
maternal line and Sokys Atom (a son of
Albatross who did a wonderful job here)
at a critical time when the family was
starting to struggle.
This happened on the maternal line
at the point of Tabella Beth (a mare by
Able Bye Bye from a Great Evander
mare called Double Tested). Perhaps
the influence of Great Evander should
also be credited for Double Tested’s
ability to change the family fortunes.
Double Tested’s full brother and sister
by Great Evander were by far the best
of their dam, although accumulators
rather than top level, but it does signal
some sort of “nick” although there is
nothing I can pick out in the pedigree
match itself.
Tabella Beth’s sire Able Bye Bye
brings in absolutely top class breeding
credentials. As I’ve written in my blog
on Sweet Lou
“Able Bye Bye’s pedigree was to
die for. He was the son of Bye Bye
Byrd (therefore grandson of Poplar
Byrd) and his dam was Adioo Time
(by Adios from On Time, who is a
daughter of Volmite and the great
mare Nedda Guy). Bye Bye Byrd’s
dam is Adieu, the full sister to Adios.”
Tabella Beth won five races here, took
a mile record of 1.55.6 in North America,
then returned to New Zealand for
breeding, and she left nine winners –
three inside 2 minutes.
And the subsequent “nick” of Tabella
Beth with Soky’s Atom starts to really
make your hairs stand on end. We
are into some very classy breeding
branches – Sokys Sunday, Spirit Of
Bethlehem (1.57.8, Southland Oaks),
and Star Of Bethlehem, and of course
CONT. P20
19

CONT.
their full brother Spirit Of Zeus (1.57.8,
winner of the NZ Sires Stakes 3yo final
and NZ Yearling Sales 3yo final). All
progeny of Tabella Beth and Soky’s
Atom. In addition she left Karmic
Reward (1.58.6, Kindergarten Stakes) by
New York Motoring.
Each of her Soky’s Atom daughters
have left an impressive legacy as
broodmares, and now there are many
branches. However top performers
keep arriving with regularity – the
likes of Stars And Stripes, Light And
Sound, United We Stand, Victory Spirit,
Nobium, Spiritual King, and many
others, and more recently Spirit And
Desire, Bettor Spirits, Star Of Dionysis,
and of course Lazarus.
So while many early branches of this
U307 river meandered and dried up,
the branch of Double Tested has picked
up momentum and through Tabella
Beth has developed into a damn good
river of its own, thanks to much better
quality breeding decisions along the
way.
For Lazarus, the next two damsire
inputs are Christian Cullen and then
Bettor’s Delight, two of the best we
have had in New Zealand in recent
times. The closest duplication in
Lazarus’ pedigree is 4×4 Albatross,
which would make him an acceptable
choice for many mares except those by
Bettor’s Delight and Christian Cullen
themselves.
So whatever more Lazarus does as
a racehorse, with his breeding and
the New Zealand Cup and Free For
All under his belt, he already has
underscored his potential to be an
extremely popular sire of the future.
Bee Pears and her blog,
b4breeding.com
NZSBA THANKS ITS PARTNERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR
ASSOCIATION AND MEMBERS
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