Breeding Snippets: Families firing as winter form takes shape

The latest round of New Zealand racing served up a familiar mix of racetrack reward and breeding depth, from a recent Gavelhouse purchase making a quick return for new connections, to proven families again showing their worth through repeat-producing mares, durable performers and some timely stallion news ahead of the new breeding season.

What’s The Whisper rewards new connections

Another recent Gavelhouse purchase has given a quick return to its new ownership group, with What’s The Whisper getting in the telling strides to record his second win at Cambridge last weekend.

Now racing in the silks of part-owner and trainer, Central Districts stalwart Stephen Doody, the four-year-old gelding by What The Hill from Tessa’s Pride was formerly owned by North Otago’s Bev Williamson and trained by her husband Phil.

What’s The Whisper was a last-start winner at Addington for Williamson just before going on the market, and the Cambridge win came at his second run this campaign for Doody.

His dam, Tessa’s Pride (Sundon - Little Contessa), had only one start for a placing, but she has made a tidy start at stud. What’s The Whisper is her second foal and second winner.

The dam of just four foals, with two of those no longer with us, Tessa’s Pride has also been on-sold by Williamson. She has a yearling filly by Father Patrick on the ground for her new owners and is now back in foal to Majestic Son.

The depth in the family comes through second dam Little Contessa, a four-win mare who has done a super job in the matron’s paddock. She left the likes of Irish Whisper, the winner of 14 races and more than $207,000, and Chinese Whisper, the winner of 23 races and more than $222,000, amongst her six foals to get to the races.

She left only eight foals in total, with another qualifier who did not race, while her last foal, the aptly named Tessa’s Last, was unraced. A filly by Sundon, she is already the dam of a filly by Alderbaran Eagle for Williamson and was served by Oscar Bonavena in the most recent breeding season.

In the meantime, with a career record of just 16 starts to date, What’s The Whisper should provide some enjoyable moments for his new connections.

Blazing Louie shows the old spark

Blazing Louie is one of those unmistakable sons of Sweet Lou, with that big white blaze across his face, and at Cambridge last week he reminded everyone of his ability when he began brilliantly, found the lead and never allowed his opposition to get close.

The 1:57.6 mile rate over the 2200m trip was win number six for the seven-year-old, who showed plenty of ability at three before things became something of a rollercoaster ride for his large ownership group and trainer Nicky Chilcott over the following five-year period.

Hopefully, many of those issues are now behind him, and he looks an ideal prospect for winter racing in the north.

The performance also came from a family with plenty of substance behind it.

His dam, Secret Love, by Real Desire, won once in a brief career and all five of her foals have got to the races. She is from the unraced Christian Cullen mare Ouch La Fe Fe, who left seven winners from seven foals.

The best of them was arguably Smooth Debate, the winner of 13 races, more than $148,000 and the holder of a 1:52.7 mark.

Ouch La Fe Fe was bred by now-retired North Canterbury breeders Merv and Sara Neill.

She was a half-sister to the smart Ouch, the winner of 11 races and more than $173,000, and Its Showtime, by Falcon’s Future, a son of Falcon Seelster. Although unraced, Its Showtime left Elios and Miss Limelight, both $200,000-plus winners.

Falcon’s Future sired only seven foals in New Zealand, three of those to Mrs Simpson (Alba Byrd - Regal Play), the dam of Ouch La Fe Fe.

Another unraced daughter of Its Showtime, Queen Camille, also by Christian Cullen, left the very handy Henry Hubert, the winner of 15 races and more than $399,000 when trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn.

For Blazing Louie, the latest win was a timely reminder of both his own ability and the strength sitting underneath his pedigree.

Messenger family keeps delivering

Owner-breeders the Messengers and Cambridge trainer Nicky Chilcott go back a long way, and at Cambridge last Friday that combination chalked up yet another win when Says Who got the business done.

The gelding by He’s Watching from Princess Kate recorded win number two at start 27.

His dam, Princess Kate, by champion sire Bettor’s Delight, was also trained by Chilcott and won eight races. Her four foals have all made the winner’s circle.

Urus, by Sportswriter, and Katie’s Princess, by Raging Bull, have both won 10 races each, while Vincent’s Girl has won four to date.

The second dam, Attsa Nice (Presidential Ball - Heather Laurique), was again trained by Chilcott and won six races. As a broodmare, six of her seven foals were good enough to get to the races, with Princess Kate arguably the best of them.

Messenger Buoy, the winner of five races and $68,000, also did a handy job and took a mark of 1:57.2.

There is further depth around the page. Ruby Choozday, a full sister to Attsa Nice, left a 1:50 horse in Reuben Brogden, while half-brother Dash, by Pacific Rocket, won seven races in New Zealand before also recording a 1:50 winning mile rate in America.

Who is to say that Says Who can’t win again over the winter months. Just don’t shoot the Messenger.

Franco Harlem continues Captain Crunch momentum

There was no more impressive winner at Addington over the weekend than the Dunn-trained Franco Harlem.

The three-year-old gelding by Captain Crunch from Haiti Franco got to the front soon after the start and turned the race into a procession, recording his maiden win at just start number three.

The official margin was 8.5 lengths.

Yet another winner for his sire, Franco Harlem is the first foal from his Art Major dam, who won two races herself. And aren’t those Art Major mares doing a super job.

It is a big statement, but Art Major may become an even better broodmare sire than sire in the years to come.

Haiti Franco’s second foal, Commander In Chief, by Always B Miki, qualified in May for Brent and Tim White, and there is a yearling full brother to Franco Harlem coming on, with a weanling filly by Lazarus on the ground.

Haiti Franco was served by Pebble Beach in the most recent breeding season.

The second dam, Hunter Franco (Soky’s Atom - Huntress Franco), won three races and was bred by the late Wayne Francis, co-founder of Nevele R Stud.

At stud, all seven of her progeny got to the races, and she left smart types such as Franco Hendrix, the winner of 10 races and more than $115,000, and Regulus, the winner of six races in New Zealand and a 1:51.8 winner in America.

Huntress Hanover, born at the famed Hanover Shoe Farms, was a half-sister to Nevele R-based stallions Holmes Hanover and Michael Jonathon. All three were imported by Francis during the 1980s, when New Zealand was breeding in excess of 8000 mares a year and Nevele R accounted for a large slice of that market.

Franco Harlem looks set to remind us that this family, albeit originating from America, is still alive and kicking.

Amaretto Franco strengthens a proven cross

Another to remind us of how good she can be at the same Addington meeting was Amaretto Franco.

The daughter of three-time New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love was registering her sixth win and took her earnings beyond the $100,000 benchmark.

Leased out to her current ownership group by breeder Hamish McPherson, she is a daughter of Aziza (Pacific Rocket - Morcheeba), who won three races herself and has done a very nice job in the breeding barn.

Her six live foals have all raced, including Tiger Thompson, the winner of five races in New Zealand and a 1:49.8 winner in America, and Magic Sign, who won his 12th race at Gore, Forbury Park, over the weekend just passed.

The latter is a full brother to Amaretto Franco and he too has now won in excess of $100,000, so the cross has obviously worked wonderfully well.

The second dam, Morcheeba, won once in a brief career and is an In The Pocket daughter of McPherson’s fine mare Frangelico.

Frangelico won 13 races and more than $204,000 through the 1980s against the best of her sex in the land. Unfortunately, at stud, she left only four foals, but they all made the winner’s circle nevertheless.

Some of us old enough will remember her dam, Kara Kara (Scottish Hanover - Local Lass), who won eight races for South Canterbury trainer Richard Brosnan.

Now six, Amaretto Franco may be in her last season on the track, but her record is certainly good enough to warrant a second career in the broodmare barn, which may give this pedigree another chance to relive former glories.

Stallion season begins to take shape

Not even at the end of June, and in an upcoming breeding season that has initially offered little change to the status quo, a couple of stud heavyweights have been quick out of the blocks to announce stallion rosters for 2026 and the availability of a new stallion arriving across the Tasman.

Last season was a big year for North Canterbury’s Wai Eyre Farm, which recommitted to standardbred breeding in a big way with a number of on-farm incentives to attract breeders and their respective broodmares.

It must have worked because this winter, leading into the new 2026/27 breeding season, there are approximately 400-plus mares residing at Wai Eyre Farm.

Their new stallion U S Captain (Captaintreacherous - American Jewel) was very well received at his set fee of $3000, to the point where he served 95 mares in New Zealand, making him the third most popular sire choice for our breeders behind Downbytheseaside and Sweet Lou.

The stallion roster for Wai Eyre Farm for the new season has been announced with one change from the previous year. Champion son of Bettor’s Delight, Lazarus, has had his stud fee increased from $4000 to $5000, but like last year, there are no vet fees or working fees to pay if served on-farm.

The stock of Lazarus have certainly made an impact here in New Zealand in the last 12 months from small crops, and with the likes of The Lazarus Effect winning 11 of his 19 starts, with another seven placings, his stallion profile has certainly taken a step in the right direction.

Not to be outdone, Australian stud heavyweight Cobbitty Equine Farm, which already has the likes of Huntsville and Confederate available to New Zealand breeders, has just announced the arrival of 2019 Meadowlands Pace winner Best In Show (Bettor’s Delight - Put On A Show).

He will target a similar market to U S Captain, with his New Zealand fee set at $3000.

In the Meadowlands Pace of his year, in a four-way photo, Best In Show defeated Bettor’s Wish, with the pacemaking favourite Captain Crunch fading late to finish a close-up fourth in a 1:48 mile rate.

Interestingly, another race rival, U S Captain, finished back in the field in a race considered one of America’s top three-year-old events on their racing calendar.

Best In Show won 11 races between the ages of two and five for stakes of $672,000.

His dam, Put On A Show, by Rocknroll Hanover, is a Hall of Famer after winning $2.4 million and has also left a world champion in It’s My Show, a 1:46 miler with $1.7 million in the bank and standout wins in races such as the North America Cup, the Little Brown Jug and the Canadian Pacing Derby.

His second dam, Stienam’s Place, by Artsplace, was also a world champion, earning $1.4 million, and was also an American Hall of Fame broodmare.

In fact, the first three dams of Best In Show were all $1 million-plus earners.

Early days, but it is always an exciting time of the year as breeders consider their options for an upcoming season.

Let the fireworks begin!