Breeding Snippets for August 20th 2026

Producing mares did the heavy lifting this past week, with winners in both gaits emerging from families that have already delivered at the top level. Kylie Ree, Paramount Star, Maid In Splendour, Zenola Star, Sly Soky and Pacific Flight sit behind the six horses covered below, between them responsible for Inter-Dominion champions, millionaire pacers and a remarkable strike rate of winners from foals. Several of the young mares now carrying these lines forward are in foal or have yearlings on the ground, so there is plenty still to come.

Captain Moonlite finds his level in a family of winners

Captain Moonlite (Always B Miki – Miss Moonlite Shadow) always looked above average after he qualified as a 2yo, and after placing in two of his three 2yo starts, the future looked bright indeed. Things haven't quite mapped out for his high profile ownership group for the now 4yo, but his second win, from 15 starts, at Cambridge last Friday suggested he is still capable of doing a job that his breeding strongly supports.

Dam Miss Moonlite Shadow was unraced, but her first six foals have all been winners, including Mr Sharkey (by Four Starzz Shark) and Ranger Bomb (by Sportswriter), who both took 1:50 MRs when winning overseas. There is a full brother to Captain Moonlite in the form of 2yo Fantabulous, who is already qualified for the Dunn stable and has been a trial winner. The latter was bred by Diane Behrns, as was the "Captain", and she has a yearling filly by Sweet Lou in the wings.

Miss Moonlite Shadow is a Christian Cullen daughter of Sirius Flight, the latter having only five raceday starts, winning all five of them, but in America. That was because her dam Pacific Flight (Vance Hanover – Significant), while being a top filly here in NZ with nine NZ wins for Roy and Barry Purdon, eventually found her way to America, where she won another 38 races, taking a best winning MR of 1:51.2. That would have been some time back in the 90s. She was put in foal to The Big Dog (by Dexter Nukes), and Sirius Flight was the resultant foal.

At stud here in NZ she has done a fine job as a producer, leaving the likes of Malak Uswaad (9 NZ wins plus 1:49.4 in the USA) and Timeless Perfection (7 wins from just 13 starts). The latter, also by Christian Cullen, has continued on a now very commercial pedigree. From only eight live foals of racing age to date, she has left eight winners, with all eight going under the two minute barrier. Artsplace daughter First Class Lady (4 wins) has already produced a Sires Stakes 2yo final winner in Freeze Frame. Plutonium Lady (11 wins plus $212k) was a smart mare and is another to successfully breed on, while Rakero Rebel won 16 races and close to $452k. There is real quality in this equine family, and Captain Moonlite now has an opportunity to add to its legacy.

Paramount Spur advertises a sire worth a second look

When a trotter wins three of its first 11 starts, one begins to take notice of its progress, with a delve into its breeding that might suggest where the "ability" comes from.

Paramount Spur is such a trotter, and the Speeding Spur 4yo is proving a great advert for his local sire, who won 28 races in three countries. Both horses were trained by John Dickie and driven by son Josh, and their latest trotting winner is the sixth foal and fifth winner from Paramount Bliss (Majestic Son – Paramount Star). The latter didn't get to the races but had plenty to recommend her as a broodmare, being a seven race winning daughter of champion sire Sundon.

Paramount Star has been a great broodmare for Brian West's Studholme Park, leaving seven winners plus one qualifier from 11 foals. Paramount Geegee was an outstanding young trotter, again for the Dickies, winning 17 of 30 races on both sides of the Tasman and banking $561k along the way. Paramount Queen (8 wins), Paramount King (8 wins) and Paramount Kiwi (6 wins to date) have all made significant contributions to the family tree, with a number of half sisters breeding on to very good effect.

Paramount Dream, by Pegasus Spur, was a fine example of that before her passing, being the dam of two winners from just three foals. Dream Of You (by Love You) won eight races, banking $122k, and half brother Dreams Pat, by Father Patrick, has won six races to date. A generation further back one finds Paramount Jack (12 NZ wins) before he was exported to America, where he won in a 1:58 MR.

With only 32 registered foals, the oldest being his 13 4yos, Speeding Spur would be worthy of a second glance from those who breed trotters. It is certainly an affordable option.

Always A Sprinter opens his account

Always A Sprinter scored win no.1 at start no.3 at Cambridge, confirming the promise the son of Always B Miki had displayed since qualifying at the beginning of this year. Like many of the Miki's, he has got better with time, and this win was not completely unexpected when hearing what driver Crystal Hackett had to say post race.

Dam Miss Shuga (Art Major – Maid In Splendour) placed in a brief career, and Always A Sprinter is her first foal. There is a yearling colt by Pebble Beach and a weanling full brother in the wings, and the mare is back in foal to Pebble Beach.

Second dam Maid In Splendour was handy enough, winning four races, and as a broodmare all five of her foals made it to the races. First foal Never Say Never was snapped up by America after winning once here in NZ and race timed in 1:50 in his new homeland. Fifth foal Pace N Pride won six races in NZ plus $104k before also heading offshore and winning in 1:51. Both were by champion sire Bettor's Delight.

Maid In Splendour (Christian Cullen – Diamonds N Gold) has some staunch breeding behind her. Her dam Diamonds N Gold (Holmes Hanover – Tabella Bindy) left 11 foals for 11 winners and was a half sister to one of the great pacers of the 90s. His name: Desperate Comment (22 wins plus $789k), when trained by legendary horseman RM (Bob) Cameron. The son of Soky's Atom was an elite class performer over a number of seasons against the likes of Iraklis and Il Vicolo. Interestingly, he did not start racing until he was a 4yo, two starts for two wins. The progress of Always A Sprinter will be watched with much interest.

Nazare draws on a family that was once red hot

Nazare looks a good horse in the making, and while he had a nice trip fresh up, his third win in just six starts in a 1:57 MR at Cambridge must give his connections something to really look forward to as the season unfolds.

The Downbytheseaside – Amazon Lily 3yo comes from a family that was quite hot some 30 years ago. Dam Amazon Lily, by Bettor's Delight, was above average, winning six races and just under $100k in stakes. While Nazare is her first winner, foal no.3, the first two of her progeny did qualify and raced without winning. She has a yearling filly by Always B Miki on the ground, foal no.4, and is in foal to Pebble Beach.

Second dam The Blue Lotus was a two time winner for breeder Bee Pears and only had the four foals in NZ before being sold on. Three of those foals have been winners. She was a daughter of Zenterfold (In The Pocket – Zenola Star), who won four races and as a broodmare left Tintin In America (16 wins plus $934k) at her first attempt as a matron. Eventually 11 of her 12 foals were good enough to make it to the races.

She was a half sister to good sorts in Zenad (14 wins), Zenola Seelster (12 wins) and Ruebe Star (18 wins). For good measure, a number of daughters of Zenola Star bred on very successfully. This is the family that gave us Inter-Dominion champion and Auckland Cup winner Elsu (27 wins) and a number of other very good horses, in both gaits. Interestingly, Elsu quickly lost favour with NZ breeders some years ago, but as a son of Falcon Seelster, a number of his daughters have proven to be good broodmares. In the meantime, Nazare looks like a very good chance to add to the exploits of this deep pedigree.

Impressive Shard and the Sly Soky dynasty

Impressive Shard (Captain Crunch – Pemberton Shard) is another recent winner at Oamaru with a pedigree that oozes some class. Dam Pemberton Shard won 11 races on both sides of the Tasman, banking $230k along the way. At stud, her first four foals have all been winners, with Impressive Shard now the winner of two races from 28 starts.

Bred by the Smiths of Shard Farm, there is a 3yo filly by Bettor's Wish called Wish List, which is qualified, and a yearling filly by Downbytheseaside coming on in behind. The mare is back in foal to Downbytheseaside.

Second dam Sly Shard (Panorama – Sly Soky) was a four time winner before leaving millionaire pacer Smiling Shard (17 wins) and Mach Shard (20 wins plus $843k) amongst her seven winners. A fine effort, considering that all but one of her foals were conceived by embryo transfer (ET).

In turn, Sly Soky left top open class pacer Sly Flyin (29 wins plus $911k), who no doubt would have passed the million dollar mark if he had stayed sound. A number of her daughters have bred on successfully. Spicey (9 NZ wins plus $180k) has left a strong branch of this pedigree in her own right. Sly And Stylish left five winners, while an unraced daughter in Jaz Tanner left the handy Eric Clapton (11 wins plus $101k) and 1:49 pacer Pat Stanley. Shards A Flyin left Regal Ideal (39 wins in three countries plus $335k). Lady Gaga, by Christian Cullen and the last live foal of Sly Soky, was a race winner and has left five winners, including 1:50 pacer Nicol Shard (by SBSW) and Shards Of Manhatten (5 wins).

This is the immediate family of Hill Of Gold (In The Pocket – Touch Of Gold), who left yet another millionaire pacer in Gold Ace (22 wins) and the very smart filly General Jen (7 wins to date plus $147k).