Breeding Snippets for August 27th 2026

Long-established breeding programmes did the talking this week, with winners emerging from families their breeders have shaped over decades. The Bromac dynasty of the late Bob McArdle, the Tardina Stud line descending from La Reine, Dan Magill's Bundy family and the Hope family's young trotters all put runners in the winner's circle. Partyon's daughter Party Girl, meanwhile, made a striking start in the broodmare barn. Several of the mares involved are in foal or have yearlings and weanlings on the ground.

The Bromac influence endures with Dino

Nevele R co-founder Bob McArdle passed away some time ago, but the huge influence he had on the standardbred breed on both sides of the Tasman continues, and there was no better example than the winning turn of Dino at Cambridge last weekend, when the 2yo son of Bettor's Delight made it "2 from 2" from the powerhouse stable of Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.

McArdle's breed famously carried the Bromac name, and Dino is from the Art Major mare Tandias Bromac, who won 14 races on the track with some $180k in the bank. At stud she has already left Dino's full brother The Falcon, a 1:49.8 pacer who won 16 races plus $306k. Tandias Bromac is from Tandias Courage (23 wins plus $305k), who was a Group 1 winner in Australia and has left a serious group of high performing fillies that have all been highly successful as broodmares.

All bred by McArdle, this pedigree page is now stacked with a highly commercial family. Tania Tandias, by Falcon Seelster, didn't race but left Lincoln's Girl (28 wins plus $191k) and Tommy Lincoln (16 wins plus $221k) among her five winners. Tallulah Bromac has left Tennyson Bromac (18 wins plus $174k) and Tenzing Bromac (27 wins plus $479k), the latter a 1:50 pacer. Tatijuana Bromac (8 wins plus $198k) has left four $150k plus winners, including Mohs Em Down (20 wins plus $161k), Aardie's Express (20 wins plus $498k), Aardie's Flash (17 wins plus $336k) and Aardie B Miki (19 wins plus $765k). Another daughter of Tandias Courage in Te Amo Bromac won seven races banking $146k, and her daughter Mia Ragazza was an eight race winner before going to stud.

Dino now will be set for some lofty targets later in the season. With this pedigree behind him, his chances should not be underestimated.

Song Of Seas builds on a family Bagrie knows well

Song Of Seas looks a very progressive 3yo filly after her impressive win in a Nevele R heat at Addington, and trainer Tom Bagrie must take a lot of the credit, because she hasn't always looked the finished article in her seven start career to date. Time is a great thing, and right now her star is shining brightly.

Bagrie knows a bit about her family. He trained her dam Pressed For Time (Sportswriter – Black Raider), who was high on ability, winning six of only 14 starts before retiring prematurely. Song Of Seas, by Downbytheseaside, is her first foal. There is a yearling full brother and a weanling colt by Pebble Beach coming in behind, and the mare was served by Cattlewash in the previous breeding season.

Second dam Black Raider (Safely Kept – Secret Passion) was a winner in just four starts, with four of her six foals getting to the races. Pressed For Time has clearly been the best of her progeny. This family goes directly back to the imported mare Jiffy Lobell (Oil Burner – JR Amy), who arrived on our shores in the late 80s and left a couple of handy mares in Rebecca Sunrise (9 wins) and Georgina Lobell (10 wins) among her five NZ bred winners.

Without getting too carried away at this time, Song Of Seas is going to add real interest to the good 3yo fillies races as the season progresses.

Belle Biddy stakes a claim in the north

She had to be good on the night, and after getting posted out wide before sitting parked the last lap against a quality field of 2yo fillies, Belle Biddy was exactly that in the hands of Tony Cameron at just her second career start, in a 1:54 MR to boot.

The daughter of Bettor's Delight is the fourth foal and second winner from Opoutama (Somebeachsomewhere – Reine Guinevere), bred by Tardina Stud. Opoutama won seven of 31 starts banking $121k, often racing the best mares of her time. Her fifth foal is a weanling colt by Sweet Lou, but she wasn't served last breeding season. Her dam Reine Guinevere won six on the track but was a shy breeder in the broodmare role and only left four live foals, with all four proving winners. Three-quarter sister Queen Glory (by Mach 3) left three foals before being exported, producing Auntie Deb (6 wins to date plus $97k) as her first live foal.

Third dam La Reine (Soky's Atom – Lauraine Hanover), also a product of Tardina Stud and also a six race winner, left seven foals with five of them getting to the races. In particular, Reine Victoria (1:54.1) and Reine Elizabeth (1:53.6) did a solid job in America after proving handy performers in NZ. This was a family developed through the 70s by Canterbury horseman Bill Denton, father of John, and Lauraine Hanover won six races for her Hornby connections before being onsold later in her broodmare life to Tardina Stud.

Tardina have retained an ownership share in Belle Biddy, and after this Cambridge win her residual value has obviously got up immensely. In the meantime, she might have just become the 2yo benchmark filly in the north.

Keeping the Bundy name alive

Breeder Dan Magill must have been an avid fan of the American sitcom "Married With Children". Some would remember cynical shoe salesman Al Bundy, who was married to Peg (Peggy), with neither appearing all that happy with their relationship.

In 1991 Magill named his filly by Sergio Hanover from Little Command Peg Bundy. She went on to win seven races, and as a broodmare she left three winners including Kelly Bundy, who was the TV daughter of Al and Peg. By champion sire Sundon, Kelly Bundy, the equine version, also proved handy on the track, winning four times, and as a matron took the family to another level. Double Bundy, by Dr Donerail, won 31 races in three countries, banking $252k with a winning MR of 1:54 in America. Al Bundy, by Great Success, won 14 races plus $127k. Lovely Bundy, by Love You, won 12 races and $130k.

And now to the present day, and the latter has gone to stud and her first foal is Hill Billie Bundy (6 wins to date plus $92k). The 4yo What The Hill mare won again at Cambridge last Friday, making it three wins on the trot, and her rich vein of form should not only see her pass the magical $100k benchmark in the coming months but should ensure that she gets a chance to breed on, thus keeping the Bundy name alive. Magill has bred a 2yo half brother to his latest winner by Majestic Son called Buck Bundy, and after a couple of frustrating years will be hoping that Lovely Bundy is in foal to Tactical Landing.

Of real interest to an older breeder, this family goes directly back to the great pacing family of Colin McLaughlin. Several generations back one finds the likes of Royal Ascot, Allakasam, Manaroa, Nimble Yankee and Manawaru. All five of those pacers were top tier open class pacers of their time, great horses of yesteryears gone by.

Party Girl answers the question about champion mares

It's a commonly held theory that often the very top race mares do not leave any progeny of note, certainly not one as good as themselves, but that after missing a generation, daughters of that top mare often restore the family reputation by doing a fine job in the broodmare barn.

Partyon (Bettor's Delight – Beach Parade) was a top race mare. She won 17 of 31 starts, banking a sizeable $658k in the process. She was a Group 1 winner with a best winning MR of 1:51.3. As a matron, her first five foals have all gone well enough to grace the race track, with two of them reaching the winner's circle. My Way, by Art Major, has won eight races from 84 starts, and Party Central, by Captaintreacherous, has won six from 20 starts with a best winning MR of 1:51.7. Two other full relations to the latter are in the early stages of their race track careers but are still non winners at this time.

Partyon's first foal Party Girl, by Art Major, qualified but did not race. In her qualifying heat she placed fourth of four in a MR of 2:05.5, and finished some distance from the winner. But the blood is there. She is a daughter of a champion mare by a sire who could well be a better broodmare sire than sire, which would certainly be a big call.

Party Girl's first foal was on debut at Rangiora over the weekend, and Bliss Philly, by Downbytheseaside, did her grandmother proud by getting over the top of her 2yo rivals with the promise of much more to come. There is a yearling full sister in the wings as well as a weanling half sister by Stay Hungry. Party Girl is due to foal this season to Sweet Lou.

There is depth to this pedigree. Partyon has two full relations, Kokomo Beach and Line Up, and half brother Bluto (by Sweet Lou), who all recorded faster winning MRs than their famous sister, and further back one finds the top pacer Franco Ice, who won 20 races and $617k for northern horseman Neil Brady.

Let's remember, there is no truth to a theory. One buys into what one believes in. Could it be that Party Girl becomes a more successful broodmare than her illustrious mother? Just saying.

Carlton makes his case at Rangiora

The new breeding season is upon us, and when you are a small NZ bred fish in a big stallion sea, any positive news coming in at this time would be openly welcomed by the connections of that fish. And just for today, owner, breeder and successful Woodend trainer Greg Hope could just about be the happiest man in Canterbury.

For his and wife Nina's young stallion Carlton (Dream Vacation – Another Love) not only left another winner at Rangiora on Sunday but also provided the quinella in the same race. Double delight indeed, as the Hope family train both young trotters. The choice trotting breeders have at their disposal in terms of quality stallions is huge right now, but the trotting broodmare pool is relatively small, so any advantage a stallion can snare is very timely at this time of the year.

Aptly named, Just For Today, from a Majestic Son mare, is one of just 13 3yos Carlton has on the ground, with his oldest stock 4yos. There are 10 2yos in behind, but his stocks did improve in the 24/25 season with 28 mares served. Of his 30 progeny old enough to race, including 2yos, 10 have won or qualified to race. Just For Today has now won two of his three starts, and he is the first foal of his dam, who is a daughter of Sunloch (2 wins) and goes directly back to a top trotter of the 50s and 60s in Supervise (10 wins).

Brooks Spirit, from a Love You mare and half a length away at Rangiora, looks equally promising. An impressive debut winner at Kurow last week, the Carlton 3yo was bred by the Hopes and they also own him. Dam Crazy N Love won five races and Brooks Spirit is her first foal. This is a family that has been very good to Greg and Nina Hope, as Crazy N Love is a full sister to current Rowe Cup champion Mr Love (13 wins plus $434k).

For stallion success, it can be a numbers game, but in the end any stallion is capable of leaving a good horse. Who was Happy Sunrise (10 wins from 17 starts) by again? Steven Stock. While many breeders may have already made up their mind by this time, at $1000, Carlton would seem a tantalising thought, certainly real value.