Breeding Snippets for August 6, 2026

From another winner carrying the famous Christian Cullen bloodline, to the continued rise of the outstanding Champagne Party family, another promising performer from the Tabella Beth dynasty, and fresh success for the families behind Kate's First and Turkana, this week's racing once again highlighted the strength of New Zealand's broodmare bands. Add in another emerging winner by Always B Miki and a timely reminder of the depth behind the Sakuntala family, and breeders again had plenty of pedigrees worthy of close attention.

Billy The Kid keeps a famous family in the spotlight

Billy The Kid won his third race at his 55th start at Cambridge last week, adding to another 18 placings along the way.

The six-year-old gelding was an embryo transfer foal and is the sixth live foal and sixth winner from his dam First Western.

He is by champion sire Bettor's Delight from a Western Terror daughter of Auckland Cup winner Kate's First, who won 19 races and earned $624,000.

First Western had just the one raceday start for a minor placing, but at stud she has done a very good job, with her first six foals all becoming winners. Dolly Parton (foal number seven) is already a placed maiden from a brief career.

Bred by Woodlands Stud principal Andrew Grierson since 2015, First Western has a two-year-old filly by Downbytheseaside and a yearling colt, a full brother to Billy The Kid, coming through. Sadly, the mare is no longer with us.

Kate's First, by Holmes Hanover, was the first foal of Pleasant Franco, who then left Christian Cullen (by In The Pocket) as her second foal.

Naturally, after producing two outstanding progeny, there was much hype surrounding those that followed during the early 2000s. Oscar De La Hoya (7 wins) and Julius Caesar (placed) certainly fitted into that category, although it was always going to be a difficult task to match the deeds of a superstar such as Christian Cullen, winner of 22 races from just 31 starts and more than $1.2 million.

In fact, it was to be a daughter of Kate's First that returned this pedigree to the headlines.

All 10 of her foals qualified to race, with five becoming winners. Maverick (10 wins) was arguably the best performed on the track, but it has been her 10th foal, Kate Black (4 wins), by Bettor's Delight, and a half-sister to First Western, who has left Got The Chocolates (14 wins to date and $746,000), with many judges suggesting he is currently the best pacer racing in New Zealand.

Breeders Ken and Ann Marie Spicer have both a yearling and weanling full sister to Got The Chocolates (all by Art Major) waiting in the wings.

If Got The Chocolates goes on to win the New Zealand Cup in November, this family will once again be back in the headlines, just as it was some 30 years ago.

Lucky As continues the Studholme family success

Another Cambridge winner, and a well-deserved one, was Lucky As, the four-year-old son of Captain Crunch, trained by Tony Herlihy for his wife Suzanne.

His dam, I'm So Lucky (Roll With Joe – Turkana), was unraced but, as part of Brian West's broodmare band at Studholme Bloodstock, has made a very promising start to her broodmare career.

Her first two foals, Wish Me Luck (6 wins) and Commander Joe (7 wins), both earned more than $100,000, while Lucky As is her third foal. Foal number four, Get Seaside Lucky, is already a three-race winner, with further progeny by Vincent, Art Major and Captaintreacherous following through behind. The mare was served by Huntsville during the most recent breeding season.

Second dam Turkana was a six-race winner from just 14 starts for well-known Canterbury breeder Graeme Iggo and belongs to a family that Iggo patiently developed over several decades.

At stud, Turkana left the very good mare Folklore (13 wins + $185,000), while a number of her daughters have bred on to excellent effect.

Christian Watch (by Falcon Seelster) left six winners, highlighted by Miss Daisy and Code Black, both of whom recorded 1:50 mile rates in America. Tiffany Rose (10 wins + $164,000) is now breeding on in Australia, while Nakuru (3 wins) and Shanika (4 wins) continue the family on this side of the Tasman.

Full sister Christian Seel has left three good winners, headed by Bettor Believe It (7 wins), while half-sister Bettor Go has done even better, with her first seven foals all qualifying to race, including this season's promising two-year-old On Ya Bike, who has recorded four placings from six starts for the Cran Dalgety stable.

Her second foal, Willie Go West, has won 20 races and more than $229,000 across three countries, while also recording a 1:50 mile in America.

All of this traces back to Kisumu (Nero's B B – Kinshasha), who won the 1992 Sires' Stakes Two-Year-Old Fillies Championship at Addington in the hands of the late Dennis Nyhan for young trainer Robert Dunn.

Graeme Iggo spent considerable time in Africa during his younger days, and many of his horses proudly carry that African naming theme.

The Jolly Roger taps into the Tabella Beth dynasty

These days, the Dunn stable is often referred to as Diamond Racing, and at the same Cambridge meeting they enjoyed another success as part-owners of The Jolly Roger when the four-year-old recorded his sixth win in the smart time of 1:55.1. With earnings now approaching $100,000, the future looks bright.

His breeding gives some indication of where that ability has come from.

Dam Ice Imperial qualified but did not race. She is by Bettor's Delight from Champagne Dreams, and The Jolly Roger is her second foal.

Her first three foals are all winners, while there is also a qualified two-year-old in the Purdon-Phelan stable by Captaintreacherous named Polarexpress. After unfortunately slipping to her stallion in each of the past two seasons, the mare is back in foal to Captaintreacherous.

Champagne Dreams (10 wins, 1:55.6) is bred in the purple. She is an Art Major daughter of Bethany, making her a half-sister to champion pacer and now outstanding sire Lazarus (37 wins + $4.4 million).

This is the famed Tabella Beth family, responsible for a host of elite performers including millionaire pacer Self Assured, multiple Group 1 winner Aardiebytheseaside, Derby winner Stars N Stripes and many more too numerous to mention.

The Jolly Roger has certainly inherited a pedigree capable of taking him a long way.

Franco Ankara keeps the Champagne Party family thriving

Franco Ankara resumed on a high note at Addington last week, coming from the outside of the gate to record his maiden victory at the start of his three-year-old campaign.

He had already shown promise as a two-year-old, placing three times from five starts.

By Captain Crunch from After Party, the three-year-old has all the credentials to suggest there is much more to come.

After Party (American Ideal – Champagne Party) did not race but has already left the smart Sherlock, winner of eight races from just 17 starts. She was served by Downbytheseaside during the most recent breeding season for owner Spreydon Lodge.

Her dam, Champagne Party (14 wins + $159,000), has developed into one of the country's most commercial broodmares, with her 10 foals headed by Democrat Party (6 wins + $255,000), who in turn has produced millionaire pacer Republican Party (27 wins to date) and the unbeaten two-year-old sensation Tour Party (4 wins from 4 starts).

Another full brother, War Party, has won two of his three starts from the Purdon-Phelan stable, while Advance Party (6 wins + $122,000) is already at stud for John and Katrina Price. Her first foal is a filly by Captaintreacherous.

The Prices purchased Champagne Party at Ian Dobson's dispersal sale some 15 years ago and have become heavily invested in the pedigree, breeding four fillies from her in four consecutive seasons before the mare passed away.

This family has now established several highly commercial branches in its own right, and Franco Ankara looks every chance of adding further weight to that outstanding legacy.

Utah Jazz adds another chapter to the Chicago Bull family

Talking of the Prices, the southern breeders were also to the fore at Addington last week when a mare they bred in Utah Jazz recorded her fifth win from just seven starts.

The four-year-old Bettor's Delight – Rockabilly Blues mare is now raced by prolific Australian owner Mick Boots and capped a memorable weekend for trainer Nathan Williamson, who reached the milestone of 1,200 driving wins with six victories at Wyndham on Sunday.

Rockabilly Blues was a handy racemare herself, winning four races from just 13 starts, and Utah Jazz is her first foal.

Foal number two, full brother Utah Blaze, also looks highly promising, having already won two races for Stonewall Stud. Another full sister, Electric Blues, is an unraced two-year-old, while Atlanta Brave is a weanling half-brother by Confederate.

Rockabilly Blues is by Rock N Roll Heaven from Chicago Blues (3 wins), making her a half-sister to Australian champion Chicago Bull, winner of 62 races and more than $2.4 million.

Chicago Sky (6 wins + $119,000), a full sister to Chicago Bull, has already been earmarked to join the growing list of highly credentialled broodmares at the Price operation.

The pedigree runs exceptionally deep, with champion filly Pacific Flight (47 wins) and broodmare queen Black Watch featuring prominently.

Utah Jazz appears destined for an equally important second career once her racetrack days come to an end.

Touch N Go traces back to the great Sakuntala family

It was pleasing to see trainer Brian Zampeze back in the winner's circle at Addington over the weekend.

Touch N Go (6m Art Major – Kabet) was recording her second win, along with a further 13 placings, for the West Melton trainer, who worked for Robert Dunn before establishing his own stable several years ago.

Dam Kabet was a very handy mare for Brent and Suzanne Williams, winning six races, and her broodmare career began with a flourish.

Her first three winners were Take A Bet (3 wins from 6 starts), Above N Beyond (5 wins + $98,000) and Off N Gone (5 New Zealand wins + $159,000), the latter going on to record a 1:50 mile in America.

Touch N Go is her fourth winner, although despite being served by top commercial stallions, the mare's strike rate has stalled somewhat in recent seasons for a variety of reasons.

Kabet, bred by the Cummings family of Lawrence, is a half or full sister to another seven winners, with Talaspring (by Badlands Hanover) perhaps the best, winning 19 races and earning $194,000.

Further back, Tuapeka Frost was a Vance Hanover daughter of broodmare gem Sakuntala, whose descendants represented arguably the most commercial bloodlines in New Zealand throughout the 1980s.

Being by Art Major, who is already proving to be an outstanding broodmare sire, Touch N Go would be a welcome addition to any broodmare band. Great families often lie dormant for a period before surging back into prominence, and this pedigree has already demonstrated that ability over many decades.