Breeding Snippets for July 23, 2026

From a bargain purchase beginning to repay his new connections, to another success story from the famed Enthuse family, the enduring influence of Graham Pearson's breeding programme, and the return of the powerful Sakuntala bloodline, this week's racing once again highlighted the strength of New Zealand's maternal families. Add in another winner from the exceptional Landora's Pride tribe, a promising filly from the Living Doll family and a well-related son of Downbytheseaside, and there was plenty for breeders to take note of.

Tatanka proving a smart investment

Recent Cambridge winner Tatanka (3g Creatine – Bryleigh Jane) is proving a real success story for new part-owner and trainer Scotty Dickson.

Bought by Dickson on Gavelhouse as recently as mid-June this year, the then maiden trotter had just one start as a two-year-old for Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt back in August 2025. However, in just two starts for Dickson (one win and one placing), the promising squaregaiter has well and truly covered his purchase price, and his decisive 7.75-length victory fully suggested there is much more to come.

He is the first foal of his unraced Love You dam Bryleigh Jane, who has plenty of breeding behind her.

Second dam Kurien has already left full blood relatives Aroha and Pandemic, both race winners, as is foal number four Which Way (by Father Patrick). The Butts also have fillies by Tactical Landing (3yo) and Propulsion (2yo) coming through.

Kurien (Sundon – Enthuse) is from a family well endowed with class trotters.

She is a full or half-sister to Enthusiast (11 wins from just 22 starts) and Rowe Cup winner Inspire (9 wins + $148,000). Call You Later (9 wins) and Red (5 wins from 9 starts) were other trotters well above average who kept this pedigree in the limelight, with most progressing through the stable of master trotting trainer Paul Nairn.

Inspire has gone on to leave Waterloo Sunset (7 wins), who has done a tremendous job as a colonial stallion with limited opportunities.

Other daughters of Enthuse have also bred on to good levels, establishing a solid commercial branch first brought to prominence by the late Freeman Holmes.

Enthuse was a daughter of In The Pink (3 wins), who also left Marvin (5 wins from 12 starts) and open class trotter Sundowner Bay (18 wins + $260,000), the latter an open class star from the stable of the late Mike De Filippi.

Further back one finds the likes of Framalda (22 wins), an open class trotter for Roy and Barry Purdon during the 1970s.

All things considered, Tatanka looks to have been a very good buy for his new owners.

Arrigo continues a pedigree packed with performers

At the same Cambridge meeting, Arrigo (3g Downbytheseaside – Panforte) broke through for his maiden win at his sixth start, scoring by 5½ lengths in a 1:59 mile rate.

Not only is the Matty White-trained runner by a "hot" sire here in New Zealand, but he comes from a family of real interest to breeding buffs.

Dam Panforte (Christian Cullen – Al Cioccalato), bred by Graham Pearson of Under Cover Lover fame, had only the two race day starts for one placing but has fared much better in the broodmare paddock.

Ima Grumpy Possum (by Art Official) won 16 races and $125,000, while Sinbad, a full brother to Arrigo, won three races here before posting a blistering 1:47.1 when winning in America. American Princess (by American Ideal) was also very handy, winning 11 races and $112,000, mostly in Australia.

Al Cioccalato had just the one start but won that debut as a three-year-old and, at stud, all seven of her foals qualified to race. Of note, Nicolosa (by Badlands Hanover), a race winner, left Kaitlyn, who later recorded a 1:51.2 mile in America after winning two races in New Zealand.

Breeder Graham Pearson was at the height of his success during the 1980s and 1990s with his horses, many of which he trained himself.

Third dam Catarina (Smooth Fella – Cedar Myth) was a very smart three-year-old, despite winning only two races, regularly locking horns with the brilliant Bionic Chance.

Many of her daughters bred on extremely well, notably Ismay (by Ok Bye), who left Oaxaca Lass (19 wins + $456,000). She in turn left Weka Lass (6 wins), whose best performer to date is outstanding Australian pacer The Janitor (19 wins, 1:49.6 and counting).

Another daughter, Verde Lima (by Bettor's Delight), left four foals for four winners, with three of them recording sub-1:52 mile marks.

With this kind of family tree behind him, we should not be surprised if Arrigo goes on to greater things.

Niamh adds another chapter to a proven trotting family

Royal Aspirations five-year-old mare Niamh recorded her third win from 19 starts for part-owner and Trackside presenter Greg O'Connor at Cambridge (17/7/26) in the hands of trainer Todd Mitchell.

She is a daughter of Jacinta Franco (CR Commando – Jacanti Franco), her dam having just the two race day starts for one minor placing.

As a broodmare, Jacinta Franco had only four foals, with foal number one President Flynntin (by The Pres) winning six races to date for owner-trainer Jill Coppins.

Second dam Jacanti Franco had three race day starts for one win and two placings, with that victory coming at Group 2 level in the 2007 Sires' Stakes 2YO Championship after leading throughout to defeat favourite Petite Sunrise.

Besides Jacinta Franco, the best of her foals have been Franco Josiah (11 wins to date + $148,000) and Jakarta (12 wins, mostly in Australia).

Third dam Jaguar Franco (Sundon – Joanie Toliver) never raced but did a superb job in the broodmare paddock, leaving nine winners and a qualifier from her 11 foals.

Jags Invasion was a very good trotter, winning 10 races and $122,000. Jumanji Franco and Majestic Jag each won five races, while the ever-reliable Barrytown has won six races and recorded a further 48 placings, banking $130,000 from 102 starts.

Daughters of Jaguar Franco have also bred on, with Janucci (by Continentalman) worthy of mention, having produced four winners from her six live foals.

Joanie Toliver (by Toliver Hanover, a son of Tar Heel) was a Group 1-winning trotter in Australia, winning 19 races in total. Interestingly, before being mated with Sundon, she had previously been served by seven pacing sires with little success for Wayne Francis's Alexandra Breeding Partnership.

It's fair to say the fortunes of this pedigree improved once it was bred to trotting stallions, and now Niamh is doing her bit to add to that legacy.

Secret Beach carries the legacy of Sakuntala

There were plenty of superlatives after Secret Beach won his fourth race from just his sixth lifetime start at Cambridge, and they were well founded. After sitting three-wide without cover for most of the 1700m trip, he still had enough left in the tank to get his head in front when it mattered most. It looks as though he will get his chance against the best three-year-olds later in the season.

By top sire Downbytheseaside, his pedigree provides a strong hint as to where that ability comes from and is all part of the breeding arm of Stonewall Stud.

Dam Secret Desire (Real Desire – Rhythmic Rose) won eight races and forms part of Stonewall's ever-increasing breeding programme. Secret Beach is her ninth foal and fifth winner, along with two qualifiers from nine live foals.

Second dam Rhythmic Rose won twice and has left eight winners and a qualifier from 10 foals, including Sweet Diamond (9 wins + $169,000) and Seaside Rose (8 wins + $142,000). The well-performed Sweet Diamond is now part of the Stonewall breeding programme and was served by Lather Up during the most recent breeding season as a maiden mare.

Rhythmic Rose is a daughter of Rosesrredviletsrblue (In The Pocket – Tala Queen), the latter leaving seven winners, including Saloon Passage (by Elsu), a 1:49.4 performer in America.

Tala Queen won four races but, more importantly, was a daughter of the grand producer Sakuntala. While unraced, Sakuntala (Armbro Del – Hindu Star) established a dynasty of star pacers for Father Danny Cummings and his family throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

This pedigree was arguably the equivalent of a modern-day Scuse Me family back then, with names such as Iraklis, Tuapeka Star, Ermis and Monkey King all remembered for their deeds on the racetrack.

Could it be that Secret Beach might add to a very long list of high-quality pacers and bring this once mighty pedigree back into the headlines?

Eastern Doll revives a famous family

Eastern Doll (3f Sweet Lou – Delightful Doll) is another recent winner, bringing back memories of a pedigree that was highly active before the turn of the century.

Her record now reads two starts for one win and one placing for her large, high-profile ownership group, and it looks as though the fun has only just begun.

Dam Delightful Doll (Bettor's Delight – Sweet Talking Doll) is owned by Southland horseman Brian Norman, and Eastern Doll is just her second foal and first live progeny. Norman has a Captain Crunch weanling colt on the ground, although the mare was not bred last season.

Sweet Talking Doll won twice and left two winners from just four live foals. Full relatives to Delightful Doll in Is He Talking (11 wins) and He's Talking (7 wins) both performed with distinction, largely in Australia after being bred by Otago horseman Kevin Court.

This family traces directly back to Living Doll (Lordship – Queen's Coronet), who won five races for her breeder, "me ole mate" Jim Dalgety.

Several daughters of Living Doll bred on with great success, particularly those managed by the late Wayne Francis at Spreydon Lodge.

Lewinsky Franco (by Falcon Seelster) recorded a 1:51 mile in America, while Nardin's Doll left the very smart Seafield Inca (11 wins + $132,000) and Seafield Raider (13 wins + $131,000) for Court.

Queen's Coronet (U Scott – Queen Maud) earned the distinction of leaving Indecision (12 wins) and Chief Command (13 wins) as her first two foals, both open class Cup pacers and full brothers by My Chief from the famed Ces Donald stable during the mid-1960s.

Indecision was given his opportunity at stud but, like many colonial-bred stallions, suffered through a lack of numbers.

Queen Maud also left Maudeen (11 wins), also by U Scott, who became the great-granddam of Australian superstar Sokyola (66 wins + $1.92 million).

Interestingly, Sokyola was by Soky's Atom out of Maudola (Chiola Hanover – Maudey). Maudey, by outstanding broodmare sire Lumber Dream, won nine trotting races in an era featuring champions such as Sir Castleton, Basil Dean and Scotch Tar.

It will be of great interest to see how Eastern Doll progresses in the coming months. With this pedigree behind her, anything is possible.

Imposing Sea inherits elite Woodlands blood

Any horse that wins by nearly nine lengths in a 1:55 mile rate deserves closer scrutiny, and recent Cambridge winner Imposing Sea certainly fits that category.

Trained by Ben Butcher, the Downbytheseaside three-year-old is the sixth foal and fifth winner from the unraced Art Major mare Major Spirit, and her latest winner might just prove to be her best for owner-breeder Woodlands Stud.

A closer examination of the pedigree reveals a rich source of high-quality pacers.

Second dam Spirit Of Eros raced briefly without winning but, at stud, left 13 foals. Eleven qualified and all but one became winners. Crown Law (28 wins), Spirit And Desire (14 wins), Bettor Spirits (26 wins) and Spirit And Soul (16 wins) all earned six-figure sums, particularly in Australia, while several of her daughters are now breeding on successfully.

Spirit Of Eros, by In The Pocket, was one of only two foals left by the "bred in the purple" mare Spirit Of Bethlehem (Soky's Atom – Tabella Beth).

The latter won five races and, when bred repeatedly to Soky's Atom, left several outstanding producers. Star Of Bethlehem (5 wins) left Stars And Stripes (40 wins + $797,000) and Light And Sound (38 wins + $560,000). An unraced daughter, Starlitnight (by Tuapeka Knight), left Star Galleria (19 wins + $509,000) and also became the granddam of millionaire pacer and New Zealand Cup winner Self Assured (30 wins + $2.4 million).

Dam of the latter, Star Of Venus (by Christian Cullen), left another six winners and, between them, they have won 115 races.

Spirit Of Beth (1 win) left four winners and two qualifiers from seven foals, while the only non-winner, Bethany, went on to leave champion pacer and now successful sire Lazarus (37 wins + $4.1 million).

Soky's Sunday, unplaced in five starts, left 11 foals that made it to the races, with Niobium (15 wins + $153,000) arguably the best of them. However, an unraced daughter, Divine (by Christian Cullen), has left multiple Group 1 winner and New Zealand Oaks heroine Aardiebytheseaside (23 wins + $662,000).

Another daughter, Time And Tide (by Mach Three), has already left several smart performers in Queen Lostris (1:51.2), Mr Kaplan (7 wins + $187,000) and Group winner Alecto (3 wins to date).

Any way you look at it, Imposing Sea has a lot to live up to, but the bloodline may take him a long way along that journey.