Breeding Snippets for October 16th 2026

Producing mares run right through this week’s column, several of them with perfect or near perfect strike rates from the foals they have left. The families of Classiebawn, Soky’s Sunday, Lisdargan, Simply Devine, Miss Picotee and Stimulus all sit behind winners, some of them lines that Canterbury and Southland breeders have shaped over several decades. There is a hard luck story with a silver lining from Studholme Bloodstock, a filly who has made the reverse journey back across the Tasman, and a trotter who looks capable of mixing it in cup week.

Nek Time does the business as a matron

Nek Time (Gotta Go Cullect – Braithwaite) was a very good mare for the Symon family, winning eight races, including two across the Tasman, and banking $128k along the way. She set a NZ record at Winton as a 3yo and now she is doing the business as a matron.

First foal Nek Delight, by Bettor’s Delight, won five, and foal no.2 Blaze Lightening, by Sweet Lou, has won four to date, with both having recorded sub 1:57 MRs when winning. At Invercargill last week, foal no.3 Better Time, by Bettor’s Wish, won for the second time in just seven starts, rating 1:58.7 for the mobile 2200m. There is a 2yo filly by Captain Crunch called Honey Crunch, also with Ryal Bush trainer Brent Gray, and after losing an Always B Miki foal in 2025, Nek Time is due to US Captain this spring.

Her dam Braithwaite was a race winning daughter of Jenna’s Beach Boy and Carnasserie, a family that was developed over a long period by Canterbury identity, the late Mike Stratford. It goes directly back to a very good mare of the late 70s in Classiebawn (10 wins), and at stud nine of her 10 foals proved winners. My Glengower was a good horse across the Tasman, and Braedoon was a smart young horse for a fledgling trainer in Greg Hope.

A number of fillies in this family established very good branches in their own right, and Nek Time is doing her bit to add to the pedigree page.

Cruise Maguire from a family prone to leave top class pacers

Another winner to impress at the same Invercargill meeting was Cruise Maguire. Some scribes are suggesting it was the first time a horse has gone under 2:38 for the 2200m mobile in the deep south, and what a win it was, running away from his rivals by 5.75 lengths and at only start no.4. The 1:54 MR might have been enough to convince the connections of the Always B Miki – Miley Maguire 3yo to pursue bigger and richer targets at Addington especially.

Dam Miley Maguire (Christian Cullen – Soky’s Sunday) is now owned by top trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety, and as a racehorse she qualified but didn’t get to the races. As a broodmare she has really been a star, leaving nine foals for nine winners. Mitch Maguire only won two races here but quickly improved upon that record in both Australia and America, where he became a 1:50 performer.

Miley Maguire, now 16, has a qualified 2yo in the Dalgety stable called Sugar Maguire, by Sweet Lou, but as yet she hasn’t raced. No surprise that the Dalgety couple have her in foal to Krug, who they trained to win 20 races plus $813k, himself a son of a superstar filly in Champagne Princess (12 wins from 23 starts).

Second dam Soky’s Sunday was by Soky’s Atom from Tabella Beth and she left 10 winners herself. Horses like Niobium (15 wins) and Davey Maguire (6 wins from 17 NZ starts) were distinctly above average. But this is a family prone to leave top class pacers, with champions Lazarus and Self Assured, both multi millionaires and NZ Cup winners, coming to mind straight away.

All in all, Cruise Maguire has a lot going for himself.

Captain Wolf creates a big impression at Addington

When those from the deep south venture to Addington, the commitment is such that they must be accorded the greatest of respect, and Captain Wolf certainly created a big impression when winning last week. Back early then shunted four wide as he tried to improve 800m out, he strode on to get outside the leader 200m later, then had the audacity to stride away from his older rivals by three lengths in a 1:57 MR.

The Captain Crunch – Sweet Lizzie gelding cuts an imposing figure and his greenness suggests there is much untapped ability to come. He is the second foal and second winner from his Sweet Lou – Lislass dam, with yearling and weanling fillies by Downbytheseaside and Poster Boy respectively coming up in behind, and Sweet Lizzie currently in foal to Perfect Sting.

Her dam Lislass, by Christian Cullen, left four foals for Charlie Roberts and all four were good enough to win before she was exported across the Tasman. Escalera, by Bettor’s Delight, won 28 races plus $279k from 192 starts, and Triple G, by Downbytheseaside, won six worth $122k, with all four, including Sweet Lizzie, winning in sub 1:57 MRs. Now the first seven foals have all been winners, with a Huntsville weanling colt holding high promise based on what his older siblings have done.

All this from the imported American mare Lisdargan (The Panderosa – Lisaleen), an unraced close relation to millionaire pacers and sires Albert Albert and Lis Mara, both successful here in NZ some years ago.

It will be very interesting to see how Captain Wolf measures up to the best of his age group later in the season. Whatever he does this time around, he definitely gives the impression he will be even better as a 3yo next year.

Start Dreaming, and a silver lining for Brian West

The breeding game can give up some harsh times, and Studholme Bloodstock founder Brian West knows all about some of those low points. It comes with the territory, some would say.

One of the best race mares that West has ever bred was Start Dreaming (American Ideal – Simply Devine), and on the track the top filly won seven of 19 starts with $174k in earnings and multiple 1:51 race times to her credit. At stud she hit the ground running as a broodmare, with Don’t Stop Dreaming, by Bettor’s Delight, winning 18 races and earning $1.3M in the best company throughout his career. He was her first foal.

The standard dropped slightly in foals no.2 and 3, but only slightly. Dreams Are Free, by Captaintreacherous, has won 10 races plus $200k to date, and Always Dreaming, by Bettor’s Delight, has now won nine to date with $168k in the bank. Both belong to the powerful southern stable of Nathan Williamson, and at least one of them could line up in this year’s version of our greatest race, a race that Don’t Stop Dreaming placed in. Full brother No More Dreaming has won once from the Purdon and Phelan barn this season, but his name gives some clue as to what happened next.

After four colts from her first four foals, and admittedly securing good returns at the yearling sales, West lost his top notch broodmare without leaving him a filly. As far as Start Dreaming was concerned, there was no more dreaming.

But the story does have a silver lining. Twelve years later, foal no.10, her last, Simply Devine left Still Dreaming, a full sister to her illustrious sister, who now, as a 2yo, has had the one start, a fourth, from the Dalgety stable a few weeks back. A family that Brian West has developed over several decades, one would imagine this filly is NOT for sale.

Nancy Latour makes the reverse journey

Recent Auckland winner Nancy Latour has an interesting back story. The Love You – Miss Warbucks 3yo filly trained by Nathan Purdon was actually bred by the Langs in Australia.

Her dam Miss Warbucks (Sundon – Springfield Chiola) won five NZ races for Ray Jenkins before getting on sold to Australia, where she ended up with 14 wins and $149k on her resume. At stud she has left three winners from her six live foals, but her breeding record has been inconsistent to say the least. The best of her foals would be I’m Daddy Warbucks so far, with seven wins from 37 career starts, but in Nancy Latour she has produced a filly with some real value.

By top sire Love You from a Sundon mare from a Chiola Hanover mare, Nancy Latour goes back to a top trotting family of yesterday. Like many families, there can be quiet times and years, but if one goes back far enough, some significant relatives can be unearthed. Third dam Miss Dianthus, by Tuft, was a one race winning full sister to top mare Framalda (22 wins) and Miss Picotee (4 wins). The latter did great things as a broodmare, leaving seven winners including In The Pink (3 wins), by Noodlum, who in turn left open class trotter Sundowner Bay (18 wins) and Enthuse (1 win from 3 starts), who left the likes of Call You Later (9 wins), Enthusiast (11 wins), Inspire (9 wins) and Red (5 wins from 9 starts). Top trotting trainer Paul Nairn knows all about how good this family has been over the years.

Nancy Latour’s journey to the racetrack has been the reverse of many of our NZ bred progeny who cross the Tasman and don’t return. After just three starts, one win and two placings, her residual value has gone up significantly in recent weeks, and being by Love You she looks to have a second career assured, but obviously not in the immediate future judging by her race form.

Prestigious makes a statement

That was a statement win by Prestigious at Addington last week. After doing all the work in the parked position, he was just too good for a very good field, notching up his seventh win after just 16 starts, with five seconds and very close to $100k in earnings.

He is the third foal and third winner from his dam Prestine (Sundon – Stimulus). Master Class (5 wins to date) and Mister (3 wins to date) came before him, but the Majestic Son trotter, trained by Jonny Cox, looks a level above those siblings. Breeder Jenny Butt has a full sister 2yo with grand daughter Kim Butt, and there are yearling and weanling half sisters by Dancinginthedark M and Oscar Bonavena respectively coming on in behind. Prestine has been served by Elite Stride.

The family has been covered in detail previously, but it just keeps producing. Second dam Stimulus won once from just two starts, then nine of her 10 foals won races for Butt and long time breeding partner, the late Don McKenzie, hence the name of many of the breed, Mackendon. Maro Mackendon (5 wins to date) is just one example of the breed going around so successfully at the time of writing.

Stimulus was a half sister to Genius (24 wins) and Epona, both by Sundon, with the latter leaving millionaire trotter Vulcan (20 wins). The third dam was ironically called Abundant, and the winners from this pedigree certainly have been abundant.

It would come as no surprise to see a horse like Prestigious being very competitive in a race like the Dominion Handicap in cup week.