Breeding Snippets for October 2nd 2026

The deep families dominate again this week, with the winners tracing back to Chiola's Lass, Lough Neagh, Black Watch, Girl Called Destiny and Lisdargan, several of them lines that were established here decades ago and have been producing quality ever since. Trotters lead the way in the first two items, while the Black Watch dynasty turns up yet again behind a promising colt at Addington. We finish with news from Wai Eyre Farm that should be of real interest to the smaller breeder.

So Mystifying keeps the Chiola's Lass family ticking over

Rondo (Dr Donerail – Chiola's Lass) won nine races on the track and, with her breeding, she was always a good chance to leave some nice progeny, thus positively contributing to a maternal family that has produced a number of stars over the seasons.

Her last foal, her fifth and fifth winner, So Mystifying, secured her third career win at Cambridge last week, with another 11 placings, and the daughter of Father Patrick looks a very good chance to have a second career when the racing gig comes to an end.

Of Rondo's other foals, Kink (by Love You) is arguably the best, winning 10 races to date and banking $117k in the process. The latter, along with full brother You Really Got Me (13 wins plus $106k) and Set Me Free, by Peak, were all good enough to take sub 2:00 winning mile rates.

Rondo had a lot going for her when she entered the broodmare barn. She was a daughter of Chiola's Lass (10 wins from just 17 starts) and was to become a half sister to standouts Allegro Agitato (22 wins plus $530k) and Skyvalley (24 wins plus $323k), with the latter also proving a highly successful sire across the Tasman. A number of other half sisters have bred on very successfully, with the likes of Cabaletta (7 wins), Con Grazia (1 win), Fidicia (3 wins) and Our Arpeggio (6 wins) all fitting into that category.

Request and the family that gave us Lyell Creek

Another promising trotter with a pedigree to note is the Ken Barron trained Request, who made it two wins and three placings from just her sixth start at Addington last Friday night. The 4yo Muscle Mass – Beg For Chevron mare is part owned by Barron and belongs to a maternal pedigree that has a long and distinguished commercial flavour.

Beg For Chevron, by Love You, who is doing a fantastic job as a broodmare sire, won two races and Request is her second live foal. First foal Forgiveness, by Father Patrick, has won seven races to date, and Starman, by Propulsion, is a qualified but as yet unraced 3yo with Woodend trainer Bob Butt. There are younger progeny by King Of The North and Bettor's Creek coming on in behind for breeder Paul Nairn.

Second dam Lough Beg (CR Commando – Lough Neagh) won five races then left six winners from her seven live foals. Lough Neagh won two from five starts then left several winners headed up by Arboe, also by Love You and good enough to register a 1:55.5 MR when winning one of her seven race victories, from just 12 starts. Her Australian owner Yabby Dam Farms thought enough of Arboe to send her to American superstar Walner, and they got a prized filly for their trouble. Full sister Ballyronnan also won seven, as did Jay Pe De, a full brother, while Ima Bourbon Girl won eight and Te Rapa six respectively.

An unraced daughter in Polar Blast, by Muscles Yankee, left Ronald J (10 wins), and her pacing bred half brothers weren't half bad either. Harnett's Creek (12 wins plus $292k) and Cullen's Creek (14 wins plus $142k) did a job, as did Swan Creek (8 wins), but it's her unraced half sister Kahlum (by Noodlum) that carved out the biggest piece of history for this family. She left the mighty Lyell Creek (56 wins plus $2.26M), and some would say the son of Roydon Glen is, or was, the greatest trotter NZ has ever produced.

Fantabulous adds to the Black Watch dynasty

Fantabulous looks a colt with a future after getting his maiden win at Addington from just his fourth start for the Diamond Racing team. The son of Always B Miki is from Miss Moonlite Shadow (Christian Cullen – Sirius Flight) and he is her seventh foal. The previous six have all been winners, with Mr Sharkey and Ranger Bomb both winning in 1:50 MRs, and full brother Captain Moonlite (3 wins to date plus 1:55.9) is showing plenty of promise for Team Telfer.

Now owned by prominent Australian owner and breeder Diane Behrns, Miss Moonlite Shadow has a yearling filly by Sweet Lou on the ground but hasn't been bred from in the last two seasons.

Second dam Sirius Flight, bred and raced solely in America, won all five of her raceday starts before being imported by Cavalla Bloodstock some 20 odd years ago, and left six winners headed up by the very talented Timeless Perfection (7 wins) and Malak Uswaad (9 NZ wins plus $566k plus 1:49.4 USA). Daughters of Sirius Flight have and continue to do super jobs as matrons.

Timeless Perfection, also by Christian Cullen, has left eight winners to date with the likes of Fire Bug (22 wins plus $231k), Plutonium Lady (11 wins plus $212k) and Rakero Rebel (16 wins plus $452k) flying the family flag with impressive successes. Even her lesser daughters Lady Moonlight (by Sands A Flyin) and Wiggleit Jiggleit (by Artsplace) are now successfully producing broodmares.

Not surprising really, when one finds Pacific Flight (47 wins) directly in the family tree, going all the way back to broodmare gem Black Watch, thus establishing a dynasty of top quality racehorses. Not for the first time have we traced a good winner back to this pedigree, and Fantabulous looks set to add even more spoils to that legacy.

Marketplace and a family born across the Tasman

We all know what a good horse Marketplace (15 wins from 27 starts plus $1.06M) is. From a breeding point of view it's a wonder Australia aren't claiming him as one of their own, along with pavlova and Phar Lap, as his family goes directly back to a mare born and bred across the Tasman.

Marketplace is the third foal and third winner from his dam Cullen Who (Christian Cullen – Who's The Bird), who won five races on the track when trained by Ken and Tony Barron. The younger Barron must have thought she was worth breeding from because, after getting some mates together including northern race caller George Simon, the mare visited champion sire Bettor's Delight eight times for six progeny returns. After leaving a colt, now a weanling, last season, that cycle has been broken with Captaintreacherous her latest consort.

Who's The Bird (Falcon Seelster – Donna Who) won three races for Dunedin trainer Kevin Court and left another eight winners besides Cullen Who, with eight of the nine going under 1:57 when winning. Cullen Who is credited with a 1:55 MR. The Courts are breeding from her last foal Flying Bird (7 wins plus $110k), and she is in foal to Downbytheseaside for the first time.

Third dam Donna Who (19 wins plus $245k) was by Golden Greek (by Abercrombie) from Girl Called Destiny (Fast Knight – Knight Dream), and she was born and bred in Australia. She only left the five foals with four of them winning. Who's The Bird (3 wins), by noted broodmare sire Falcon Seelster, was her first foal, with the clear standout being Mr Houdini (18 wins plus $150k). He was by Beach Towel. Girl Called Destiny won 26 races and $219k and left six winners, with Donna Who clearly being her best offspring.

Captain Wolf still growing into his frame

Gore 2yo winner Captain Wolf doesn't look like a natural 2yo, but after just three starts including a placing at Group level, the Captain Crunch – Sweet Lizzie gelding should provide some exciting times for his connections, especially once he grows into his big frame.

He is the second foal and second winner of his dam, with fillies by Downbytheseaside and Poster Boy coming on, and the mare is in foal to Perfect Sting. She won two races in a short 11 race career, with another six placings, and as her name suggests she is by Sweet Lou, from the Christian Cullen mare Lislass, who was a one race winner.

Lislass, now residing in Australia, has done a super job in the broodmare barn. Her first seven foals have all been winners, headed up by Escalera (by Bettor's Delight), who won 28 races plus $280k plus 1:50.1. Triple G (by Downbytheseaside) was also more than handy, winning six and banking $122k, and there are others by Bettor's Delight and Huntsville still to come to further promote this breeding record.

Third dam Lisdargan, by The Panderosa (Western Hanover), was a well bred but unraced mare that the late Charlie Roberts imported from America some 20 years ago. This was the family of millionaire pacer and sire Albert Albert (19 wins) and BG's Bunny. The latter did his bit in NZ, siring the marvellous Scuse Me, and we know what she did in the broodmare barn.

On an off track, Captain Wolf has paced home in 56.6 and 26.7 sectionals. That should get track watchers' attention, with a likelihood of more to come.