Breeding Snippets for September 18th 2026

Trotters dominate this week's column, and with them comes a reminder of how long a good family can keep producing. Betty Maxegin, Eilish Mac, Whizz Way, Kylie Ree and the imported American mare Working Girl all sit behind winners, several of them families that looked to have gone quiet before reinventing themselves a generation or two later. Dream Vacation's name comes up more than once as a broodmare sire, while the Sly Soky clan keeps the standard up on the other gait.

Evolution and a family that reinvents itself

Evolution became the third NZ winner by her sire Propulsion, a son of Muscle Hill, at Addington over the weekend, and her pedigree suggests that it might not be her last winning turn. Propulsion has 12 3yos, his oldest NZ progeny, on the ground, and 50 per cent of them have qualified to go to the races.

Evolution is the ninth foal and eighth winner from her Sundon dam Successor, who was unraced. That hasn't stopped the latter leaving the likes of Heavyweight Hero (10 wins plus $227k plus 1:56.9), who was by Muscle Mass. The Nyhan and Davis training team also train Origin (1 win to date), a full sister to Heavyweight Hero, for well known breeder and sales preparer Gael Murray.

Evolution's second dam Springfield Lauren (Armbro Invasion – Elgin's Pride) was bred by the one and only Bob (RM) Cameron. Unraced as well, she left six winners from seven live foals including the smart Running On Time (10 wins plus $138k), who was trained by the late Murray Edmonds.

A couple of generations further back, one finds a direct path to open class trotters Tronso (10 wins) and Cee Ar (11 wins), who won a Rowe Cup for a young Colin DeFilippi. Their grand dam Betty Maxegin won 11 races and left a very handy Mighty Hanover (14 wins), another open class trotter.

Those latter performers were obviously some time ago, but as we all know, some of these great families have a way of re-inventing themselves.

Eyes Wide Open keeps the Eilish Mac line in lights

Eyes Wide Open looks the real deal after making it two wins from two starts at Addington, and again the pedigree gives a big glimpse of where that ability comes from.

Dam Eilish Aimee is by Love You, who is fast becoming a great broodmare sire in this part of the world. She won once in 19 starts but has already made a significant impact as a broodmare. Now in the broodmare band of Breckon Farms, the 14yo has produced four foals of racing age and all four have been winners, but Eyes Wide Open is her first male, her only colt to date in fact. There are yearling and weanling fillies in the wings by King Of The North and Volstead respectively, and she is currently in foal to Tactical Landing.

A family that was developed by well known Wellington breeder Ivan McNicholl, Eilish Aimee was a daughter of Eilish Mac (by Chiola Hanover), the latter distinguishing herself in the broodmare paddock by leaving Harriet Hughes (5 wins from just 13 starts) at her first attempt. Full relations Ella Powell (11 wins plus $118k) and Earl Of Mot (33 wins plus $536k), both by Earl, followed soon after, and later on Amore Stride, by Love You, won 10 races across the Tasman.

At stud Harriet Hughes kept the family in lights by leaving standouts Harriet Of Mot (15 wins plus $187k) and the outstanding 3yo Five Wise Men (9 wins plus $295k) amongst her five winners, from five live foals. This is the immediate family of the mighty Tussle (38 wins plus $562k).

Back to the modern day, and it now looks like this family has produced another top flight trotter.

Omaha Lincoln adds to a deep pacing page

Another family kicking goals is that of impressive Auckland 2yo winner Omaha Lincoln (Downbytheseaside – Sea Of Gold). The Ray Green trained gelding is the fourth foal and fourth winner from his dam, who won two races. Full brother Lincoln Wave, foal no.3, has won five races to date and the mare is back in foal to the same sire. In between those foals, Woodlands Stud has a weanling Sweet Lou colt on the ground.

Sea Of Gold, an embryo transfer foal by Bettor's Delight, is a full sister to millionaire pacer Gold Ace (22 wins). Another full sister Gold Elite has left seven winners already including General Jen (7 wins plus $146k to date) and Charlie Brown (7 wins plus $287k). Six of those winners have recorded sub 1:54 winning mile rates.

This is the immediate family of Direct Kiwi (13 wins), who was an open class pacer for John Langdon back in the early 80s, and traces to Sly Soky thanks to the breeding philosophies of National Bloodstock's Dave Phillips. Sly Soky left the talented Sly Flyin (29 wins plus $912k), and her daughters Sly Shard (4 wins) and Spicey (9 wins) have manufactured highly commercial pedigrees in their own right. Sly Shard in particular has left the likes of Smiling Shard (17 wins), another millionaire pacer, plus Pemberton Shard (11 wins) and Mach Shard (20 wins plus $822k).

All in all, Omaha Lincoln has a lot going for him, and it looks like he will get his chance against the best 2yos later in the season.

Way Coola comes from a family of top liners

Way Coola was an impressive maiden trot winner at Oamaru, and the 4yo by Marcoola from No Way comes from a family that has had a habit of throwing up top liners over several past generations.

Way Coola was the eighth and last foal of her dam No Way, who earlier had left Alley Way (11 wins plus $175k) and Only One Way (8 wins). Another daughter in Majestic Way, unraced, is already a winning producer matron with Delphyne (4 wins from just 11 starts) showing plenty of promise in Southland. She is by Sundon.

No Way was by Armbro Invasion from Whizz Way (4 wins), with the latter leaving eight winners from her 12 foals. Idid It Myway (16 wins plus $217k plus 1:56.6) and Any Old Way (15 wins plus $154k) were clear standouts. Both were by Sundon, ironically the sire of Marcoola.

Third dam Princess Way was unraced but left another six winners, with the real star of her foals the Mark Purdon trained Sundon's Way (15 wins plus $319k), who as his name suggests was also by champion sire Sundon.

It's very early in her racetrack career, but Way Coola looks to have some of this family ability and her progress will be followed with much interest.

Makani and a pedigree that goes into overdrive

Another trotting winner from Oamaru with a pedigree to suggest a bright future lies ahead is the genetic tree that belongs to the Sam Payne trained Makani. In recording his second win from just six starts, the Majestic Son – Hawaiian Hula 3yo did it tough at Oamaru but still proved too strong over the final stages.

Hawaiian Hula, by Dream Vacation, was a winner in a brief track career and Makani is her second foal and second winner. There are 2yos, yearlings and weanlings by Father Patrick, Majestic Son and Classic Connection coming on, and the mare is in foal to Tactical Landing.

Second dam is Kylie Ree (4 wins from 11 starts plus $113k), and from this point the pedigree goes into overdrive. Kylie Ree only had the six foals before her untimely passing, but all six were winners, and not just winners. She's Allthe Craze won eight races and has already left the two race winner Terry Webster. Kiwitrix won six and Son Of Patrick won 14 races banking some $169k, but then Inter-Dominion champion and Dominion Handicap winner Gus, her last foal, took the family to another level. With 24 wins to date and every chance to join the millionaire club, the Queensland trained trotter is expected back at Addington over Cup week.

In the meantime, one would not be surprised to see Makani locking horns with the better 3yos when the big races go around. His breeding suggests he would not be out of place.

Ya Rite Darl and the Dream Vacation influence

One notices the influence of certain sires amongst the winners, and with the trotters being highlighted in this issue, one stallion that has come up more than once is Dream Vacation, a son of Pine Chip. The big run of Ya Rite Darl (What The Hill – Gogirl Bromac) in the Jasmyn's Gift at Oamaru is another fine example.

Now the winner of 10 races and still only a 4yo, she is the only live foal from her three win dam, who is by Dream Vacation from Groovy Baby, who was unraced. Not that the latter needed to be a racehorse. She was a daughter of Lilly The Pink (13 wins plus $94k), trained by the late Carl Middleton, who was from the imported American mare Working Girl. She distinguished herself by leaving another open class trotter in Miss Whiplash (13 wins plus $157k) after arriving in NZ in the mid 80s.

Miss Whiplash was not only a super racehorse for the legendary PT Wolfenden, but nine of her 10 foals were race winners and established a highly commercial family for the Parkers at Tardina Stud.