Breeding Snippets for September 4th 2026

Daughters did the heavy lifting this week, with three winners drawn from families in which the fillies have proved every bit as valuable as the colts. Wat Next comes from the Studholme Park matron Wat A Woman, who has left eight fillies from nine foals and traces back to the same source as Scuse Me. Franco Ronaldo carries the Rob The Nest line back towards the limelight, while Suttle extends the trotting family the imported mare Royal Jewel founded on this side of the world.

Wat Next adds to a mare who leaves fillies

Wat Next justified heavy support at Auckland to record her second win at her 11th start, and with a Listed win in a Harness Million as a 2yo, she doesn't need to do a lot more to assure herself of a second career as a young broodmare further down the track. By Art Major from Wat A Woman, she is the sixth foal and seventh winner from her Mach 3 dam. Wat A Woman belongs to the broodmare band of Studholme Park and has done a super job in the broodmare paddock.

Manhattan, by Bettor's Delight, was a top mare here, winning 11 races before crossing the Tasman and recording a 1:49.6 winning MR. Full brother Yuko won 16 races plus $130k, while No Matter Wat, by A Rocknroll Dance, won five of only 13 starts, but one of those was a Group 1 effort, and she has already left her first foal, a filly by Bettor's Delight. Her seventh foal, 2yo Wat Fun, again by Bettor's Delight, is already a winner from just three raceday starts. There is a yearling filly by Bettor's Wish coming on in behind, part owned by Woodend trainer Bob Butt, and another weanling filly by Bettor's Delight still to come.

In fact, of her nine foals Wat A Woman has left eight fillies, the exception being Wat A Feeling, by Sweet Lou, who won just the once in a brief five start career. Not that the owners of those fillies would be complaining. Wat A Woman is from Tricky Woman (In The Pocket – Super Smooth), making her a half sister to broodmare gem Scuse Me who, as we know, has left a highly commercial legacy in the last 20 years.

Franco Ronaldo returns a proud pedigree to the limelight

Some families just don't die. They have quiet periods, but then find a family member that propels the pedigree back into the limelight.

Franco Ronaldo (Creatine – Royal Relations) could well be that family member, and top horseman but often understated trainer Tony Herlihy thinks the 3yo is very promising after winning his maiden at start no.2. Dam Royal Relations was unraced and only left three foals before passing away. Her first foal Abundance, by Muscle Mass, won 10 races all across the Tasman. Second foal Pumped, a full relation to "Ronaldo", also didn't race and at this time hasn't left a foal, but is in foal to Majestic Son after missing three seasons in a row.

She was by Monarchy from Mybrotherwasastar, making her a half sister to Wilma's Mate (14 wins plus $349k) and the good Aussie trotter Amour De Frere (9 wins plus $106k plus 1:56.5). Mybrotherwasastar was by champion sire Sundon from Rob The Nest, who won six races on the track before leaving the likes of Galleons Assasin (33 wins plus $495k), King Of Strathfield (21 wins plus $228k) and Sonofthedon, who won six of just nine starts. A full sister to the mare, Charlotte Galleon, only won the one race but left nine winners including Royal Charlotte (16 wins plus $264k). Further back in the pedigree, Robyn Evander (8 wins) left Inter-Dominion champion Diamond Field (33 wins plus $537k).

It shall be interesting to watch Franco Ronaldo and his progress over the latter part of the season. Will he be able to add another chapter in the storyline of this highly credentialled pedigree?

Suttle carries on the Regal Volo trotting family

Another pedigree that keeps delivering is the one that Addington winner Suttle belongs to. A convincing winner of her sixth race, with another four placings as a 2yo, the Tactical Landing – Lovemelikeyoudo 3yo should be a key contender in the filly specials later in the season, and with her breeding this is not surprising.

Lovemelikeyoudo (Love You – Regal Volo) qualified but didn't race. Suttle is her first winner, with Diamond Racing going back to the well to secure a younger full sister, called Chosen One, from the yearling sales. Second dam Regal Volo won five races and has proven to be a top broodmare in the matron barn. Her eight winners include star trotters High Gait (16 wins plus $250k), Twentyten (18 wins plus $372k) and Regal Attire (25 wins plus $263k). Four, or 50 per cent, of those winners have taken sub 1:59 MRs when winning races.

Fillies in this family have kept the pedigree in the limelight by breeding on to a very high standard. As a very good example, High Gait has left High Energy (12 wins) and Higher Power (9 wins to date) already, with her first five foals good enough to grace the race track. All this from the imported American mare Royal Jewel, who arrived in Australia in foal to Malabar Man, with the resultant filly being Regal Volo.