Breeding Snippets | July 2, 2026

Monarch Muscle shines on debut

Tony Herlihy is the greatest driver/reinsman NZ has ever produced. There can be no debate. That’s because he has simply driven more winners than anybody else.

And his skill was clearly on show when he brought Monarch Muscle home at Auckland last Friday night.

A 3yo trotter by Elite Stride on debut, under the lights for the first time and only a recent qualifier back in late May, Herlihy allowed his charge to find his feet and even when pushed back to 3 deep mid-race, the ‘Iceman’ didn’t panic.

Angling for a run with 200m to run, a well-timed challenge got over the top of the pacemaker in the last 50m for an impressive victory, putting smiles on those who made the son of Monarch Eden favourite for this debut.

Herlihy bred, owns, trains and piloted the promising gelding, also owning his dam Monarch Eden (Monarchy – Meander In Eden).

Monarch Eden qualified and did not race but as a broodmare her star is really shining. Her first 3 foals have now all been winners, all bred by Herlihy, including the Northern Derby Group 1 winner Inasinglemoment (3 wins to date from just 7 starts) and Monarch Hill (6 wins), both being progeny of What The Hill.

Some northern fans might remember Meander In Eden, who won 11 races for Alec Goryl after only starting on the race track as a 5yo. At stud, the latter left 6 foals, all fillies, with 4 winning.

An unraced daughter, Mi Sierra (by Sierra Cosmos), left a very handy trotter in King Of The North, who also won 11 races and recorded a 1:57.1MR, not to be confused with the American trotting stallion.

Meander In Earl (6 wins), perhaps the best of her progeny, has also done a grand job as a broodmare with all of her 7 foals being winners.

Monarch Muscle looks full of promise and the depth of his pedigree suggests there is much more to come.

War Party continues Price family roll

When Winton couple John and Katrina Price decided to come north and buy Champagne Party at Ian Dobson’s dispersal sale in Christchurch some 15 years ago, they hit the jackpot.

The Soky’s Atom – Bee Gee’s Dream mare, who won 14 races on the track, banking some $159k in earnings, had already produced 6 foals for 3 minor winners.

The Prices sent her to American Ideal and she duly produced a filly who was to be Democrat Party (6 wins + $255k + 1:54.9). There were to be another 3 foals, all fillies, including 2 full sisters to Democrat Party, but since hitting the ground, all 3 have been on-sold to other breeding entities.

Democrat Party has become a flagship broodmare for the Winton couple, leaving 5 winners from her 6 foals of racing age including the standouts Republican Party (27 wins + $1.33M) and now the unbeaten 2yo Tour Party (4 wins from 4 starts).

War Party, by Bettor’s Delight, was her latest winner at Auckland last weekend for the Purdon/Phelan team with an effort that suggested much more was to come. Ironically, the Prices have retained a share in the colt after he was sold for a significant sum at the yearling sales. It was only his 2nd time to the races.

They are also breeding from Advance Party, a full sister to all the other winners from her dam, and she has a weanling filly on the ground by Captaintreacherous and is back in foal to the same sire.

Democrat Party herself has a weanling filly on the ground, her 7th foal, by Captaintreacherous and is also back in foal to that highly commercial stallion.

Turn O The Tide keeps rising

Speaking of Captaintreacherous, that was some win by Turn O The Tide at Auckland last week.

Three wide early before pressing on to sit parked, then sprinting hard from the 500m, he got his nose in front to nab a gallant pacemaker Mama’s Wish to record his 6th win, now 3 on end, in 23 starts.

From the Bettor’s Delight mare Juice Brogden (9 wins + $147k), he is her 2nd foal and 2nd winner, but unfortunately she was lost last year after leaving just 4 foals.

There is a qualified 2yo full sister to the winner called Chasin The Tide in the Dalgety team and a yearling colt by Sweet Lou, with breeders the Bowens retaining a share in his ownership.

Second dam Hayley Brogden (Christian Cullen – Miss Hazel) won 4 races and is now in the ownership of Ohoka horseman Tom Bagrie. At stud all 8 of her foals were good enough to get to the races, with 7 winning.

This family goes directly back to Aoranam (Out To Win – Lady Bobs), who became very famous in the 90s for being the dam of upset NZ Cup winner Borana, who in the hands of trainer/driver Peter Jones got under punters’ guard at odds of close to 100/1, beating the likes of favourite Roydon Glen.

Turn O The Tide certainly won in the manner of a horse who could possibly grace some big races in the future.

Four Wise Women strengthens potent trotting line

Four Wise Women is doing a good job for Donna Edmonds and her daughters Aimee and Jenna.

Now the winner of 4 races after last week’s Addington win, she is carrying on a genetic line that has been potent for several years now.

Dam Harriet Hughes (Sundon – Eilish Mac) won 5 races in a brief 13-race career and there were some real challenges with her broodmare career, but before her passing in late 2024, her 5 live foals were all winners, accumulating 37 wins between them.

There were a couple of real standouts in that group.

Harriet Of Mot won 15 races + $187k and would have won a Dominion Handicap but for breaking when mounting a brilliant finish inside the final 150m.

Her first foal, A Fine Patrick, showed all the family ability, winning 3 races quickly as a 3yo but in an all too brief racetrack career.

She has colts on the ground by Tactical Landing (3yo) and Bold Eagle (2yo), and last year had a filly by Tactical Landing before being served by Volstead.

Five Wise Men was an exceptional 3yo, winning 9 of 11 starts, but unfortunately injuries brought about a premature end to a very promising career.

Second dam Eilish Mac, by a great broodmare sire in Chiola Hanover, was a race winner but really excelled as a broodmare, with all 11 of her foals qualifying to race, headed up by full relatives Ella Powell (11 wins + $118k) and Earl Of Mot (33 wins + $536k). Both were sired by Earl.

Amore Stride was more than handy, winning 10 from 32 starts and earning $99k.

Of interest about this very speedy trotting line is the presence of the 3rd and 4th dams, who were pacing bred, by Out To Win and Bachelor Hanover respectively.

It’s not that uncommon these days for breeders to mate their pacing-bred mare to a trotting stallion.

Further back in this pedigree, the genetics go directly back to Kimmer, who became famous through the 80s as the dam of one of our most iconic trotters in Tussle (38 wins).

Several of our top commercial breeders now have a mare connected to this equine family and in Four Wise Women, the Edmonds whanau have a mare definitely worth holding on to.

Utah Jazz adds to Price success

Speaking of commercial breeders, it’s proving difficult to keep husband and wife combo John and Katrina Price out of the news.

Four-year-old mare Utah Jazz (Bettor’s Delight – Rockabilly Blues) won her 4th race from just her 5th start in the hands of trainer Nathan Williamson at Winton last week and is now owned by big-spending Australian Mick Boots.

Rockabilly Blues, herself a 4-race winner, is also the dam of the promising full brother Utah Blaze (2 wins to date) and the Prices have another full sister, 2yo Electric Blues, coming on who is part of their racing team.

There is a Confederate weanling colt on the ground and the mare is back in foal to Confederate.

She of course is a daughter of Chicago Blues (3 wins) and the latter’s first foal was none other than the diminutive but outstanding WA pacer Chicago Bull (62 wins + $2.4M). A few seasons later, Perfect Stride, an excellent yearling sales return for the Winton couple, went on to win 18 races and $440k.

In recent times, Chicago Sky, by Bettor’s Delight, has won 6 races + $120k to date and most likely has assured herself of a place in the Prices’ broodmare band when that time comes.

This pedigree is harness royalty in many regards. Fourth dam is the high-quality filly/mare Pacific Flight (47 wins) and it goes directly back to one of the earliest queens of our breed in Black Watch, matron of so many high-class performers.

Success breeds success and after putting so much back into the industry, who could begrudge John and Katrina Price the results that are coming their way.

Marty Holler taps into deep family

Marty Holler (Always B Miki – Close Escape) won his first race last week for the Benny Hill team. Nothing to get too excited about in itself, but a promising horse all the same.

When one begins researching his pedigree, the thought quickly suggests that there could be much more in store.

Dam Close Escape (Christian Cullen – Delightful Paula) was unraced and has left the 8 foals of racing age for now 5 winners + 1 qualifier.

Escape The Pace (9 wins + $102k), by A Rocknroll Dance, is arguably the best of them to date and Mandown, by Vincent, did a good job winning 8 from 25 starts.

Second dam Delightful Paula was also unraced but that didn’t stop her leaving the likes of Tosti Girl (7 wins + $190k), Delightful Christian (16 wins + $296k) and Runrunjimmydunn (51 wins + $710k).

Tosti Girl, who had real class in a brief 19-start career, has not only left a millionaire/NZ Cup winner in The Fixer (12 wins), but another 3 $100k+ winners and the promising Princess Savoy is currently flying the flag from the Hughes stable in the far north.

Third dam Aristocratic, by Jaguar Spur, left classy types in Paula Michele (8 wins + $206k) and Paula’s Mate (20 wins + $231k), also trained by the Hughes stable 30+ years ago.

The spade work making this family was done by Methven’s Tom Harrison many years ago and goes directly back to a cup-class mare in Loyal Nurse (15 wins).

Many good winners have come and gone since her birth in 1940. Marty Holler could be another on that roll of honour. Only time will tell.