Star WA filly Wishing Belle dispels breeding theory

History will show there has been plenty of star racemares over the years that haven’t, for one reason or another, made successful broodmares.

However, the bonny Libertybelle Midfrew doesn’t fall into that category. The 15-year-old daughter of Christian Cullen is proving something of a rare gem, having delivered at the highest level on the track and now emerging as an elite producer in the breeding barn.

Remarkably, Libertybelle Midfrew has produced six black-type winners from her first seven foals, headed by the outstanding Western Australian three-year-old filly Wishing Belle. The talented filly made it nine wins from just 11 starts when she soundly defeated the boys at Gloucester Park last Friday.

The winner of four races at Group and Listed level and $273,311 in stakes in her first campaign, Wishing Belle was crowned the Australian 2YO Filly of the Year for 2025.

It is quite the story, so let’s go back to where it all began.

On October 2, 2010, the eight-time winner Lucinda Midfrew (by Live Or Die), a half-sister to the Harold Park winner Falcon’s Bromac, foaled a bay filly by Wai Eyre Farm’s champion sire Christian Cullen.

Bred by former NZ Standardbred Breeders Association executive manager John Mooney and his wife Rebecca, Libertybelle Midfrew showed above-average ability from the outset. She won the $156,000 NZ Yearling Sales Series Final at just her fourth start at Alexandra Park in April 2013 and later finished a close second to Venus Serena in the three-year-old edition.

Sold to Perth businessman Albert Walmsley, she quickly made her mark in Western Australia. As a three-year-old she won her first five starts, including the $150,000 WA Oaks. At four she added another five wins, highlighted by the $175,000 Golden Nugget and the WA Breeders Stakes. She continued to perform at the elite level, winning a heat of the Inter Dominion at five, and later capturing the Mount Eden Sprint and the J. P. Stratton Cup as a six-year-old.

In total, Libertybelle Midfrew won 19 races and was placed 11 times from 51 starts, earning $640,497.

Her broodmare career began with a mating to Bettor’s Delight, producing Our Liberator, a placegetter from five starts before his untimely death.

She was later sold to prominent NSW breeder Jackie Gibson of Success Stud, Young, and produced further winners including Keayang Kamikaze and Henty, both by Bettor’s Delight.

Subsequent matings continued her remarkable run of success. By Captaintreacherous she produced Goodtime Libby, while a mating to Sweet Lou resulted in the NSW Listed winner and multiple Group placegetter Libby Lou. She also produced Freedom Art (by Art Major), a six-race winner to date.

Offered for sale in foal to Bettor’s Wish at the 2022 Nutrien Equine Winter Woolies online auction, Libertybelle Midfrew was secured by Perth breeders Kody and Brittani Charles for $35,000. The foal she was carrying would become Wishing Belle.

“Wishing Belle was passed in at the Australian Pacing Gold yearling sale and later knocked down for $55,000,” Kody Charles said.

Further reinforcing the strength of the family, a yearling filly by Tall Dark Stranger was sold for $45,000 to Albert Walmsley at the APG Perth sale earlier this month.

Libertybelle Midfrew has since produced a filly foal by Sweet Lou, with strong expectations already forming around her future.

“She’s an outstanding type. She’ll be nominated for the yearling sales next year,” Charles added. “Libertybelle Midfrew is now in foal to Bettor’s Wish.”