Stonewall (Also) Getting Big in the Breeding Game

Harness heavyweight Stonewall Stud stole the limelight last weekend with 10 winners at three meetings spread between Auckland and Timaru.

Very much well deserved when one considers the amount of money they have poured into the sport in recent years – including the establishment of a ‘postcard’ property at Weedons on land formerly owned by the late Jack Smolenski.

At recent yearling sales (in both islands), they’ve also set tongues wagging with their ‘bottomless’ budget, often going to significant lengths to secure the stock they’ve identified as ‘commercially viable’.

As examples, two of their most recent winners – CC Arden and Allamerican Player – were both sizeable six-figure purchases at the yearling sales.

But on closer scrutiny, one finds that they’ve been very active on the breeding front as well.

Another pair of their recent winners, Music Mistress and Akatea, both bred by the stud (Jill and Steve Stockman), trace back to key New Zealand families that Stonewall invested in some 30 years ago – and they show no signs of easing up.

Three-year-old filly Music Mistress (Sweet Lou – Rock Chic) won her third race at Addington (from only nine starts) after winning twice as a 2YO last season.

Rock Chic (Mach Three – Rocknroll Lass) didn’t make it as a racehorse, but has bred on – leaving Delightful Chic (2 wins to date) and Music Mistress. She has a yearling colt by Tall Dark Stranger on the ground, but was unfortunately lost after missing to Lather Up.

Rocknroll Lass won eight races and is one of eight winners left by Cruzee Lass (ET), who was a good racemare in her own right, winning nine times and banking nearly $100k for the stud.

Stonewall is breeding from three daughters of Cruzee Lass, including Jubilee Princess (1 win), who had a colt by Bulldog Hanover in 2024 and has been served by Cannibal.

Rocknroll Princess (7 wins), who has already left Rock Band (4 wins), also had a colt by Bulldog Hanover in 2024 and has been served by Pebble Beach.

Cruzee Lass was from another good mare in Shivna (7 wins), who was trained by a young Glen Harwood when the Stockmans were firmly based in the North Island. Shivna was the result of Stonewall investing in Exciting (Mark Lobell – Anna Pavlova) back in the mid-90s – a family established by the Grices of Mid Canterbury with great success.

Anna Pavlova (Armbro Del – Coo Doo) left Cup-class pacer Derby (trained by Richard Brosnan), and Bahrein, a very handy sort trained by an up-and-coming young trainer in Robert Dunn. The progeny of Coo Doo were highly sought after in their day, and several daughters proved to be highly successful broodmares.

One race after ‘Mistress’ did the business, stablemate Akatea went even better – clearing out from her rivals by some 7L to record win No. 5, taking her bank balance to over $107k.

Akatea, by Art Major, is from a very good Stonewall performer in Better B Amazed (18 wins and $210k+). The latter had a filly by Downbytheseaside in 2024 and is in foal to Captaintreacherous.

Stonewall is already breeding from a full sister to Akatea, Better Amaze Me, who also had a filly by Downbytheseaside in 2024 and has been served by Always B Miki.

Better B Amazed is a granddaughter of Disco Lass (Soky’s Atom – Disco Girl), another family identified by the Stockmans in the early 90s. They secured her from the Reid brothers, who had all that success with the likes of half-brother Christopher Vance (38 wins + $1.7M) and close relation Luxury Liner (37 wins + $1.7M). Both latter pacers won a New Zealand Cup.

Of note, Disco Lass left Dance Card (1 win), who in turn left Bettors Card (6 wins) and Step Up (18 wins + $275k). The latter, by Art Major, is the dam of two colts to date – one by Captaintreacherous, the other by Bettor’s Delight.

Allamerican Lover (American Ideal – Goodlookingbabe), a half-sister to their most recent 2YO Addington Group winner, is in foal for the first time to boom sire Captaintreacherous. She won 13 races and close to $300k during a 35-start race career.

While likely to be some time away judging by their current race form, both Akatea and Music Mistress are likely to get their chance at stud in the Stonewall broodmare band sometime in the future.

That broodmare band is currently agisted at Dancingonmoonlight, North Canterbury, and numbers around 35 mares.