Bloodlines were a major talking from the action on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park.
While it remains an inexact science, breeding speaks to a fiercely fundamental calling we have to control our own destiny.
Matching the best mares with best stallions doesn’t guarantee yourself success, but you do swing the odds in your favor.
We’re talking about horses here, of course, but the same is true for humans.
And there was no better exemplification of bloodlines at work than Saturday night’s Group 1 Aldebaran Park Vicbred Home Grown Classic Final for two-year-old trotting males.
Let’s start with the standardbred side of the puzzle.
Plymouth Chubb, who won the evening’s first Vicbred Platinum feature, is by Majestic Son, Australia’s premier trotting sire, out of Pocket Fantasy, a five-time winning that has produced progeny with almost 50 successes between them.
Then there are the humans.
That same horse referenced above is trained by Peter Manning, who is a four-time Victorian Trainers’ Premiership winner and driven by his daughter Kerryn, the world’s winningest horsewoman of any racing code.
Indeed, and this element of the narrative is more serendipitous than scientific, Kerryn Manning actually secured her crown as the world’s winningest driver when landing her 2133rd victory way back in 2005. And the horse piloted was Pocket Fantasy, mother, as mentioned, of Plymouth Chubb.
All this talk of breeding and coincidence, while intriguing, potentially buried the lead.
The lead is Plymouth Chubb.
He may have been born with a few genetic advantages, but the way he won his maiden Group 1, after galloping early then flying past the hugely hyped Kyvalley Pierro, he’s already well placed to achieve more than any family member before him.
IN harness racing, universal respect is rare and universal love almost unheard of.
Geoff Webster is the subject of both.
As a result few, aside from his Saturday night rivals, would begrudge the living legend his latest Group 1 glory with Aldebaran Misty in the Aldebaran Park Vicbred Home Grown Final for juvenile trotting fillies.
Despite working hard to find the front on a night where on-pacers were far less fortunate than normal at Vic harness headquarters, Aldebaran Misty lifted when she needed to for the second starts running to sweep the rich local series.
With the slick times recorded by both of Saturday night’s Group 1 winners a question looms for feature race programmers at Harness Racing Victoria.
When inaugurated, the Home Grown series' were virtual consolations for late starters or those considered just below Vicbred Super Series standard.
Now, however, with the Super Series staged so late in the season, these Home Grown contests are attracting top-liners and potentially lining the pockets of particular connections even further rather than spreading the wealth.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.