Twenty heats of the Alabar Farms Vicbred Super Series are in the books after the pacers chased semi-finals berths and next the $2 million series spotlight turns to the country's best young squaregaiters, with the Haras des Trotteurs heats at Maryborough on Monday afternoon.
After launching with the two-year-olds at Kilmore on Tuesday, the pacing series became the plaything of Captaintreacherous' offspring on night two when the three-year-olds kicked off at Ballarat.
The Empire Stallions sire produced a winning treble courtesy of Perfect Class, Petracca and Sahara Breeze, while Woodlands Stud's Sweet Lou provided a double through Dangerous and Sweet Bella.
Emerging young Alabar Farms sire Vincent produced the quinella pair in the third colts and geldings’ heat, with The Real Sherlock and Our Vincent Can Gogh, while Lennytheshark (Tourello Standardbreds), a former Vicbred champion, sired the tough winner of the third fillies’ heat, Little Miss Lily.
The other three-year-old heat winners were Soho Seraphine (by Betting Line, Empire) and Rosanna Rebel (by He’s Watching, Winbak).
Interestingly, Perfect Class and Petracca both trace back to the grand Windshield Wiper mare Larrakeyah Lady, the winner of the Vicbred 4YO Super Series in 1989. Perfect Class’s grand-dam, Secret Life (by Safely Kept), and Petracca’s dam, Lovelist (by Always A Virgin), are half-sisters and, unsurprisingly, both Vicbred finalists.
Rosanna Rebel and Sweet Bella are both out of mares bred or owned by Kaye Hartnett and the late Dr Martin Hartnett, whose horses carry the Illawong moniker.
Alabar Farm's Art Major, the most successful sire of the Vicbred program, produced two of the three heat winners of the four-year-old mares’ division in Amore Vita and Major Grace, while the late Courage Under Fire left the other in Soho Historia. Both Soho Historia and Major Grace are out of daughters of the great Bettor’s Delight.
The three males’ division heat winners in Hot Deal, Eyethink and Solesseo Matuca all carry the blood of the siring influence Western Ideal.
Hot Deal was sired by Western Ideal’s champion son American Ideal (Woodlands Stud), Eyethink is by Sunshine Beach out of a mare by Western Ideal, and Solesseo Matuca is by Western Ideal’s grandson A Rocknroll Dance.
The big 11-race Maryborough card on Monday comprises solely $10,000 heats of the Haras Des Trotteurs’ sponsored Vicbred Super Series for two and three-year-old trotters of both sexes.
The classic features progeny of no less than seven former Vicbred champions.
Last year’s two-year-old champion The Locomotive is a son of the 2001 4YO final winner La Coocaracha, Aldebaran Jensen is from Endsino (2YO winner in 2014 and 4YO winner in 2016), Ewing is out of the 2011 2YO winner Shes An Image and Bullion Girl’s dam is the 2011 4YO champion Miss Bullion.
Three Vicbred colts’ champions in Danny Bouchea (2YO winner in 2007 and 3YO winner in 2008), Im Stately (2YO winner in 2013 and 4YO winner in 2015) and Sundon’s Courage (2YO winner in 2015) are each singly represented in the heats.
This season’s leading first crop sire Volstead has 12 entries (nine fillies and three colts) headed by the NZ Young Guns Series final winner We Can Have It All and the Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic victor Violet Stanford.
Have Victorian breeding news for The Forum? Email whartonp@bigpond.net.au
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.