A breeding and racing partnership formed 52 years ago between Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul was thrust into prominence when Sahara Tiger outsprinted a smart field in a career-best 1:51 at Melton last Saturday night.

“We first met at the City of Nunawading offices back in 1972. I was a planning cadet and Bruce was one of the building surveyors,” Watkinson said.

“With two other people in Noel and Beverley Brown we formed a betting syndicate. We won a little bit of money and bought a pacer called Lady Sheaffer which we raced together.

“Unfortunately Noel and Beverley have passed on but Bruce and I have kept the syndicate going.”

Fast forward to 2007 when the partners shelled out $12,000 for a Village Jasper filly named Sahara Miss at the Australian Pacing Gold yearling sale at Oaklands Junction.

“I told Bruce before the sale that I was very keen to buy her because whether she becomes a good racemare or not I thought she could be a great broodmare as she’s out of Macrandra which is from a long, strong winning line,” Peter said.

“And, of course, the rest is history.”

Sahara Miss won 13 races including three at Melton and $66,463 and was an above average mare.

However, as a broodmare she is in the top shelf.

She has left six foals of racing age and all have emerged successful and they have won 65 races and $790,486 in stakes between them.

Sahara Tiger (by Art Major) – her third foal – is the fastest and richest of Sahara Miss’s offspring.

“He’s not the best horse she’s produced but he’s had 30 wins and 21 placings from 90 starts and earned nearly $270,000,” Bruce said.

“Probably her best progeny is Sahara Breeze, who won the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series final last year.”

Others from Sahara Miss to win have been Sahara Sirocco, Starofsahara, Heart Of Sahara and Sahara Sunrise.

A yearling colt by Art Major out of Sahara Miss fetched the third highest price of $100,000 at this year’s APG Melbourne sale and she’s back in foal to Art Major.

Watkinson and Paul are also breeding from Sahara Sunrise and her daughter Sahara Storm, who is in foal to Always B Miki.

All told, the ‘Sahara’ breed has left the winners of more than $850,000.

Watkinson, the deputy chairman of Australian Pacing Gold, looks after the racing careers of all the horses, while Paul is responsible for the broodmares.

“Bruce and I are great mates but we really don’t have much in common outside harness racing,” Peter said.

Poster Boy continues to lead the first crop sires in Australia this season. His progeny have banked $262,000, almost $15,000 ahead of the second placed Stay Hungry. Captain Crunch, McWicked and Soho Tribeca round out the top five

Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock bred winners at both Melton meetings last weekend. Champion mare Ladies In Red took out the Free-for-all on Saturday night, while promising three-year-old filly Stitched Up Dan saluted 24 hours earlier

Kimcando, a three-year-old filly bred by former Victorian Breeder of the Year Greg Fusinato, won her second race at Shepparton. She is one of four winners from the Victoria Ladyship Cup winner Jazzam