The results of the Victoria Cup meeting at Melton Entertainment Park further underlined Victoria’s status as the hub of the breeding industry in Australia.

Of the five Group One events run, four were won by horses bred and foaled in Victoria. They are Act Now, the winner of the Pryde’s Easifeed Victoria Cup, Petracca (Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby), Sweet Bella (Pryde’s Easifeed Victoria Oaks) and Shes Ruby Roo (Catanach’s Jewellers Victoria Trotters Oaks).

The other Group One winner, Queen Elida, who annexed the Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint, was bred in New Zealand but her sire Love You is available to ‘down under’ breeders from Haras Des Trotteurs’ stud, Ballarat.

Petracca and Shes Ruby Roo were both bred and raised at the leading Victorian nursery Benstud Standardbreds and were graduates of the inaugural Nutrien Equine Melbourne sale in 2021.

Petracca, a Captaintreacherous colt, was bred by brothers Bruce and Craig Cameron, and was their second major Derby winner. They also bred the 2014 NSW Derby champion Major Secret with Maryborough breeder Peter Gleeson, who, coincidentally, bred and part-owns the Victoria Derby runner-up Perfect Class.

Act Now (by Somebeachsomewhere) and Sweet Bella (by Sweet Lou) are both out of daughters of mares imported from North America by Durham Lead couple Bruce and Vicki Edward.

Bred and owned by the Edward’s, Act Now, is a grandson of the Bettor’s Delight mare Mollys Lucky Star, while Sweet Bella, who was bred by Kaye and the late Dr Martin Hartnett, is out of Illawong Bella, a Bettor’s Delight mare from the American-bred mare O Narutac Bella.

“Martin bought Illawong Bella as a yearling at the 2013 APG Melbourne sale. She was a small March 2012 foal, as I had imported her mum, O Narutac Bella, pregnant from the US,” Bruce Edward said.

“Martin couldn’t resist the breeding!  Subsequently, O Narutac Bella produced some outstanding performers including Perfect Sense, Turn It Up, Treasure and Narutac Prince.

“Perfect Sense was the only filly from her that I had retained, thus I was very keen to get another filly from the family, so I purchased Sweet Bella as a yearling from the 2021 Nutrien sale.”

On the subject of the Victoria Oaks, Twilight Beach, who broke maiden ranks at Wangaratta on Sunday, is out of the 2015 Oaks winner Niki No No. The Somebeachsomewhere mare was bred and is part-owned by media identity Rob Auber.

Rookie breeders Anthony and Jacqueline Bagnall tasted metropolitan success when their homebred gelding Operative Line (by Betting Line) won the opening race on Victoria Cup night.

Benstud Standardbreds bred, raised and sold the impressive debut two-year-old winner at the Oamaru Cup meeting on Sunday in We Walk By Faith (by Bettor’s Delight). The gelding clocked a slick 1:57.1 for 2000 metres.

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.