The latest season showed a continuation of excellence in the pacing broodmare ranks which were acknowledged at the annual NZB Standardbred Harness Racing Awards evening held in the Christian Cullen/Terror To Love Lounges at Addington Raceway on Saturday 5 March 2022.
Twist And Twirl was named Pacing Broodmare of the Year primarily as a result of the efforts of her now Australian based Rocknroll Hanover entire King Of Swing and her Bettors Delight three year old filly Bettor Twist.
TWIST AND TWIRL (2008f Artsplace/Giveitawhirlgirl; Jessie Pepper, U4) : five NZ (three Alexandra Park, one Addington), 1:59.3, $234,095, two VIC (Melton/Bendigo) wins, 1:55.9AUS, $49,163, GN Oaks, NZSS – 3f; dam of five live foals, four have raced for three winners, all in sub 1:57, one in 1:48.0. Bred by Breckon Bloodstock and all her foals bred by Breckon Farms Ltd.
| DOB | FOAL/WINS BY LOCATION | NZ | AU | G/T | MR | $ |
| 2014 | King Of Swing (c Rocknroll Hanover) | 7 | 36 | 43 | 1:47.9 | 2,840,546 |
| 2015 | Extreme Stride (g Bettors Delight) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1:56.7 | 12,280 |
| 2017 | Bettor Twist (f Bettors Delight) | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1:52.1 | 580,775 |
| Total foals : | 21 | 36 | 57 | $3.430m+ |
** Conversion: $A1=$NZ1
Twist And Twirl was the third foal of Giveitawhirlgirl, she had one fourth placed two year start, $700. As a three year old she came into her own with a seven win season, five in NZ and two in Australia from a total of fifteen starts. Wins at Alexandra Park included NZSS – 3f heat and final, GN Oaks in NZ mares record for 2700mM of 3:21.0, a Nevele R Fillies heat at Addington (third in another heat, fifth in final) together with seconds in Ladyship/Caduceus Stakes, NZ Oaks, fourth Jewels – Diamond. In Australia she won a Breeders Crown fillies heat (Bendigo) and semi-final (Melton, 1:55.9MR) placing to the Barry Purdon trained Cheer The Lady in the final. Earlier she ran fifth in the Aus Oaks at Melton. Following two thirds and a fourth in 4 four year old starts, she was then retired to the broodmare paddock.
Twist And Twirl’s foals to date are :
King Of Swing, her first foal, a Rocknroll Hanover entire whose eleven NZ starts at two and three yielded five wins (three Alexandra Park) and four seconds, 1:56.0, $73,403, heat NZSS (second heat and final). At the conclusion of his NZ 2yo season, he entered the AUS Breeders Crown series winning both heat and final of 2yo colts and geldings at Melton. Part of the Lincoln Farms operation, he was trained throughout his NZ career by Ray Green and driven by David Butcher except for two single winning drives by Philip and Zachary Butcher.
Exported to Western Australia in March 2018, he entered the stable of Gary Hall Snr with son Gary Hall Junior driving on most occasions. Transferring to the NSW operation of Luke and Belinda McCarthy for the ownership team of Beth Richardson, Mark Congerton, GO Racing (Mick Harvey), Karen Hall, Glen Moore, Sylvie MacGregor plus Rob and Frank Patriarca, now as a six year old King Of Swing is a dual and reigning Grand Circuit champion, dual AUS Pacer/Harness Horse/Stake Earner of Year and double millionaire pacer.
To date his Australian career records include ten Group Ones and five Group Threes; ten sub 1:50 times, winner of eleven races at Gloucester Park, seventeen at Menangle, three at Albion Park and three at Melton of the major metropolitan tracks. His overall career stats are : 81 starts, 43 – 11 – 7, (50%+ win ratio), $2,840,546, 1:47.9 (Menangle).
Season by season performances in Australia have included :
Three year old (2017/18) – Western Australia Derby (second prelude); second
Four year old (2018/19), from September 2018 to August 2019, winner of six races at Gloucester Pak and one at Pinjarra from twenty two starts, none significant; second Media Guild Cup
Five year old (2019/Dec 2020) – Miracle Mile and prelude Allied Express Sprint, Hunter Cup, Blacks A Fake, Kevin Robinson Memorial and several Menangle FFA’s; second Victoria Cup; thirds York/Media Guild Cups
Six year old (2021) – Miracle Mile and prelude Schweppes Sprint, Lucky Creed, Mr Feelgood, three ID heats and number of Menangle FFA’s; second Sunshine Sprint; thirds Hunter Cup, Blacks A Fake
Seven year old (2022) – undefeated : Hunter Cup, Allied Express Sprint, Menangle FFA. He is favourite for the rescheduled 2022 Miracle Mile on Saturday 12March, victory would make him the first to win three Miracle Miles and advance his earnings to over $3m – triple millionaire.
Extreme Stride, Bettors Delight gelding who had three two year old starts for a win and placing at Addington, 1:56.7, $12,280, exported to NSW in 2019 without starting now retired.
Ballroom Beauty, Bettors Delight filly whose four starts yielded no placed results, $1,060, now in the breeding barn.
Bettor Twist (Bettors Delight filly), Twist ad Twirls fourth foal was the winner of her solitary two year old start at Addington late in the season, Bettor Twist became the highest earning three year old filly and overall highest stake earner in NZ in 2020/2021 with earnings of $478,725. This resulted from eleven wins (seven group races) and three placings from sixteen starts including NZSS (1:52.1, Alexandra Park)/Caduceus Club – 2f (both run at 3yo), GN/NZ Oaks, Nevele R Fillies (also winner/second in heats), Jewels Diamond, Ladyship Stakes with a second in NZSS – 3f (also winner of two heats). In the transitional 2021 season she was the winner of the Gp One Queen Of Hearts and VIC Breeders Crown heat (third final), fourth in Northern Breeders Stakes. To date in 2022 she has placed fourth in Premier Mares Championship, fifth in Legends Mile and seventh in NZ Breeders Strakes; earnings now total $580,775.
Bettor Twist was named three year old Pacing Filly of Year and Pacer of Year at NZ Harness Racing Awards ceremony.
Twist Like This (2019 A Rocknroll Dance colt, latest foal.
Twist And Twirl is a member of the prominent North American family of Jessie Pepper (U4) with its NZ connection commencing with Nulgeria being the NZ foundation mare of this family born in United States and imported to NZ in late 1920’s. Nulgeria’s third dam is the family’s foundation mare Jesse Pepper. Nulgeria left several daughters of ability including Great Nulgeria whose talented trotting daughter Lady Baffelan (eight wins, T2:08.4, $8,310, second in 1955 NZ 3yo Trotting Stakes) is third dam of both Master Mood and Smarty Pants. Among Lady Baffelan’s six live foals were four winners, with Smart Lass the only one of three fillies that bred on.
Smart Lass (four wins, 2:10.5, $2,910), fifth dam of Twist And Twirl bred by Leslie Smart, a former Steward, Vice President and President of Canterbury Park Trotting Club, serving on the Board of Directors for Addington Raceway and Chairman from 1963 until 1966. Smart Lass left eleven foals (all bred by PHC [Peter] Van Der Looy), seven to race, all winners including a trotter Smart Aleck (seven NZ wins, T2:03.2US). All her male progeny (four) to race were winners, Smart Aleck; Thurber Command (seven NZ wins, $82,404, 2:00.3US); Tarragon (two NZ wins, 2:01.1US); Advocaat (one NZ win, six QLD wins, 2:04.7).
Smart Lass’s fillies proved their worth on the track and in the breeding barn. They included Moods, unraced, dam of Master Mood, twenty five NZ wins, 1:57.5, $701,105, four group ones (TVNZ mile, NZ/Auckland Cups, NZFFA), one group two and eight group threes (ID heat), two AUS wins, 1:56.0, $105,820, Miracle Mile, ID heat, total earnings of $806,925; sire of fifteen NZ winners, broodmare sire of nineteen NZ winners; Smart Belle, race winning dam of My Toshack, Orari Challenge/Celebrity Stakes; grand dam of Marneys Star, VIC Mares Bonus IV; Calamar, unraced grand dam of Blue Rinse, Cambridge Cup; Bygones, unraced dam of Bygolly, QLD Premiers Cup; Fairmont Flyer, 1:53.0US.
Twist And Twirl’s fourth dam Smart Doll (four win, 2:07.7, $9,595) was bred by Peter Van Deer Loy and trained by Kevin Williams. Leaving ten live foals (all bred by PHC Van Der Looy), with seven to race for five winners, the best of them being second foal Smarty Pants. Other winners were all geldings : Paxton (three, Spring Time Stakes), Kincaid (six, Golden Slipper, Greymouth Cup), Grobbelaar (five, 1:54.4US) and Sherlock (six).
Third dam Smarty Pants an open class pacing mare bred by Peter Van Der Looy who owned and trained her throughout her racing career (Jack Smolenski took over her training for seven starts, one win late in her three year old season). Smarty Pants, ten wins, 1:58.6, $54,715 including 3yo filly national record at Addington over one mile (1:58.9), DB Export Fillies heat, TVNZ Mile consolation among several Addington victories and at four winner of Addington “Mare of the Season” award, the prize being a grandfather clock donated by Eastwood Lodge.
Smarty Pants was the dam of nine live foals, six to race for five winners (one open class horse) plus two qualifiers including :
Smart Son, one NZ win, 2:04.3, $9,435; sixteen AUS wins (HP 8, MV 2), 1:58.4, Canberra Derby, twenty four NA wins, 1:49.3US (10 August 1996, Meadowlands, first NZ bred in under 1:50.0), total earnings $347,805
Vanderel, trained/part owned by PHC Van Der Looy, fourteen NZ wins, 1:58.3, $163,963, Kurow/Amberley Cups, NZ/Forbury 4yo Championship, Addington FFA; non-winner in Australia, $200, total earnings of $164,163
Smart Decision, one win, 1:58.6, $4,436; dam of five winners including Sage, four NZ wins, 1:57.1, $29,692, 1:50.4US, $207,352
Smart Dame, unraced, dam of five winners including Trot West Crusader, two NZ wins, 1:59.4, $26,421, 1:50.1US, $175,904; (Illawong) Sister Styx, non-winner NZ, $6,118, ten VIC wins (three Melton), 1:58.3, $60,925, VIC Argent 3yo Classic, third VIC Oaks, total earnings $67,043;
Samantha Franco, unraced dam of four winners including Banana Dana, fourteen WA wins (twelve GP), 1:56.1, $142,629, WA Media Cup; Satire Franco, non-winning dam of seven winners including (When) The Musics Over, five NZ/eleven TAS wins, 1:58.0AUS, $123,446,; Costa Del Magnifico, twelve NZ/three WA wins, 1:56.2AUS $181,160, Southern Country Cups Championship, Wairio/Winton/Invercargill/Northern Southland Summer/Gore grass track Cups; Sally Franco, two wins (2:03.2, $16,594) dam of five winners including Franco Salisbury, five NZ/fourteen AUS wins, 1:53.3AUS, $124,103; Stella Franco, unraced dam of six winners including River Black, ten wins, 1:57.3, $144,111, Tuapeka Cup; Whitershadeofpale, one NZ/eight AUS wins, 1:53.9AUS, $59,107; Darkershadeofpale, seventeen AUS wins, 1:51.6, $141,697.
Twist And Twirl’s grand dam Impish recorded six wins, 1:54.9 (NZ 3yo filly record over one mile at Ashburton in Hydroflow Fillies heat, first filly under 1:55.0), $45,032, NZSS 2f heat, second Leonard Memorial, third NZSS 3f final. Dam of eight winners including :
Imprint, three wins, 1:58.4, $22,622, dam of eight winners including (Am) Opulent, three NZ 2yo/fifteen WA wins, 1:54.9AUS, $269,616, Caduceus Club Classic – 2f, NZSS – 2f heat (second final), WA The Lombardo, dam of two winners; Idealindiamonds, eight NZ/five WA wins, 1:56.2AUS, $98,930, Waimate Cup, The Warwick, Christmas Hcp; Imola, five wins, 1:58.8, $57,459, Rangiora Cup; Dibaba, seven NZ wins, 1:56.0NZ, 1:51.3US $254,748, Southland Oaks, Premier Mares Championship, NZSS Northern Mares Classic
Simon, four NZ/thirteen AUS wins, 1:55.9NZ, $101,532 (My) West End Girl, three NZ/seven AUS wins, 2:01.1, $49,116, dam of winner Crackabella, four wins, 1:56.7, $49,081
The Fascinator, ten wins, 1:53.9, $155,162, NZ Mile High Series, NZSS Northern, dam of winner
Twist And Twirl’s dam Giveitawhirlgirl, was placed on five occasions from fourteen two and three year old starts, $4,259. The dam of nine foals, seven have raced for six winners, apart from Twist and Twirl they include :
Feels Like Magic, five NZ/eight AUS (five Menangle)/seven NA wins, 1:51.0US, $261,728, Shirley Turnbull Memorial, Newcastle Cup
Bettor Give It, fifteen AUS wins (thirteen VIC/five Melton, two WA/one Gloucester Park), 1:57.4, $138,061, VIC Jane Ellen, Blossom Lady
Flying Loose, two wins, 1:59.5, $14,797
Spin To Win, non-winner, dam of Rocknroll Roulette, two wins, 1:58.8, $23,308
Double Twist, three wins, 1:59.7, $19,641
Spandau Ballet, winner, 1:58.9, $17,478
Peter Craig
9 March 2022
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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