The ninth in a series of articles reviewing the leading Australasian maternal families. Family numbers are as shown on the Classic Families (CF) database. Due to the extensive size of these families, only brief mention can be made of some of the more prominent family members and/or items likely to be of interest to Australasian readers.
U300 BLACK BETTY
While the family of Black Betty died out in North America, thanks to the importation of the mare Bonilene to NZ by Free Holmes in 1915, it struck immediate success in NZ.
BLACK BETTY (18– Sportsman/Saint Clair mare), unraced, foaled in California 1860/1870’s.
Bonilene’s pedigree incorporated leading American blood of its era in Baron Wilkes (grandson of Hambletonian through his son George Wilkes) and great grandsons of Hambletonian in Charles Derby and Nutwood (Black Betty was Bonilene’s third dam). Five of Bonilene’s daughters bred on successfully led by Classic Race winner Bonny Logan who herself produced six Classic winners (other daughters Bon Rey, Bonny Drusus, Bonny Norval, St Helena). Bonilene has proven to be one of Australasia’s greatest foundation mares and a leader in classic performers produced.
BONILENE (1912 The Bondsman/Madeline Marshall), bred by JW Marshall, California; imported to New Zealand by Free Holmes; unraced; eleven foals, two winners. Breeders of all foals were Free Holmes and WH Norton, Christchurch except last foal St Helena (Free Holmes and Miss P Norton, Christchurch)
Her daughters led to the following family branches :
Bon Rey (Rey De Oro), unraced, ancestress of
- NZ Cup winner Lookaway, NZFFA, ID Pacing Consolation
- top race mares Gina Marie, GN Oaks, dam of Nardinski (NZ Championship – 2, GN Derby), Gina Rosa (GN Oaks, Nevele R Fillies, NZ Breeders Stakes, Premier Mares Championship, Filly of Year/Aged Female Pacer of Year twice, dam of Allstar Blue Jean 1:48.4US, $969,901), third dam of Georgetown (1:50.0US) and Hyperstat, VSS 3f/4m
- Samantha, Wellington Cup twice, dam of Bewitched (Messenger), fourth dam of Shattering Class $810k, sixteen Cup races, Newcastle Mile, Celebrity Mile twice, WA FFAs
- Warrior Khan, NSWSS 3c, QLD Pacing Championship/Winter Cup
- juvenile winners including Kamwood Belle, Ladyship Stakes, grand dam of Kamwood Cully NZZSS 2f; Nickel Gold, NSW Oaks; Blatant Lie, VICSS 2c/4h; Keppel Bay, APG/Breeders Crown 2f; Jilliby Jitterbug – APG 2f; Mr Nickel, APG 2c, Tasmanian Derby
- trotters Hickory Stick, CPTC Trotting Cup, ID Consolation; Uteena, Trotters Flying Mile, dam of Tuteena (Rosso Antico Stakes); Westland King, NZ 2yo mile record holder, sire of Stormy Morn (National Trot, Aust Trotters Championship, Trotting FFA, Dominion Hcp, Rowe Cup)
Bonny Drusus (Drusus), unraced, fourth dam of Stevie Prestige, Cochran Cup – OT
Bonny Norval (Norval King), fifth dam of Killarney Ben, York Cup
St Helena (Wrack), winner
- grand dam of Denbry, National Hcp
- third dam of Terraton, GN/NZ Oaks; Joy Boy, Wellington Cup; Spike Darling, broodmare sire of Buster Hanover (Trotting FFA, Aust Trotters Championship twice, ID Trotters Grand Final), GN Breeders Stakes trotting mare winners Cipollini (dam of Lemond), Wee Annie (dam of Dead Cat Bounce T1:54.1, NSW Trotters Cup)
- fourth dam of Gold Rand, Cardigan Bay Stakes
- fifth dam of Westburn Grant : 1:55.6, double millionaire and three time Australian Harness Horse of Year/Grand Circuit Pacing champion, NZ/VIC/NSW Derbies, WA Golden Nugget, two Miracle Miles/SA/WA Cups, Truer Memorial, QLD Championship, Harold Park Cup, Aust Pacing Championship, ID Heat/Final. The winner of thirty classic races with a wins to races ratio of .57 (38/67) breaking several track records along the way. The first three year to win Harness Horse of the Year honours in Australia but a disappointment at stud leaving ninety five winners none of significance
and her standout filly progeny in Bonny Logan (Logan Pointer), 2:09.8; $14,514; fourteen wins; nine live foals, eight winners. Breeder : Free Holmes and W.H. Norton, Christchurch, also breeders of all foals except Captain Morant, Bonny Bridge, Admiration, Bashful – breeder Miss P. Norton.
A very good class race mare, Bonny Logan raced for ten seasons from two till 11 years old. A maiden winner at two and placed fourth in Sapling Stakes, her three-year-old career included five victories (New Brighton, Alexandra Park, Addington twice, Forbury Park,) and second placings in both NZ/GN Derbies. Solitary wins at four at Addington (Craven Hcp) and at five in New Brighton club’s Telegraph Hcp. Three six-year-old successes all came at Addington, Lightning/Royal/Telegraph Hcps. Victories at seven came in the High Class/Hagley Hcps at Addington while Bonny Logan’s sole win at eight was in the Henry Mace Memorial at Addington. She raced for a further three seasons (nine to eleven years old) recording no further wins, several placings before retiring to the breeding paddock.
Bonny Logan’s progeny included many top performers on the track and in the breeding barn with good sires in :
- Bayard (Frank Worthy) – won eleven (placed second/fourth AK Cups; third NZ Cup); exported to Australia in 1945, standing at stud mainly in SA but had his last season in NSW. Sired fifty seven winners, dam sire of Mercedes (good class Perth pacer), Simpsonic (VIC Sapling), Weezy Anna (SA Oaks)
- Gaillard (Rey de Oro) – won five, sire of sixty three (five Aust), dam sire of Great Adios (NZ Cup/FFA, Easter Cup), Petite Yvonne (ID heat), Portree (WA Cup), Sibelia (Hunter Cup), Smoko (VIC Derby)
- Bonny Bridge (Grattan Loyal) – won three, NZ Derby, sire of Young Noddy (TAS Derby), dam sire of Wendy Dawn (NZ Oaks)
- Prosecutor (Rey de Oro gelding), won three
- Captain Morant (Rey De Oro gelding), won five age group races (two – four), Sapling/Champion Stakes
Her daughters included :
Bashful (Grattan Loyal), unraced, prolific breeder, among her progeny were Cup class performers :
- Damian – AK Cup, ID heat and his full brother
- Diamond Hanover – ID heat, Ashburton Flying Stakes
- Guiseppe – GN Derby, ID heat; minor sire, dam sire of Rundale (SA Trotters Derby). Note – Damian, Diamond Hanover, Guiseppe all three started in 1961 ID Pacers Grand Final at Addington (Bashful only mare to achieve this feat)
- Torrent – Easter Cup, ID Consolation; dam of Amaze (NZ Derby), Elite Del (dam of Cavaliere Servente; Sossy, Hannon Memorial, Chch Airport Travelodge FFA), Our Flawless (ancestress of Step Outside, NSWSS 3f), Prima Vance (grand dam of Grenadier, Junior FFA; Nursemaid, Southland Oaks), Full Surge (grand dam of Misjudge, Sapling; Woodlea Life, Delightful Lady Classic – 2f )
- Bashful Hanover, unraced sire of eighty eight winners in Australia, Run Joe Run (NSW/QLD/AUS Derbies), dam sire of Executioner (NSWSS – 3c)
- Shy Songster, winner, sire of sixty three winners in Australia
- Firth (1959, non-winner), ancestress of One Way Traffic (NZ Championship -2); Kai Tere, non-winning mare whose descendants include Hushed World (several Victorian Provincial Cups)
Coquette (Grattan Loyal), won eight, National Cup Hcp, dam of very good winners and sires :
- Adorian – from Springfield Globe’s first crop, winner of twelve including NZ Cup, National/Louisson Hcps, second in NZFFA; sire of fifty, dam sire of New Law (NZ Derby), Swift Princess (NZ Oaks)
- Forward – leading juvenile pacer, won eight races, Welcome/Sapling Stakes; sire of eighty three, Avante (Ashburton Cup); dam sire Ascot Arrow (Rosso Antico Stakes), Bad Luck (Kaikoura Cup, Ashburton Flying Stakes), Cinimod Junior (TVNZ Mile), Precious Sally (GN Oaks), Watbro (Hannon Memorial)
- Morano – won nine, Timaru Nursery/Metropolitan Challenge Stakes; sire of 102, Courtier (Welcome Stakes, Timaru Nursery), Diarac (Hannon Memorial, Ashburton Flying Stakes), Have Care (NZ Oaks), Humphrey (NZ/Kaikoura Cups), Manaroa (Kaikoura Cup, six ID heats, second ID Grand Final), Marius (BPTC/Ordeal Cups, Trotting Championship), Martinique (Kaikoura Cup), Sam Carter (Sapling Stakes), Semioh (Welcome Stakes ); dam sire Barbara Del (Welcome Stakes), Captain Harcourt (GN Derby, AK/Easter Cups, ID Consolation), Michele Bromac (Kaikoura Cup, Junior FFA), Micron (Kaikoura Cup), Morano Magic (WA Golden Nugget), Palestine (Hannon Memorial twice, Kaikoura Cup, ID Consolation, Matson FFA), Royal Lopez (Sapling Stakes), Saucy Star (ID Consolation), Shalimar (NZ Oaks), Tonton Macoute (Messenger)
- Vigilant (gelding) – Welcome Stakes
Safety Pin (Rey De Oro), won eight, Armstrong Memorial at Trentham in 1944 (Hutt Park was used by the military during WWII : Sept 1942 – February 1946 meetings). Dam of Secure (Otahuhu Cup; sire of Safe Return, Kaikoura Cup, ID Consolation; grand dam of Forward March, Hambletonian OT
Admiration (Grattan Loyal), won three, Timaru Nursery Stakes, third Sapling Stakes, retired to the broodmare paddock as six year old. Dam of fourteen foals, twelve winners. Foals bred by FG (Freeman) Holmes, West Eyreton and G. Aitchison, Oamaru (Esteem, Shy, Modest); Freeman Holmes (Adoration, Achates); all other NZ foals bred by G. Aitchison with number of foals bred in Australia.
Admiration’s male progeny included :
- Achates, won five in NZ, Geraldine Cup, exported to Australia, winner at Wyong, July 1961
- Admiral Way, York Cup, sire of thirty winners, Haddock (ID heat); dam sire of forty eight, Earth Station (Aust Pacing C/S)
- Admire, won eight in NZ, Central Otago Hcp, Kurow Cup twice, Hannon Memorial, exported to USA
- Chief Wonder, born in Australia, won fifteen races, heat Tasmanian Pacing Championship, Terang Winter Cup
Admirations daughters included :
- Adoration, won five, four on end with two wins both days Nelson’s 1956 Winter meeting. Dam of:
- Taiko News, dam of Milson Edition (WA 4/5 Championship, heat Aust Pacing Championship)
- Tama Trees, grand dam of Adrenalin (Southland Oaks), third dam of Thomas Sharp (Northern Southland Autumn Cup)
- Esteem, won eight, Epsom Stakes, not bred from
- Mirastorm, Australian winner, dam of Cover Up, TAS 3yo Championship; Acutron, dam of mainly Tasmanian winners
- Shy, winner, dam of :
- Charm, dam of Armbro Free, Canterbury Hcp, Hutchinson FFA
- Devotion, dam of Captain Devotion, NSW Breeders Plate – 2
- Shy Castle, NSW Oaks
- Timid, dam of Big Chase (Cambridge Gold Cup – 3/4); grand dam of Bronski Beat, WA Easter Cup, VIC Laidlaw/Hamilton/Yarra Valley Pacers/Maryborough Cups; fourth dam of Sharp Bret (Warrgul Cup), Jake Pastime (NSW Breeders Plate – 2, Bathurst Gold Chalice – 3c)
- Zany, top class mare winning ten, NZ Oaks, Ashburton Cup, National Hcp; dam of
- Reporter, Marlborough Cup
- Stylish Eden, third dam of The Statesman, 1:53.0US, Mohawk, among first 100 Aus bred 1:55.0 pacers
- Zany Hanover, grand dam of Tally Van Gold (QLD Qbred Breeders Classic – 4); third dam of Partywiththedevil (WA Higgins Memorial)
Black Betty’s family contains a number of classic performers included in the various founding branches of the family but none greater or wealthier than Westburn Grant. Major race winning performances include NZ Cup winners in Adorian and Lookaway.
Derby winners :
NZ – Bonny Bridge, Amaze, Westburn Grant (clean sweep of blue ribbon three year old races : NZ Derby, Flying Stakes, NZ Championship – 3 at 1989 Addington Easter carnival)
GN – Guiseppe, Nardinski
NSW – Westburn Grant
SA – Flying Tootsies (Trotters)
TAS –Dee Dees Dream, Mr Nickel
VIC – Westburn Grant
WA – Rising Grant
ID winners : Pacers – Westburn Grant
Miracle Mile : Westburn Grant twice
with three time Harness Horse of Year in Australia and three time Australasian Grand Circuit champion Westburn Grant to the fore.
Oaks winners from the family include Shy Castle, Nickel Gold, Terraton (GN/NZ), Gina Marie and her daughter Gina Rosa (both trained/driven by Jack Smolenski) and Zany.
In a predominately pacing family, there are three on the 1:50 list in Allstar Blue Jean (1:48.4US), Shadios (1:49.4US, NA bred) and Georgetown (1:50.0US) while the families Australasian fastest on the 1:52 list are Cold Major (1:50.8, 1720mM) and Blackbelt (1:51.9). The families’ only millionaire is double millionaire Westburn Grant.
Next Edition : Regina (N10)
Peter Craig
20 May 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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