One of the latest entrant to the broodmare centurion list boasts two millionaires among her foals and one of her daughters Splendid Dreams achieved broodmare centurion status shortly before her mother. Scuse Me at early June 2020 has left progeny that have won 112 races to date in NZ, Australia and North America.
SCUSE ME (1993f BG’s Bunny/Super Smooth; family of Nora by Glencoe, CF U305) : 1:53.5, NZR Pacers Mile, $126,841, GN Oaks, Taylor Mile; 15 foals, 13 raced, 13 winners, nine in two minutes, three sub 1:50, two sub 1:48, two millionaires; NZ Broodmare of Year (twice), Broodmare of Excellence. Bred by Mark Purdon. All progeny bred by Charles Roberts.
| DOB | FOAL/WINS BY LOCATION | NZ | AU | NA | G/T | MR | $ |
| 1999 | Megabucks (g Life Sign) | 5 | – | 7 | 12 | 1:49.3US | 98,406 |
| 2001 | Splendid Dreams (f Dream Away) | 2 | – | – | 2 | 1:59.3 | 10,080 |
| 2002 | La Filou (f In The Pocket) | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1:59.0 | 7,315 |
| 2003 | Coca Vicola (f Il Vicolo) | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2:02.2 | 5,477 |
| 2004 | Pardin Me (f In The Pocket) | 1 | 10 | – | 11 | 2:01.4 | 52,665 |
| 2005 | Imagine Me (f Dream Away) | 9 | – | – | 9 | 1:56.9 | 241,972 |
| 2006 | Toledo (g Christian Cullen) | 7 | 1 | – | 8 | 1:59.9 | 88,514 |
| 2007 | Abide With Me (f Christian Cullen) | 4 | – | – | 4 | 1:57.7 | 36,031 |
| 2008 | Please Idolise Me (g American Ideal) | 3 | 1 | – | 4 | 1:59.6 | 25,731 |
| 2009 | Adore Me (f Bettors Delight) | 24 | 2 | – | 26 | 1:47.7 | 1,667,029 |
| 2010 | Ohoka Jett (g Bettors Delight) | 1 | – | 1 | 2:04.8 | 6,442 | |
| 2011 | Have Faith in Me (g Bettors Delight) | 11 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 1:47.5 | 1,698,937 |
| 2014 | Stand By Me (g Bettors Delight) | 1 | – | 4 | 5 | 1:51.0 | 49,931 |
| Total foals : | 70 | 19 | 23 | 112 | $4m+ |
** Conversion: $US1=$A1=$NZ1
Scuse Me’s family has been dominant on the NZ scene in recent years and is without doubt the stand out mare of her time. The hottest breeding proposition in NZ over the past two decades, Scuse Me was bred by Mark Purdon with Woodlands Stud supremo the late Charles Roberts who was prominently involved in the breeding/ownership of the family offspring.
Scuse Me recorded eight wins from twenty five starts for her owners Jim Dalgety and Vicki Purdon. A first foal, among her eight wins, Scuse Me won the GN Oaks, two Hydroflow Fillies heats, Elliott Futurity Stakes heat and the Taylor Mile in which she established a then New Zealand record time of 1:53.5 for a mile, until beaten by Spankem’s 1:53.4 in the 2019 Taylor Mile, it remained the Alexandra Park mile record for twenty one years and equal fastest MR at Auckland until Elle Mac’s 1:51.6 (1700m, 31 December 2018).
Scuse Me’s dam Super Smooth, was the unraced dam of fifteen foals (five by embryo transplant/two were race winners), seven to race, all winners, five in NZ before having successful Australian careers. Other than Scuse Me, winners included Tricky Woman (1:56.2), Il Casino (1:59.1AUS), Supabet (1:53.8AUS), Smooth Delight (1:57.3AUS) and Superfecta (1:55.2AUS). Grand dam Time Lag (2:02.0, $23,905) was the winner of six from eighteen starts, five at Alexandra Park including three for Roy and Barry Purdon (Mark Purdon drove in four victories). She was the dam of five, three winners (Bold Vance, two NZ/seventeen QLD wins, 1:59.1AUS) and a qualifier. Third dam Gold Heritage, a winner on three occasions, left Remit the dam of dual Australian Broodmare of Year Fiscal Miss (dam of Whitbys Miss Penny [grand dam of Ima Spicey Lombo] and Ace Of Whitby), Whitby Timer, Whitbys Merit (dam of Montana Anna) – the Whitby clan.
Whilst known as the USA family of Nora by Glencoe (CF U305), from a NZ perspective this is the family of Childe Harold mare Moonbeam (foaled in NSW in 1889) whose third dam is Nora. Moonbeam’s dam Gracie was exported in foal to Australia from North America. Moonbeam left Don Cleve (successful sire/dam sire of AK Cup winner Blue Mountain King), breeding on through her filly Daybreak, grand dam of Daisy Pointer from which latter day NZ winners would eventuate from this family (Daisy Scott to Daisy Gold to Gold Heritage) with significant NZ descendants apart from Scuse Me family including Quincey/Sir Joe (Dominion Hcp), Josephine Bret (NZ Oaks), Bondy (1:49.2US, Hunter Cup) and Maximan (1:50.3).
Scuse Me’s race winners include nine two minute pacers; three sub 1:50 pacers; millionaire pacers Adore Me (1:47.7, first foal by Sweet Lou a 2yo group 2 winner) and Have Faith in Me (1:47.5), second and third equal fastest ever in Southern Hemisphere; Megabucks (1:49.3US); Imagine Me (1:56.9) and Splendid Dreams. Achieved breeding glory being named Broodmare of Year in both 2013 and 2015 as well as receiving NZSBA Broodmare of Excellence Award in 2013.
Scuse Me’s male progeny include :
Megabucks, five NZ wins for Barry Purdon, four at Alexandra Park, Te Awamutu Cup, 1:59.3NZ; seven North American wins, 1:49.3US, $98,406
Toledo, seven wins in NZ for Gareth Dixon (five at Alexandra Park), NZYSS – Aged Pace at Kaikoura; one win at first start of seven in Australia at Bathurst, Hondo Grattan Sprint, 1:59.9NZ, $88,514
Please Idolise Me, winner of three in NZ at Alexandra Park for Tony Herlihy and first of nineteen WA starts at Pinjarra, 1:59.6NZ, $27,731
Have Faith in Me, millionaire eight year old gelding now racing in North America, winner of eleven in NZ (six Addington, three Alexandra Park), five in Australia (four Menangle, one Melton) and twelve to date in North America. Trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, victor in seven Group Ones – NZSS/Jewels – 3, GN/NZ Derbies, Auckland Cup, Miracle Mile, Chariots Of Fire plus Flying Stakes, Paleface Adios Sprint at Group Two level as well as Junior FFA and New Brighton Cup at Group Three – eleven of sixteen Australasian wins at Group level.
Placed second in Bohemia Crystal (Gp1) and Group Two races – Ashburton Flying Stakes, City of Auckland FFA, Canterbury Classic, Perth ID heat and third in Franklin Cup. He established three NZ records, second fastest ever pacer in Australasia (1:47.5, Miracle Mile, Menangle, 2016), NZ 3yo Colt/Gelding and 4yo Horse/Gelding and NZ Pacer of Year; 1:52.5NZ, 1:47.5AUS, 1:50.0US, $1,698,937.
Stand by Me, Cambridge winner in 2:02.3, $8,315, now five time winner (four in NA) including 1:51.0US at Harrahs, Philadelphia in North America.
One win gelding, Ohoka Jett (2:04.8, Westport (grass), $6,442).
Scuse Me’s fillies include Splendid Dreams, herself a broodmare centurion who will be the subject of a later article. Briefly, a two race winner in 1:59.3, included among her twelve foals are eight to have raced plus a qualifier, all eight having won in two minutes, one in 1:50.0, with one a millionaire and another a double millionaire. Prominent amongst her progeny are : Christen Me, double millionaire, forty five wins including ten Australasian Group Ones, 1:49.1; Dream About Me, millionaire, twenty five Australasian victories including eleven Group Ones; Hands Christian, thirteen wins, Easter Cup, 1:52.5AUS, $321,556.
Scuse Me’s other fillies are :
Pardin Me, one NZ win from two starts for Tony Herlihy at Cambridge, ten WA wins (one at Gloucester Park), 2:01.4AUS, $52,665 (not bred from)
Imagine Me, nine NZ wins for Mark Purdon/Grant Payne, four at Alexandra Park and three at Addington, NI Breeders Stakes; placed twice in three Australian starts, third Breeders Crown – 3f; 1:56.9NZ, $241,972. Dam of two winners : Delightful Image, 1:59.7, $18,630, three wins and Think About Me, winner in NZ and six in Australia (four VIC, two at Gloucester Park), Breeders Crown – Silver 3c, third in WA 4yo Championship, 1:56.3AUS, $70,127. Grand dam of 2/3yo winner, Gemma Mac, 1:55.4 at Wyndham, third NZYSS – 2f
Abide With Me, four wins including three at Alexandra Park (tr Steven Reid three; Mark Purdon/Grant Payne one), 1:57.7, $36,031. The dam of two winners to date : You Gotta Have Faith, two wins in NZ/nine in Australia (two VIC/seven WA,four at Gloucester Park), 1:57.3AUS, $123,446; Arctic Stride (How About Me in NZ), two Penrith wins, 2:01.4, $10,215
Adore Me, millionaire, winner of twenty six of thirty starts, with twenty four in NZ (seven at Alexandra Park, eleven at Addington) and two at Menangle in Australia; 1:51.6NZ, 1:47.7AUS, $1,667,029. Adore Me is the third equal fastest pacer ever in the Southern Hemisphere (Spankem – 1:47.7, 2019 Miracle Mile), a time she set winning the Ladyship Mile at Menangle on Interdominion Grand Final day in March 2015.
Trained by Mark Purdon and Mark Purdon/Natalie Rasmussen, Adore Me’s victories included twelve Group Ones – NZSS – 3f, GN/NZ Oaks, Nevele R Fillies, Jewels Diamonds – 3f/4m, Queen Of Hearts twice, NZ Breeders Stakes, Easter Cup, NZ Cup, Ladyship Mile; at Group Two level, Ladyship Stakes, Premier Mares Championship, Ashburton Flying Stakes, Waikato Flying Mile and Brian Hancock Cup as well as Junior FFA and GN Breeders Stakes twice at Group Three – twenty of twenty six Australasian wins at Group level.
Placed in Group Ones – seconds in GN Derby (beaten by Ohoka Punter), Auckland Cup twice (Terror To Love and Christen Me), NZFFA (Christen Me), Ladyship Mile (Firth) and thirds in Taylor Mile (Besotted), Victoria Cup (Christen Me). Adore Me was only outside the first three on three occasions and she won her first seven races as a three year old prior to tasting defeat. Establishing five NZ records, in the 2014/5 season she was NZ stake earner of year, Aged Mare of Year in both New Zealand and Australia.
Adore Me is the dam of the last seasons leading two year old filly Sweet On Me (now retired), six wins from seven starts 1:55.2, $246,960, Delightful Lady Classic, NZSS and Jewels Diamond – all 2f.
One win fillies La Filou (tr Barry Purdon), dam of four winners including The Dip (1:52.2AUS, $191,503, one NZ/nineteen AUS wins, third Treuer Memorial; Hes Light Fingered (1:54.8AUS at Menangle, $48,526, four NZ/one NSW win), Pick My Pocket (1:55.3AUS, $155,583, one NZ/nine WA wins including five at Gloucester Park, Empress Stakes – OM) and Coca Vicola (tr Steven Reid), dam of two winners, Makah Warrior (one NZ/six WA wins, one at Gloucester Park, 1:57.8AUS, $38,874), Our Bare Knuckle (one NZ/six VIC wins, one at Melton; one NSW at Menangle, Raith Memorial, 1:51.5AUS, $100,340).
Peter Craig
10 June 2020
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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