One of the more recent entrants to the broodmare centurion list boasts a millionaire and a double millionaire among her foals. Splendid Dreams at late June 2020 has left progeny that have won 108 races to date in NZ, Australia and North America.
SPLENDID DREAMS (2001 Dream Away/Scuse Me; family of Nora by Glencoe, CF U305) : 1:59.3, $10,800; twelve foals (eight by embryo transfer), eight raced plus qualifier, eight winners in two minutes, one in 1:50.0, millionaire/double millionaire. Bred by and thereafter all progeny bred by Charles Roberts.
| DOB | FOAL/WINS BY LOCATION | NZ | AU | NA | G/T | MR | $ |
| 2007 | Hands Christian (g Christian Cullen) | 11 | 2 | – | 13 | 1:52.5 | 321,556 |
| 2008 | Christen Me (g Christian Cullen) | 26 | 6 | 13 | 45 | 1:49.1 | 2,668,746 |
| 2009 | Splendid Bet ( Bettors Delight) | 5 | – | – | 5 | 1:57.9 | 25,396 |
| 2010 | Aliante (f Bettors Delight) | 8 | – | – | 8 | 1:55.9 | 103,328 |
| 2012 | Dream About Me (f Bettors Delight) | 17 | 8 | – | 25 | 1:50.1 | 1,375,085 |
| 2013 | Accumulator (g Bettors Delight) | 2 | 5 | – | 7 | 1:57.5 | 69,850 |
| 2014 | Delight In Me (f Bettors Delight) | 2 | – | – | 2 | 1:59.6 | 82,205 |
| 2015 | Ultimate Me (g Bettors Delight) | 1 | 2 | – | 3 | 1:59.9 | 18,185 |
| Total foals : | 72 | 23 | 13 | 108 | $4.650m+ |
** Conversion: $US1=$A1=$NZ1
Splendid Dreams, was a sub two-minute winner at her only three-year-old start (Addington), subsequently winning at Alexandra Park at age four making it two wins from only six starts (twice placed) before proving to be a sensational broodmare like her award winning mother Scuse Me.
Scuse Me, was without doubt the mare of the moment—the hottest breeding proposition in NZ over the past two decades. Woodlands Stud supremo Charles Roberts is prominent being involved in the breeding/ownership of the family offspring. Scuse Me has recently become a broodmare centurion herself and will be the subject of an article of her own, so commentary on her and her immediate family will be kept brief.
Scuse Me (1993 BGs Bunny/Super Smooth), 1:53.5, $126,841, eight wins from twenty five starts; fifteen foals, thirteen to race, thirteen winners. A first foal, Scuse Me had among her eight wins, won GN Oaks, two Hydroflow Fillies heats, Elliott Futurity Stakes heat and Taylor Mile in which she established NZR 1:53.5 for a mile, remained Alexandra Park mile record for twenty one years until Spankem’s 1:53.4 (2019 Taylor Mile) and equal fastest MR at Auckland until Elle Mac’s 1:51.6 (1700m, 31 December 2018).
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 is Sweet On Me) 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 by being named Broodmare of Year in both 2013 and 2015 as well as receiving NZSBA Broodmare of Excellence Award in 2013.
Splendid Dream’s grand dam Super Smooth, unraced dam of 15 foals (five by embryo transplant/two were race winners), seven to race, all winners, five in NZ before having successful Australian careers. Apart from 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). Fourth dam Gold Heritage’s (Fallacy) daughter Remit left dual Australian Broodmare of Year Fiscal Miss (dam of Whitbys Miss Penny [grand dam of Ima Spicey Lombo], 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).
Splendid Dream’s male progeny include :
Hands Christian, eleven NZ (four Addington, three Alexandra Park)/two Menangle wins including Easter/Geraldine Cups, NZSS -3 heat (second final), Cambridge Futurity 4/5, International Cargo Express FFA, Paleface Adios Sprint; seconds Jewels Emerald – 3/Ashburton Flying Stakes; thirds NZYSS – 3/Founders Cup, 1:52.5AUS, $321,556
Christen Me, double millionaire, winner of forty five races, still racing as an eleven year old in North America. Winner of twenty six races in NZ (twenty Addington, three Alexandra Park)/six Australia (three Menangle, two Melton, one Bendigo) and thirteen to date in North America. Victories include ten Group Ones – Chariots of Fire, Taylor Mile, Messenger, Jewels Emerald – 4, Hunter/Victoria/Auckland/Easter Cups, NZFFA, Miracle Mile; plus Hondo Grattan Sprint, Superstars, Canterbury Classic, Bendigo Cup at Group Two level as well as New Brighton Cup/Maurice Holmes Vase both twice, Rangiora Classic, Gordon Roxburgh FFA at Group Three – twenty of thirty two Australasian wins at Group level.
Placed in Group Ones – seconds Miracle Mile, Ballarat/Cranbourne Cups; thirds NZ/Victoria Cups, NZFFA as well as numerous other group two/three placings. Christen Me was a two-time Australasian Grand Circuit champion, established four NZ records, NZ Aged Pacer/Pacer/Harness Horse and leading Stake Earning Pacer of Year (2014/15), 1:51.5NZ, 1:49.1AUS, 1:49.4US, $2,668,746
Accumulator (ET), Alexandra Park/Cambridge winner for Barry Purdon; five WA wins including first four races in WA in succession
Ultimate Me (ET), Addington winner from three starts
Splendid Dream’s fillies include :
Splendid Deal (ET), unraced first foal, dam of four to race all winners. Splendour, seven NZ (five Alexandra Park)/one QLD win including Gold Coast Oaks (2nd Queensland Oaks), Nevele R Fillies heat; second Jewels Diamond – 3; thirds Ladyship Stakes and GN/NZ Oaks to close relation Adore Me, 1:56.2NZ, $142,217; Maxim, eight NZ (four Alexandra Park, one Addington)/four Melton wins including NZSS – 2c, VIC Derby heat/final; seconds Jewels Emerald – 2/NZYSS – 3; thirds GN Derby/Easter Cup, 1:53.8, $494,436; Hartofdixie, six wins (three Alexandra Park), Rotorua Cup; Ace High, four wins from seven starts
Splendid Bet, five time winner (two Alexandra Park, three Cambridge), 1:57.9; dam of BetAmerica, seven wins in AUS (two Albion Park/five VIC), 1:57.8 and Chief Joseph, three WA wins, 1:57.8
Aliante (ET), winner of eight races, seven at Alexandra Park, with a good mile rate of 1:55.9, $103k+, Charles Roberts NISBA Stakes, Holmes DG Pace and third in NZSS Southern Mares Aged Classic in final start; dam of two foals to date
Dream About Me (ET), millionaire six year old mare, winner of seventeen NZ (five Addington, eight Alexandra Park)/eight AUS (six Menangle, one Melton/Ballarat) races and only ever defeated once on Australian soil to date when second to Tell Me Tales in Robin Dundee Stakes. Victories include eleven Group Ones (ten against own sex) – NZSS/Jewels and AUS Breeders Crown – 2f, NZ/NSW Oaks, Nevele R Fillies – 3f, Queen Of Hearts twice, Auckland Cup, NZ Breeders Stakes, Ladyship Mile; plus Delightful Lady/Canterbury Classics at Group Two level as well as NSW Raith Memorial, Junior FFA, GN Breeders Stakes twice and Hannon Memorial at Group Three – eighteen of twenty five Australasian wins at Group level.
Placed third in Group Ones –Jewels Diamond – 3f and NZ Cup as well as numerous other group two/three placings. Dream About Me won her first twelve starts in succession (at two, five NZ/two and three year old, seven in AUS), tasting defeat for the first time on her return to NZ in a Nevele Fillies heat at Addington (beaten by stablemate Golden Goddess). She established three NZ records, NZ/AUS 2yo Filly Pacer of Year, NZ Three Year Old Filly and Four Year Pacing Mare of Year, 1:53.3NZ (2yo, Ashburton), 1:50.1AUS (Ladyship Mile, Menangle, her final career start prior to retirement in March 2019), $1,375,085.
Delight In Me (ET), two race winner at Addington/Alexandra Park for Mark Purdon/Natalie Rasmussen; second GN Oaks (Elle Mac); placed second and third in NZSS – 3f heats (third to Elle Mac in final); second in two Nevele R Fillies heats to Bettor Joy and third to Elle Mac in final
Her 2016 and 2017 Bettors Delight fillies – Splendid Me and Dream On Me have both qualified but are as yet unraced.
Peter Craig
24 June 2020
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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