The latest season saw a continuation of excellence in the broodmare ranks which were acknowledged at the annual HRNZ Awards evening held in the Silks Lounge, Addington Raceway on Saturday 28 September 2019.
Pacing Broodmare of Year – REALITY CHECK (2003 Armbro Operative/Maureens Dream – N5 Bonnie Belle), was named Pacing Broodmare of the Year thanks to the deeds of her outstanding three year old colt Ultimate Sniper during the 2018/19 season, to a lesser extent her seven year old mare Major Reality and in earlier times three and four year old NZ Pacer of Year now retired to stud Ultimate Machete. Full bothers Ultimate Machete and Ultimate Sniper are by leading North American and Australasian sire Bettors Delight while Major Reality is by Artsplace stallion Art Major.
Reality Check is the dam of nine foals with all three that have raced being winners and a further two qualifiers. Bred by Father Dan and the estate of John Cummings of Tuapeka Lodge fame and owned during her racing career by Aria Small, Roy Thomson and Ross Darrah, trained by Geoff Small. Career record showed four wins (three Alexandra Park) including Delightful Lady Classic (best mile rate was the 1:59.9), Yearling Sales Graduette and NZ Yearling Sales Series and six placings, all as a two year old filly in 2005/6 season (season of One Dream) plus one win at three, $139,495. Placed second in NZSS – 3f heat and thirds in NZSS heats (twice) and Caduceus Club Fillies at two.
Rod Croon of Croon Bloodstock bred her first foal an unraced 2008 Christian Cullen colt before she was acquired by West Coasters Katrina and Graeme Walsh from Westport, the breeders of all her remaining foals, amongst them :
Ultimate Reality (2009 Christian Cullen filly), sold for $22,000 at sales, qualified in 2:07.7, unraced dam of two foals, currently leased by Stacey ** and David White (**Woodlands Stud Sales, Marketing and Racing Manager)
Major Reality (2011 Art Major filly), originally named Just Like Mum, purchased by Kim Prentice, Byford, WA for $31,000. The winner of twenty three races in Australia (twenty two WA [from first forty three starts], fourteen Gloucester Park; one NSW at Menangle) 1:50.9 at Menangle (30 October 2018, only win in 2018/9 season following purchase by Harvey Kaplan for breeding purposes), $434,455; WA Gold Bracelet – 2f, WA Oaks, Empress Stakes, Norms Daughter Classic, Golden Girls Mile (twice); second Westral Mares Classic, third Golden Slipper – 2
Ultimate Machete (2013 Bettors Delight colt), winner of thirteen races for trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen and the ownership team of Phil and Glenys Kennard, Gavin Douglas, Kevin Riseley, Phil and Margaret Creighton, purchased at NZ Premier Yearling Sales for $84,000, prepared by Broadfield Lodge’s David Shadbolt as was the case with full brother Ultimate Sniper.
Ten NZ wins (six Addington, three Alexandra Park), $558,597, 1:51.9 (placed 1:51.8 3yo Jewels Ashburton); at two, NZSS heat, second Jewels Emerald, thirds Welcome Stakes, NZYSS; at three – NZSS (second heat), GN Stakes, Alabar Classic, NZYSS, Flying Stakes; seconds GN/NZ Derbies, Jewels Emerald; at four, NZFFA (1:51.9), second Summer Cup. Three AUS wins from six starts (all Gloucester Park), 1:53.8, AUS$265,299, Golden Nugget and Yes Loans Classic at four during 2017 Perth Interdominions; second NSW Derby, fourth Fremantle Cup.
Ultimate Machete was NZ Three and Four Year Old Pacer of Year, four time Group One winner and established NZ records at 1950mM 2:15.7 (all comers), 2:16.5 (3yo) and 2200mM 2:36.1 (3yo). Retired to stud after injury, standing on behalf of Alabar (NZ) and Nevele R Studs at Alabar’s NZ establishment, Waiau Pa
Ideal Reality (2014 American Ideal filly), qualified in 2:06.7 for Walshes, dam of Bettors Delight colt to date
Ultimate Sniper (2015 Bettors Delight colt), winner of eight races at three from ten starts for trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen and the ownership team of Phil and Glenys Kennard, Gavin Douglas, Kevin Riseley, Phil and Margaret Creighton, purchased at NZ Premier Yearling Sales for $85,000.
Eight wins (five Addington, three Alexandra Park), $508,593, 1:52.9 – NZSS (heat/final), Alabar Classic, NZYSS, GN/NZ Derbies; second GN Derby Prelude. Ultimate Sniper was announced as NZ Three Year Old Pacer of Year at 2018/9 NZ Awards, three time Group One winner and established NZ record at 1980mM 2:19.0 (all comers and 3yo record; later beaten by Cruz Broman’s 2:18.5 in NZFFA).
NB : the “Ultimate” colts out of Armbro Operative mare Reality Check are bred 3×3 to Cam Fella; she is the first dam to leave two winners of NZ Sires Stakes 3yo Open final with both winners in 1:52 MR’s – Machete (1:52.6, 1950m) and Sniper (1:52.9, 1980m).
Reality Check’s dam Maureens Dream (half-sister to the excellent racehorse and sire Tuapeka Knight), recorded five wins, one Addington, 1:58.8, $20,945, second Fillies Triple Crown, leaving fourteen foals for ten starters, all winners. Her daughters and progeny are responsible for Ideal Scott (1:52.8, $842,757, GN Derby, Blacks A Fake, Breeders Crown – 4h, QLD Pacing Championship), Machtu (1:50.4US, $414,023), Ocean Diva (1:51.1, $253,380), Mister Lennox (TAS Derby), Bonnie Joan (1:52.8, Southland Oaks, NZ Premier Mares Championship), God Send (1:51.8, $293,077), God Forbid (1:50.1). Reality Check was the recipient of the 2011-12 Broodmare of Excellence Award.
Grand dam Tuapeka Dream (five wins, one Addington, 2:06.9, $11,490), dam of eight live foals, apart from Maureens Dream the most significant being Tuapeka Knight winner of twelve of his fourteen starts (six Addington, three Alexandra Park), 1:58.0, $198,305, Welcome/Sapling Stakes, NZSS – 2c, two year Pacer of Year, sire of 234 NZ bred (one trotter)/ four AUS bred – Cherubic, Facta Non Verba, Gracious Knight, Knight Rainbow, Knight Vance, The Court Owl; dam sire of 188 (one trotter)/92 AUS – Chloe Hanover, Pay Me Christian, Sneakyn Down Under, Star Galleria, V For.
Then all the way back to Bonnie Belle through Mains Lady; Reality; Gallant Maid (sixth dam of Five Card Draw); Rustic Maid (dam of record fifteen NZ winners; Chamfer NZ Cup/GN Derby, Free Fight/Scottish Lady NZ Derby; grand dam of Student Prince NZ Derby, Scottish Brigade GN Derby); Country Belle, NZ Cup winner and third dam of Fallacy NZ Derby and foundation mare Bonnie Belle, dam also of Curfew Belle (Belle Logan plus an extensive family of winners).
Trotting Broodmare of Year – DELLAS SPEED (1995 Chiola Hanover/Adella Lobell – U1 Medio) was named Trotting Broodmare of the Year as a result of the efforts of her Pegasus Spur son Speeding Spur.
Dellas Speed is the dam of twelve foals, seven winners from nine starters plus a qualifier. Bred by National Bloodstock Corporation and leased/trained during her forty six start racing career by Morrisville based Jill Coppins. She recorded four wins (one Alexandra Park) and ten placings, T2:07.4, $18,598, prior to her broodmare career commencing.
Howick Jewellery Centre Ltd, the creation of National Bloodstock’s supremo David Philips, bred Della Speed’s first foal; the next five were bred by Hambletonian Ltd at which point her ownership passed into the hands of Woodlands Stud. They were to breed her remaining six foals starting with Speeding Spur, her seventh foal.
Della Speed’s foals include :
Meyer Lansky (2003g Sundon), eight wins (two Alexandra Park) T2:05.3, $79,083 racing for eleven seasons from four to fourteen years of age
Bon Ton Cherie (2005f Sundon), five wins (one Alexandra Park), T2:05.2, $33,532; dam of four foals for two qualifiers, one to race
Ellas Speed (2007f Pegasus Spur), six wins (two Alexandra Park), T2:05.8, $46,178
Jagermeister (2009g Pegasus Spur), four wins (one Alexandra Park), T2:11.4, $25,432
Speeding Spur (2011h Pegasus Spur), bred by Woodland Stud and raced in Australasia by Woodlands Partnership Syndicate, Kieran Read, Andy Ellis, Dick Taylor, Dave Hewett with John and Joshua Dickie doing the training and Josh Dickie (all but one start; Kate Gath) the driving of our latest trotting champion. The now eight year old has been racing since the age of two competing in many Group and feature races throughout his career.
In the 2018/19 season, the family star for Dellas Speed was obviously Speeding Spur, while three year old Pegasus Spur filly Spur To Action won one of her five starts for Phil Williamson and Woodlands Stud No.3 Syndicate at Wyndham (T2:09.2, $8,870). During the 2018/9 season, Speeding Spur was the winner of four and placed on four occasions from ten starts in NZ including Kaikoura South Bay Trotters Cup, NZ Trotting FFA (NZR T2:26.3/1:58.8, for 1980mM, Addington, NZ Cup Day, November 2018; since improved upon by Sundees Son) and NZ Trotting Championship; seconds in Rowe Cup, Cambridge Trotters Flying Stakes; fourths in Dominion Hcp and ANZAC Cup. In Australia his five starts produced two wins in ID Trotters heats and two placings (heat/final Trotters ID). During the season he passed the million dollar earnings mark.
Speeding Spur’s overall Australasian record prior to going to North America to race mid-2019 was fifty six starts, twenty seven wins (21 NZ, 6 AUS), T1:58.8NZ, T1:55.5AUS, $1,084,325. This includes nine Group Ones (NZ/GN/VIC Trotters Derbies, VIC Breeders Crown – 3T, Great Southern Star, NZ Trotting Championship twice, Rowe Cup, NZ Trotting FFA) and a further five group wins (NZSS – 3T, Cambridge Flying Stakes, South Bay Cup, two ID heats). Speeding Spur placed second in Hambletonian – 3T, National Trot twice, ANZAC Trot, Lyell Creek Stakes, Cambridge Trotters Mile, Cambridge Flying Stakes, AUS Grand Prix, Rowe Cup with thirds in NZ Trotting Stakes – 2T, NZYSS – 2T. Awards won by Speeding Spur include : NZ/AUS three year old Trotter of Year; Trotting Masters (Grand Circuit) Champion; Aged (5yo+)/NZ Trotter Of Year and Stake Earner of Year.
With a view to further enhancing his future stud career, the decision was made to nominate him for major North American trotting races in the latter half of 2019 culminating with a sought after invitation to the $1m Yonkers International Trot later in the year. Speeding Spur had eight starts commencing with a fourth on debut at Meadowlands behind Manchego, Marion Marauder and co; sixth on Hambletonian Day in the Vincennes, both races trotted in T1:51.1US; won the US$148,000 Crawford Farms Open trot at Tioga Downs in mid-August in T1:52.4US (track record for aged trotters) thereby enhancing his Australasian best by nearly three seconds [sixth NZ bred trotter in T1:53.0 or better, fastest being Mighty Dragon’s T1:52.0 set in 2003 at Meadowlands]; third in the Maple Leaf heat at Mohawk (Canada) to Guardian Angel (T1:51.4US) and Atlanta while finishing fifth to Guardian Angel As (T1:50.4US, Canadian record) in final trotting T1:51.3US; finished last in Caesars Trotting Classic at Hoosier Park and fifth in Dayton Trotting Derby won by Manchego in T1:50.1US. Although Speeding Spur did not receive an invitation to contest the Yonkers International Trot, he did race the same day in the Harry Harvey $250,000 nvitational (1¼m) finishing fourth to Mission Accepted. In North America Speeding Spur raced in the interest of Woodlands Stud Ltd as owner and was trained by Linda Toscano.
Peter Craig
31 October 2019
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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