Dominant Females

Looking to breed a bitch that might be a foundation for your future in greyhound racing? Want another Elsie Moss, Travelling Girl, Pitstock Park etc etc? Well, here's a tip. Try to get as many dominant females into her pedigree as possible. The world is full of great broodbitches, foundation dams that have been bred this way and become breed shapers themselves.

It is extremely interesting that some of the greatest broodbitches carried multiples of famous dams who themselves were heavily in-bred to other famous bitches. Let's have a look at just some of them. The first and foremost must be that legend of broodbitches Elsie Moss (Magic Babe-Maggie Moss). This is her pedigree:

On paper the pedigree of Elsie Moss might appear only to carry a double 3x2 to the legendary Chief Havoc. But on closer examination, both Magic Babe and Maggie Moss trace to Daisy Valley and Fawn Maudie. This is how their pedigrees relate:

The Frances Colleen damline from which these two bitches come is the strongest this country has seen. The fact this line produced Temlee is recognition enough. Elsie Moss became a legend both here and later in the US where she left just as lasting a legacy on pedigrees. So when Pitstock Park (Arctic Tiger-Copha Rev) was bred to contain a 4x3 in-breeding to Elsie Moss (through her famous sons, the half brothers Mister Moss and Miller's Moss) it saturated the bitch with the best bloodlines available. This is her pedigree:

The fact Elsie Moss was in-bred on tail female line to the famous Frances Colleen damline, and then duplicated through the middle of Pitstock Park's pedigree, made that bitch ideal to pick up on Temlee when she went to stud. When mated to Little Blade, a son of Temlee, Pitstock Park produced Brother Fox. Which brings us to the Wheeler family and their domination of Australian greyhound racing since the late 1960s. Today's family leader is Paul Wheeler who is best known for his use of overseas sires to help bring in hybrid vigor to his famous female lines that have done his family proud for more than 40 years. Paul's father Allan started famously in greyhound racing through the giveaway bitch Gail's Beauty (Hot Top-Secret Beauty). This is her pedigree.

In-breeding to Brenda Gay, one of the greats of the breed in this country, certainly didn't do Gail's Beauty any harm. Allan Wheeler bred her to the heavily in-bred import Proper Streak to produce such greats as Pacermatic, the Vic Peters winner and finalist in a number of feature races throughout the country.

But Gail's Beauty also produced a litter to Miller's Moss and among the offspring was a bitch called Oddnik. This is her pedigree:

This mating also brought in three crosses of Blue Linen one of the most influential broodbitches of her time who herself was in-bred three times to Milly Hawk. More about Blue Linen later. It didn't take a genius to know that Oddnik should be mated to a sire with Proper Streak in his pedigree to recreate the mating that produced Pacermatic. Wheeler did just that when he put Oddnik to Proper Prince (a son of Proper Streak).

Among the litter was Odious who Jim and Christine Coleman took to the greatest of heights winning the Australian Cup and Laurels and setting the track record at Sandown. Odious would produce General Jeff (by Ungwilla Lad) and to a mating to Temlee a bitch called Silver Tail Girl the dam of Legendary Kid.

The Wheelers also bred Dynabolt from the same litter as Pacermatic. Allan Wheeler would put Dynabolt to the then flying machine sprinter and top sire The Smoother. This would bring in yet another cross of Brenda Gay. The result was Emiline Bale a star sprinter herself and later to produce champion Winifred Bale to a mating to Temlee (Temlee also carried a double-up of Brenda Gay in his pedigree).

The Smoother bitches to Temlee (which would at least treble Brenda Gay) was also responsible for Promises Free, Winston Lass, Kylie Bonnie Lee (granddam of Bjorn), etc.

Speaking of Ungwilla Lad, his dam Sweet Deebana was in-bred 3x4 to the famed broodbitch Flighty Moon (dam of champion Spotted Lightning), and 5x7 to Lassalla. Sweet Deebana's own dam Dilkara Girl was in-bred 4x4 to Lady Janellen (through the litter brothers Sunview and Rookie Rebel).

Lady Janellen herself carried in-breeding to the influential broodbitches Sylvia Andy and Writtle Leete. The latter bitch, while bred on doubles to fine sires White Hope and Great Heart, appears doubled in a number of quality broodbitches. Which also takes us back to Flighty Moon, as we said the dam of Spotted Lightning. She carried doubles to Aeroforce and Deechmont, the latter significantly being the second dam on both sides of the pedigree of influential sire The Marne.

Which brings us to one of Queensland's most famous broodbitches, Rowan Vale, the damline so ingrained into Australian pedigrees because of her grandson New Tears. This is the pedigree of Rowan Vale:

The 4x3 double-up of famed broodbitch Byam Rose is obvious. But behind this are multiple crosses of Lady Janellen (we've already seen how she is in-bred herself), and Hamura Belle. Byam Rose is regarded one of the true gems of Australian greyhound breeding. This is her pedigree:

Thus Byam Rose is in-bred to the sister/brother combination of Lassalla and Percyton Lad. It goes even further. Their dam Percyton Lass carries multiple crosses of the bitches Francesca and Bloomee. Francesca has five crosses in her pedigree of the bitch Red Hand. She was a famous producer with her champion son King Comedy winning 40 of 43 courses including the 1915 Waterloo Cup.

Which now brings us to Merv Laffey's famous broodbitch National Queen (Tangairn-Bay Road Queen) who is in-bred to Temora Lee, Venetian Rose and Dinah Jet all within the first six generations. Her own mother, the famed stayer Bay Road Queen had four crosses of the legendary brood Gorgeous Babe. National Queen is the second dam of Flying Amy, the first inductee into the Australian greyhound racing Hall of Fame.

Another famous broodbitch is Makino (Byamee-Magenta) whose daughter Secretly became a household name in the industry and is behind the pedigree of both Brother Fox and Pretty Short two of the greatest sires of the modern era. Makino is in-bred 3x3 to the great galloper and stud dog Silver Chief, but significantly behind this is another cross of his dam Silvermane, as well as four crosses of her dam Shady Burn and three of the bitch My Chrissie.

Closer to home, Another Fool (Classy Dreamer-Fooled You) who put Reg Kay onto the map as a greyhound breeder has a double of Byam Rose in her damline and is in-bred to the famed Irish bitch Racing On.

Greg Cannon has been producing quality greyhounds for the past 25 years from Beaut Venture (Pretty Short-Simple Test) and her offspring. She too carried in-breeding to Venetian Rose and Flighty Moon. Her best progeny came when Pretty Short was re-introduced into her pedigree.

Dennis Reid produced decades of champions that all stemmed from his foundation bitch Travelling Girl (Tegimi-Freckled Pick). Travelling Girl also carried three crosses of Brenda Gay and two of Venetian Rose. When she was mated to the Temlee sireline it produced more and more of both those legendary broodbitches, and gave Dennis some of the greatest gallopers this country has seen. An extremely interesting pedigree from yesteryear is that of Lasnowee (Warcroft-Jetgoing). This is her pedigree:

Golden Dimples, doubled 3x3 in the pedigree of Lasnowee, is from the famous Frances Colleen damline which also boasts Temlee. Lasnowee was a half sister to the great Victorian galloper Haydale, the Sandown track record holder and a Melbourne Cup finalist. Lasnowee, to a mating to Clay Moss (a son of Elsie Moss), produced the fabulous broodbitch Wee Moss who in turn would produce the high class galloper and future broodbitch dream Dark Debutante.

This is the damline made famous by the Mugavin family in Victoria which includes such greats as Val Matesse, Soextra, Golden Currency, Currency Lass, Dark Harlequin, Fancy Val, Propellant, Blue Lightning, Extra Progress etc etc. Most of the best success came when Temlee (Golden Dimples was his fourth dam) was introduced to these bitches.

While that famous broodbitch Princess Diro is not in-bred herself, her most famous daughter Shining Light (by Satan's Legend) carries multiples of Venetian Rose, Brenda's Daughter and that most famous of imported broodbitches Tapestry. When Shining Light and her son Shining Chariot and daughter Centrefire are doubled within a pedigree, it can often result in a pedigree "explosion". Many of the best progeny sired by Bombastic Shiraz (whose dam Bombastic Blonde is heavily in-bred to Princess Diro) carry Awesome Assassin who has Shining Light's daughter Centrefire in his sireline.

While on this line, Duchess Marina, dam of the great sprinter and influential sire Malawi's Prince, carried multiples of such famous broodbitches as Brenda Gay, Venetian Rose and Gorgeous Babe. Is this why Malawi's Prince today is best known as a broodbitch sire.

In last month's Journal, writer Darren McKenzie looked at the influence of Macareena the Hall of Fame bitch who set 20 track records during her race career and became a huge influence at stud. She carried in-breeding to the bitches Reynella (through two of her daughters) and Rejoice. One of Queensland's most famous broodbitches, Blue Perlita (dam of Miss Perlita), had a double of Macareena 4x3 and a triple of Blue Linen (dam of Top Linen and Yalulla).

The great Victorian staying bitch Del Bairn Babe (Del Bairn-Mandalass) has an interesting line and her offspring as well. The Maidment winner and Olympic Park track record holder became a high class broodbitch producing among others Tangairn.

Del Bairn Babe had a double of Rockleen who was responsible for the Tebessa line so dominant in Victoria in the 1960s. Del Bairn Babe's daughter Nikki Bairn (by Chief Dingaan) carried that famous double to Venetian Rose (through the litter sister and brother Venetian Babe and Venetian Court).

Nikki Bairn's daughter Famous Portrait (by Chariot Supreme) became a top broodbitch and she carries a double of Dinah Jet (through the half brother and sister Take A Bow and Fairbairn Lady).

If we head overseas, great broodbitches there are also found with a saturation of great damlines within their pedigrees.

One of the greatest broodbitch lines seen in England and Ireland is that produced by Skipping Chick, a coursing bitch who does not carry influential broods in her damline. But her daughters Ballinderry Moth and Lemon Soda do and when mixed, this pair are responsible for some of the greats of Irish and English racing.

Ballinderry Moth carries seven crosses of the famed British bitch Negro's Fire and two of her daughter Quare Fire. She was a champion galloper herself and a true broodbitch gem.

Lemon Soda carries in-breeding to the bitches Kildrid Beauty and Quare Fire. Whenever her sons Skelligs Tiger, Curryhills Fox and Curryhill Brute* are matched, it can often result in outstanding gallopers. Toll Security carried a double of Curryhill Brute*.

Another Skipping Chick daughter, Lady Armada, carried doubles of Sally's Gossip and Quare Fire. She too crosses exceptionally well with either Lemon Soda and Ballinderry Moth. The great Staplers Jo is bred this way.

Nick Savva has long been one of the most famous greyhound men the world over. Nick developed two distinct damlines, through Cricket Dance (in 1966) and Hacksaw (in 1967). Cricket Dance had in-breeding to Mad Darkie, Hacksaw to Negro's Fire.

Savva produced broodbitch of 1984 Westmead Satin when he put Westmead Lane (a son of Cricket Dance) over Hacksaw. She was a Group 2 winner on the track and produced Group winners at stud. But when breeders today double-up Westmead Satin in their pedigrees, it can produce sensational results. This year's English Derby finalist and Irish Derby third Ballymac Ruso (Ballymac Maeve-Ballymac Lark) is out of a bitch in-bred to famous broodbitches Lemon Soda, Minnies Nikita, Westmead Satin and Skipping Chick, some multiple times.

Add to that the famous Irish broodbitch Murlens Chill (in-bred to Prairie Peg and her dam Prairie Vixen, and Last Landing the granddam of Monalee Champion).And Prairie Peg herself in-bred to Mad Darkie and of course the great Sarah's Bunny in-bred to Quare Fire and Last Landing.

Which finally brings us to the US where Dia's Stormy Day (President Day-Rebel Sue) is a huge influence. One of the best crosses in the US today is Flying Penske over daughters of Kiowa Sweet Trey. In fact 12 of the top 18 progeny out of daughters of Kiowa Sweet Trey are sired by Flying Penske.

Both dogs carry Dia's Stormy Day in their pedigree, Flying Penske as his third dam, and Kiowa Sweet Trey in his immediate sireline. Dia's Stormy Day was in-bred to a bitch called Gravel Gertie and while she was a US bred bitch, she was from all Australian blood by Handy Andy-Dawn Tullera.

Gravel Gertie carried in-breeding to the influential broodbitches of the time Rejoice (doubled up in the pedigree of Macareena), White Verse, Miss Verse, Bride's Veil and Another Fluke.

Gravel Gertie also has Deechmont in her pedigree. This is the famous broodbitch doubled-up in the pedigree of The Marne and who herself carried in-breeding to four broodbitches within her first seven generations.

While all this in-breeding to influential dams has provided exceptional broodbitches, in the majority of cases, the bitches themselves were also high class race bitches. Elsie Moss won a NSW St Leger, Shining Light was a country track greyhound of the year, Duchess Marina was a multiple city winner and Group class.

OK, it's not the only way to get an exceptional broodbitch prospect, but it's a good start.