Bekim Bale at stud

SO Bekim Bale is to have a six-month stint at stud while he recovers from an injury.

Yes, that Bekim Bale (Bartrim Bale-Amelia Bale by Sonic Flight) the current "boom" youngster who took speed to another dimension when he lowered the Sandown track record to 28.96 a month or so ago.

Yes, that Bekim Bale who won the Group 3 Sandown Shootout when still only a baby and very inexperienced.

Yes, that Bekim Bale who by the time he had run in only his 12th race, had already been in two Group 1 finals.

It is unfortunate that the only time he has been out of the placings in those 12 starts (he has won eight and been second twice) was in the Melbourne and Brisbane Cup finals.

It is to be hoped Bekim Bale does come back to racing because there is little doubt he can win a Group 1 even if his habit of being a tad slow early, and liking to get wide in his races had come against him in his first two tries.

The fact a greyhound's best racing comes from two and a half to three and a half years of age, and the fact Paul Wheeler's breed seems to get better with maturity, it would be reasonable to assume Bekim Bale could go even faster in six months time.

I have already analysed the pedigree of Bekim Bale. He is a great grandson of Brett Lee from a Group 1 placed bitch who was a fine city class stayer herself and a sister to a champion stayer.

His sire, the now China-based Bartrim Bale, is line bred to Farloe Melody via sons 4x3 but he also carries a further cross of import Grove Whisper in his damline.

Bekim Bale's dam Amelia Bale (Sonic Flight-Evonne Bale) is by the half Aussie stud dog Sonic Flight (son of Victorian dog Frightful Flash) and out of a bitch that carries US stud star By Tar in her tail female line.

Broodbitch owners are always keen to rush off to the latest superstar who retires to stud often without thinking if their bitch really suits the dog or not.

They do this at their own peril.

So just what sort of bitches will best suit Bekim Bale?

It is his damline that will have the most impact upon his greatness at stud, or even his chances of succeeding.

Sonic Flight, his damsire, will have a HUGE bearing because he is a dominant ancestor within the pedigree of Bekim Bale.

Obviously we will need to look closely at the pedigree of Sonic Flight to ascertain just what crosses will suit him with the intention of helping Bekim Bale sire winners, city performers, and ultimately superstars.

Sonic Flight is a half brother to the outstanding Irish galloper Larkhill Jo (by Staplers Jo) and that must be our first cab off the rank.

Bitches with Larkhill Jo somewhere in their pedigree could be ideal for Bekim Bale. Larkhill Jo is found as the sire in Australia of Paddy's Flame.

Larkhill Jo is also the sire in Australia of Ahane Lad, Phoenix Ice, Digital, Valentia Citrate all Irish gallopers imported to this country.

Daughters of all these sires, in a mating to Bekim Bale, will bring in the cross of the half brothers Sonic Flight and Larkhill Jo.

Broodbitches with Larkhill Jo though a daughter and in the tail female line will be particularly suited.

But also significant is the fact Sonic Flight's dam Westmead Flight is from one of England's great damlines.

Westmead Flight is bred identically to Phantom Flash. Both are by Flashy Sir and both are out of daughters of Westmead Satin a famed English broodbitch.

When Westmead Flight and Phantom Flash are mixed within pedigrees (most often in their home countries of Ireland and England), it often upgrades the resultant offspring.

In Australia, Phantom Flash can be found as the sire of Spiral Nikita the former star Irish sprinter whose frozen semen has had a great impact upon our local female lines.

He is found in many, many females here.

His son Cosmic Rumble has served plenty of bitches and reports of his early progeny is promising, some better than promising.

Daughters of Cosmic Rumble will eventually get to stud and will be ideal for a mating to Bekim Bale.

Phantom Flash is also the damsire of the former star Irish galloper Ballymac Maeve whose frozen semen has come to Australia. Daughters of Ballymac Maeve will be particularly suited to matings to Bekim Bale.

Westmead Satin is also the third dam of Balligari the English Laurels winner who is still found in some of Australia's female lines. Bitches with Balligari in their make-up will suit Bekim Bale as well.

Light Of Fire is the damsire of Amelia Bale (dam of Bekim Bale). He too will have an impact on whatever matings Bekim Bale has.

Light Of Fire is genetically similar to Sobbing Sal, the dam of legend Brett Lee who also happens to be the great grandsire of Bekim Bale.

Bringing in bitches with Brett Lee in their make-up, primarily via a daughter, should also suit Bekim Bale. Bringing Brett Lee via a daughter will allow the link between Light Of Fire and Sobbing Sal to be at its strongest.

As Light Of Fire is a son of Centrefire, it will also make sense to put bitches to Bekim Bale that have Centrefire's full brother Shining Chariot in their pedigree.

Bombastic Shiraz has Shining Chariot in his tail female line. Mogambo's dam Zarbo is line bred to Shining Chariot. So is Amy's Sonnet the dam of Run's House.

Bekim Bale's fifth dam is Hot Lace. She is found as the third dam of Paul Wheeler's Ashom Bale who just happens to be the damsire of Dyna Lachlan.

I'm certain somewhere down the track a daughter of Dyna Lachlan will be mated to Bekim Bale and produce an outstanding galloper. It will double Hot Lace in a significant position.

Paul Wheeler, and a number of other Australian breeders, utilized frozen semen for former US dog Braddy (Perceive-Buzz Off).

Braddy's dam, legend US broodbitch Buzz Off, is a half sister to By Tar the sire of Bekim Bale's third dam Frosty Bale.

Obviously broodbitches with Braddy, and his litter brother the champion Blendway, in their pedigree can safely go to Bekim Bale knowing it will bring in a cross of By Tar and his half sister the great broodbitch Buzz Off.

These are just some options for Bekim Bale at stud.

There are many, many more.

Wheeler bred stud dogs do not have a great reputation as successful stud dogs. Most were the result of very outcrossed pedigrees and this generally does not allow the stud dog himself to be dominant. Bartrim Bale is heavily line bred.

Statistics show track record breakers often make very fine stud dogs. It's not guaranteed, but it's a great place to start.

Bekim Bale has taken speed, at Sandown at least, to a new level.

It will be interesting to see how he is accepted at stud.