Millie Minor & Director

TED Medhurst certainly spoilt the party Karlene Cuthbertson and Sally-Anne Wilson had planned after the Tassie Breeders Classic last week.

Not that Karlene and Sally-Ann would be disappointed by the feat.

Ted, you see, won the Classic with Zorro's Legacy (Bombastic Shiraz-Fallen Zorro). But chasing Zorro's Legacy home was six finalists bred by Karlene and Sally-Ann three each from different litters.

The pups were Millie Minor, Pak And Wrap and Molly's Legacy (Where's Pedro - Smart and Sassy) as well as Director, No Emotion and Captain Cosmic (Cosmic Rumble-Icy Popsicle).

Consider just what Karlene and Sally-Ann have achieved here.

To have bred and reared six finalists in any race let alone a classic like this is an achievement more easily related to Paul Wheeler.

I remember Smart And Sassy (Token Prince-Lucky Penna) winning the Qld Futurity at Albion Park when raced and trained by Sarah and Andrew Monaghan. That Group 2 bitches series has a remarkable history for producing quality broodbitches.

Karlene bought Smart And Sassy from Sarah and Andrew and put her to Bond to produce the Group 1 performer Thirteen Black.

Matings to Bombastic Shiraz and Slater were not as good…simply because they did not contain Brett Lee, or to be more precise his father Gun Law Osti.

Smart And Sassy's dam Lucky Penna is by Light Of Fire-Paris Match and thus a half sister to Bobniak the damsire of such greats as Pure Octane, Hallucinate, Where's Pedro, Crash and Meticulous.

We have mentioned often that Paris Match (Brother Fox-Osti's Shadow) is a genetic sister to Gun Law Osti (Brother Fox-Miss Dusty Lee). Osti's Shadow and Miss Dusty Lee are half sisters, both being out of the great Osti Lee.

Smart And Sassy should always be mated to a son of Brett Lee.

That's because Brett Lee and Lucky Penna, dam of Smart And Sassy, are bred on the reverse cross of Brother Fox/New Tears.

The Where's Pedro-Smart And Sassy mating that produced three of the Tassie Classic finalists brings in Bobniak and his half sister Lucky Penna 3x2, or to be more precise a further reinforcement of the Brother Fox/Osti Lee mix three times.

Sarah and Andrew Monaghan put their Vince Curry Maiden winner Vizcaya to both Hallucinate and Where's Pedro to also reinforce Paris Match and the best of those was Group performer Aston Lucas (by Hallucinate).

These days it is difficult to get semen from Hallucinate. He works much better with Token Prince bitches than does his brother Where's Pedro.

The very fast Brisbane sprinter Gnarley Boy is by Where's Pedro from Suna Silence by Token Prince though. He was a finalist in a number of Group races.

Miss Ross, a full sister to Smart And Sassy, but from an earlier litter, produced the very fast galloper Ruffian in a mating to Hallucinate and Ruffian was a Qld Derby finalist before breaking down.

Champion stayer Miagi (Hallucinate-Deloris by Token Prince) is another example of this cross.

With Hallucinate almost impossible to get, Karlene and Sally-Ann obviously opted to go with Where's Pedro and the three finalists in the Tassie Classic is proof the cross worked.

Which brings us to the other trio of finalists.

Their dam Icy Popsicle (Hallucinate-Miss Bardie by Just The Best) was an exceptionally fast sprinter who held a short course track record at Launceston.

The fact she carries duplications of Amerigo Man through two daughters would tell me she should mate a stud dog with a SON of Amerigo Man. Apart from Amerigo Magic, the sire of Rapid Journey, it is difficult to achieve this is any stud dog.

Her dam Miss Bardie had already produced the stayer Time To Speed (Bombastic Shiraz-Miss Bardie).

Icy Popsicle, being a sprinter, meant she needed strong lines to be able to produce. For that reason it was wise to put her to a stud dog that did not produce many duplications.

Cosmic Rumble (Spiral Nikita-Spiritual Rumble) was chosen by Karlene and Sally-Ann.

This mating brought in a 3x3 duplication and sex balance to Brett Lee. But this is the closest duplication. The next being on the fifth line with multiple crosses of Brother Fox.

Brett Lee in this position will be dominant, but Brother Fox along the X path through Paris Match (in her sire Hallucinate) and Follow Through in Cosmic Rumble was also able to impact the resultant offspring.

It is very early days in the career of Brett Lee at stud for duplications this close to be seen as a success or otherwise, but how can duplicating one of the greatest greyhounds of all time not prove a success.

Cosmic Rumble was able to run 29.60 around Wentworth Park and a track record at Lismore as a pup, but he was best known for his strength.

The fact Icy Popsicle does not carry a cross of Malawi's Prince in her pedigree to provide a duplication with Cosmic Rumble was another asset.

Malawi's Prince is a real source of pace.

This mating is not a complete outcross through Spiral Nikita. He carries the famous Skipping Chick damline, and she also appears in Farloe Melody*, sire of Bobniak, who is Ice Popsicle's dominant ancestor.

WHICH brings us to the litter brothers Beaudine and Bell Haven (Head Bound-It's A She) who ran the quinella at Hobart last week in the Distance series final.

Butch Deverell trains Beaudine and ted Medhurst has Bell Haven the odds-on favourite who suffered interference during running and was narrowly beaten into second.

Their dam It's A She (Bond-Iza Tora) was a very fast bitch who started her career in Queensland running 30.65 around Ipswich during the Vince Curry Maiden series.

Her litter brother is none other than Mr Metz winner of the Group 1 Brisbane Cup, Dapto Maiden, Dapto Megastars, Townsville Cup, Capalaba Cup and Michael Miller Memorial.

The feature of Mr Metz's career was his sensational early pace, burning off Group class rivals to the first turn.

So for his litter sister It's A She to produce two fine stayers it is indeed an interesting situation.

This is a female line that does not generally get stayers.

It's A She and her litter brother Mr Metz carry three outcrosses close up in their pedigree via Grove Whisper, Woodland Citizen and Balligari.

There is a balance of Whisper Wishes in the link between Grove Whisper and Balligari.

The pedigree of Bell Haven and Beaudine shows in-breeding 1x3 to the half brothers Head Bound and Brett Lee but along the male line on both sides of the pedigree.