Hooked On Scotch
DEWANA Star’s brilliant victory in Friday night’s Group 1 Harrison Dawson at Sandown highlighted once again just how good that Hooked On Scotch/Fabregas “nick” is proving.
Dewana Star is a son of Hooked On Scotch and the Fabregas bitch Dewana Classic.
The dominance in the pedigree is the 3x2 cross of Misty Fields and Fabregas.
Check out their pedigree and it soon becomes obvious that Misty Fields and Fabregas are bred on a reverse cross … it is a perfect balance of the pedigree of Dewana Star.
Misty Fields is by a SON of Larkhill Jo and from a DAUGHTER of Black Shiraz.
Fabregas, in contrast, is by a SON of Black Shiraz and carries a DAUGHTER of Larkhill Jo.
But, one instance does not a perfect pedigree make.
That super NZ-bred sprinter Postman Pat (Hooked On Scotch-Birdie Tee by Fabregas) started the ball rolling way back in 2022-23.
He was soon followed by Golden Easter Egg and Million Dollar Chase winner Power And Glory (Hooked On Scotch-Kwong Magic) whose second dam is by Fabregas.
And then in 2026, again the Golden Easter Egg went to another son of Hooked On Scotch.
This time it is Off The Chart (Hooked On Scotch-Peggy Lu by Fabregas).
Off The Chart’s litter sister, Simply Stunning, was a fabulous third last Friday night in the G1 Sapphire Crown.
Back over in NZ, that multiple Group placegetter and finalist, Let Him Cook, is also by Hooked On Scotch from a Fabregas bitch.
JASON Thompson and the Lord family’s Group 1 double last Friday night, Ayden’s Warrior in the Sandown Cup and Secret Bandit in the Sapphire Crown, also highlighted crosses that work.
Ayden’s Warrior is by Fernando Bale from Book Of Luck and daughter of My Bro Fabio.
That’s been a proven cross for ages.
The strength of the cross is found in Fernando Bale’s dam Chloe Allen and My Bro Fabio’s sire Turanza Bale.
They are both by Primo Uno (balanced via daughter and son), both carry Head Honcho in their damline, and both come from the same Gail’s Beauty direct damline.
Secret Bandit, on the other hand, is by Bernardo from Panorama the mother being bred on the Fernando Bale/Barcia Bale cross.
It is the very same direct damline as superstar Deadly Avenger.
Someone told me a few months ago they had received advice that Bernardo over a daughter of Fernando Bale was not working. The advice came from a breeding “guru” in Victoria.
Examples of the Bernardo/Fernando Bale “nick” working to Group level include:
Pass The Buck (G2 Wgl Cup, finalist The Phoenix, G2 Wgl Cup, G2 Trar Cup, G2 Ben Cup, G2 Bulli Gold Cup, G3 Great Chase)
Lamia Mila (Ballarat TR, finalist G2 Laurels)
Coast Rig (G1 Peter Mosman Opal, 2nd G2 WA Oaks, finalist G1 Dapto Megastar, G2 Black Top, G3 Mid-North Coast Cup)
Qld star Get Carter (QGOLD Emerging Sprinters, 2nd G1 Ips Gold Cup, G3 Qld Flame, QGOLD Summer Sprint, finalist G3 Bris Cup Consol)
My Hepburn (2nd G1 Paws Of Thunder, 3rd G2 Gos Cup, G2 Rich Oaks, G3 Xmas Gift, G3 Ladies Bracelet).
WA star Bezzecchi (WPk 29.12, Winter Cup, Dorsa Mem, 2nd G2 Mandurah Cup, The Westchase, 3rd Anniversary Cup, finalist Million Dollar Chase, Summer Chase, Paradise Street Tphy, WA-bred Cship)
Magic Bandit (G1 Nat Futurity, finalist G3 New Sensation)
Honk Honk (29.19 WPk 5th fastest, finalist G3 New Sensation)
Paw Vortex (G3 Wagga Cup, Wagga TR, 3rd G1 Rookie Rebel, G3 Easter Gift, finalist G1 Silver Chief, G2 Gel Cup, G3 Bris Cup Consol, Listed Aust Day Sprint)
Dr Asher (The Emerald Consol, finalist G2 Ben Cup, G3 Bris Cup Consol)
Verdi (finalist G2 Horsham Cup, G3 Country Cship)
Iconic Jet (Northam TR, G3 WA Young Stars, Spring Gift, WA Nat Sprint, 2nd G3 SA Derby, Mandurah Derby, finalist G1 Silver Chief, G1 Nat Sprint, WA-Bred Cship)
Canya Sapphire (2nd G3 New Sensation, 3rd G2 Nowra Puppy Classic, finalist G1 Peter Mosman Opal)
Rare Speed (finalist G1 Perth Cup, Dorsa Mem, Winter Cup)
Double Denim (finalist G1 Sandown Cup)
Secret Bandit (WPk 29.24, G1 Sapphire Crown, finalist G2 Rich Oaks, G3 Temora Cup)
Consigliere (G3 New Sensation, 2nd G1 Easter Egg, 3rd G1 Aust Cup, finalist G1 HDawson, WPk 29.38)
Classy Bandit (Zoom Top Mdn, finalist G1 Easter Egg, G3 Temora Cup)
It was always going to be a successful cross, probably simply because Bernardo is such a popular stud dog, and there are so many daughters of Fernando Bale that can go to him.
