Breeding Snippets for August 21, 2026

By Rob Courtney (NZSBA) 

Captain Moonlight (Always B Miki – Miss Moonlite Shadow) always looked above average after he qualified as a 2YO and after placing in two of his three 2YO starts, the future looked bright indeed. Things haven’t quite mapped out for his high profile ownership group for the now 4YO, but his second win (from 15 starts) at Cambridge last Friday suggested he is still capable of doing a job that his breeding strongly supports.

Dam Miss Moonlite Shadow was unraced but her first six foals have all been winners including Mr Sharkey (by Four Starzz Shark) and Ranger Bomb (by Sportswriter) who both took 1:50MRs when winning overseas.

There is a full brother to Captain Moonlight in the form of 2YO Fantabulous who is already qualified for the Dunn stable and has been a trial winner.

The latter was bred by Diane Behrns as was the ‘Captain’ and she has a yearling filly by Sweet Lou in the wings.

Miss Moonlite Shadow is a Christian Cullen daughter of Sirius Flight, the latter only having the five raceday starts, winning all five of them but in America.

That was because her dam Pacific Flight (Vance Hanover – Significant), while being a top filly here in NZ (9 NZ wins) for Roy and Barry Purdon, eventually found her way to America where she won another 38 races, taking a best winning MR of 1:51.2. That would have been some time back in the 90s.

She was put in foal to The Big Dog (by Dexter Nukes) and Sirius Flight was the resultant foal.

At stud here is NZ, she has done a fine job as a producer leaving the likes of Malak Uswaad (9 NZ wins and 1:49.4 in USA) and Timeless Perfection (7 wins from just 13 starts). The latter, also by Christian Cullen, has continued on a now very commercial pedigree. From only eight live foals of racing age to date, she has left eight winners with all eight going under the 2 min. barrier. Artsplace daughter First Class Lady (4 wins) has already produced a Sires Stakes 2YO final winner in Freeze Frame. Plutonium Lady (11 wins and $212k) was a smart mare and is another to successfully breed on. Rakero Rebel won 16 races and close to $452k.

There is real quality in this equine family and Captain Moonlight now has an opportunity to add to its legacy

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Punters made Terry Webster favourite at Addington and at start no.14 he finally lived up to what his breeding had promised, with now the real possibility of more to come.

He is the first foal of his dam She’s Allthe Craze (Crazed – Kylie Ree) who won eight races on the track. Terry Webster is by champion trotting sire Majestic Son and has three full relations coming on for the same ownership group. She is currently in foal to that same sire.

Second dam Kylie Ree was a very smart mare winning four races from just 11 starts ($113k) but as a broodmare has gone to another level before her untimely passing.

All six foals have proven to be good winners with the standout being current mulitiple Group 1 winner Gus (another by Majestic Son). The Aussie-trained trotter is the current Inter-dominion champion and dominated at the NZ Cup carnival last year including a great win in our Dominion Handicap.

Half brother Son Of Patrick won 14 races and $169k on both sides of the Tasman.

All this stemming from the pacing bred Nerokilo who won six races trotting.

By Clever Innocence (by Nero), Nerokilo was from a Locarno mare. Locarno (18 wins), a noted speed horse by Local Light, won a Miracle Mile for West Melton horseman Robin Butt and was richly bred being from Bravine (8 wins) and a half brother to good types like Ostrava (10 NZ wins) and Agrinion (9 wins).

This was a great family through the 70s and 80s for Mid Canterbury owner Bruce Francis and his family.

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When a trotter wins three of its first 11 starts, one begins to take notice of its progress with a delve into its breeding that might suggest where the ‘ability’ comes from.

Paramount Spur is such a trotter and the Speeding Spur 4YO is proving a great advert for his local sire who won 28 races in 3 countries.

Both horses were trained by John Dickie and driven by son Josh and their latest trotting winner is the sixth foal and fifth winner from Paramount Bliss (Majestic Son – Paramount Star). The latter didn’t get to the races but had plenty to recommend as a broodmare being a seven-race winning daughter of champion sire Sundon.

Paramount Star has been a great broodmare for Brian West’s Studholme Park leaving 7 winners and 1 qualifier from 11 foals.

Paramount Geegee was an outstanding young trotter, again for the Dickies, winning 17 of 30 races on both sides of the Tasman, banking $561k along the way.

Paramount Queen (8 wins), Paramount King (8 wins) and Paramount Kiwi (6 wins to date) have all made significant contributions to the ‘family tree’ with a number of half sisters breeding on to very good effect.

Paramount Dream, by Pegasus Spur, was a fine example of that before her ‘passing’, being the dam of two winners from just three foals. Dream Of You (by Love You) won eight times banking $122k and half brother Dreams Pat, by Father Patrick, has won six races to date.

A generation further back one finds Paramount Jack (12 NZ wins) before getting exported to America where he won in a 1:58MR.

With only 32 registered foals, the oldest being his 13 4YOs, Speeding Spur would be worthy of a second glance from those who breed trotters. It is certainly an affordable option.

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Always A Sprinter scored win no.1 at start no.3 at Cambridge, confirming the promise the son of Always B Miki had displayed since qualifying at the beginning of this year. Like many of the Mikis, he has got better with time and this win was not completely unexpected when hearing what driver Crystal Hackett had to say post race.

Dam Miss Shuga (Art Major – Maid In Splendour) placed in a brief career and Always A Sprinter is her first foal. There is a yearling colt by Pebble Beach & a weanling full brother in the wings and the mare is back in foal to Pebble Beach.

Second dam Maid In Splendour was handy enough winning four races and as a broodmare all five of her foals made it to the races.

First foal Never Say Never was snapped up by America after winning once here in NZ and race timed in 1:50 in his new home land.

Fifth foal Pace N Pride won six times in NZ and $104k before also heading offshore and winning in 1:51. Both were by champion sire Bettor’s Delight.

Maid In Splendour (Christian Cullen – Diamonds N Gold) has some staunch breeding behind her. Her dam Diamonds N Gold (Holmes Hanover – Tabella Bindy) left 11 foals for 11 winners and was a half sister to one of the great pacers of the 90s. His name…. Desperate Comment (22 wins and $789k) when trained by legendary horseman RM (Bob) Cameron. The son of Soky’s Atom was an elite class performer over a number of seasons against the likes of Iraklis and Il Vicolo.

Interestingly, he did not start racing until he was a 4YO (2 starts for 2 wins).

The progress of Always A Sprinter will be watched with much interest.

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Nazare looks a good horse in the making and while he had a nice trip fresh up, his third win in just 6 starts in a 1:57MR at Cambridge must give his connections something to really look forward to as the season unfolds.

The Downbytheseaside – Amazon Lily 3YO comes from a family that was quite ‘hot’ some 30 years ago.

Dam Amazon Lily, by Bettor’s Delight, was above average winning six races and just under $100k in stakes. While Nazare is her first winner (foal no.3), the first two of her progeny did qualify and raced without winning. She has a yearling filly by Always B Miki on the ground (foal no.4) and is in foal to Pebble Beach.

Second dam The Blue Lotus was a two-time winner for breeder Bee Pears and only had the four foals in NZ before being sold on. Three of those foals have been winners

She was a daughter of Zenterfold (In The Pocket – Zenola Star) who won four races and as a broodmare left Tintin In America (16 wins and $934k) at her first attempt as a matron. Eventually 11 of her 12 foals were good enough to make it to the races.

She was a half sister to good sorts in Zenad (14 wins), Zenola Seelster (12 wins) and Ruebe Star (18 wins).

For good measure, a number of daughters of Zenola Star bred on very successfully. This is the family that gave us Inter-dominion champion and Auckland Cup winner Elsu (27 wins) and a number of other very horses, in both gaits.

Interestingly, Elsu quickly lost favour with NZ breeders some years ago but as a son of Falcon Seelster, a number of his daughters have proven to be good broodmares.

In the meantime, Navare looks like a very good chance to add to the exploits of this ‘deep’ pedigree.

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Impressive Shard (Captain Crunch – Pemberton Shard) is another recent winner at Oamaru with a pedigree that oozes some class.

Dam Pemberton Shard won 11 races on both sides of the Tasman, banking $230k along the way. At stud, her first four foals have all been winners with Impressive Shard now the winner of two races from 28 starts.

Bred by the Smiths of Shard Farm, there is a 3YO filly by Bettor’s Wish called Wish List which is qualified and a yearling filly by Downbytheseaside coming on in behind. The mare is back in foal to Downbytheseaside.

Second dam Sly Shard (Panorama – Sly Soky) was a four-time winner before leaving millionaire pacer Smiling Shard (17 wins) and Mach Shard (20 wins + $843k) amongst her seven winners. A fine effort considering that all but one of her foals were conceived by embryo transfer (ET).

In turn, Sly Soky left top open class pacer Sly Flyin (29 wins and $911k) who no doubt would have passed the $1M mark if he had stayed sound. A number of her daughters have bred on successfully.

Spicey (9 NZ wins and $180k) has left a strong branch of this pedigree in her own right. Sly And Stylish left five winners while an unraced daughter in Jaz Tanner left the handy Eric Clapton (11 wins and $101k) and 1:49 pacer Pat Stanley.

Shards A Flyin left Regal Ideal (39 wins in 3 countries and $335k).

Lady Gaga, by Christian Cullen and the last live foal of Sly Soky, was a race winner and has left the five race winners including 1:50 pacer Nicol Shard (by SBSW) and Shards Of Manhatten (5 wins).

This is the immediate family of Hill Of Gold (In The Pocket – Touch Of Gold) who left yet another millionaire pacer in Gold Ace (22 wins) and the very smart filly General Jen (7 wins to date and $147k).