Breeding Snippets for June 15, 2026

By Rob Courtney (NZ Standardbred Breeders Association) 

First starter Partytime, from the Nathan Williamson stable, lived up to his favouritism on debut when the 3YO gelding by Tall Dark Stranger sprinted sharply from the trail over the final 150m at Ascot Park to clearly outpoint his rivals in a 1:59.7MR. It was impressive work.

But he is bred to be above average. Tall Dark Stranger, a son of Bettor’s Delight, was only beaten a couple of times in an illustrious career although numbers on the ground in NZ are small at best.

Dam Surprise Party was a winner in a brief 11 start career and Partytime is her fifth winner from her first 7 foals.

Originally in the John and Katrina Price broodmare band before getting sold to current owner/breeder Australian Ray Thacker, Repartee, by Well Said, a 17 race winner and $161k and Stag Party (7 wins), by Bettor’s Delight, have arguably been her best foals to date. The Prices still have a connection to the mare, breeding from another daughter in Yankee Party (5 wins), by American Ideal, and have a 2yo ¾ sister to Partytime on the ground by Tall Dark Stranger.

Surprise Party (Christian Cullen – Champagne Party) represents a very commercial and current family in today’s harness racing. Champagne Party won 14 races and $159k herself and at stud has gone on to leave Democrat Party (6 wins) who in turn has produced millionaire pacer Republican Party (27 wins) and the unbeaten 2YO Tour Party (4 from 4) amongst her 4 winners.

Going directly back to a former ‘Broodmare of the Year’ in Bee Gee’s Dream, this pedigree is stacked with high class performers.

The performance on debut strongly suggests that Partytime has inherited a fair amount of this family ability

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Southern identity Ginger (BG) Woodhouse is not famous just because of a certain cheese advert on the TV.

Going all the way back to the mid 60s, Woodhouse bred a trotting mare called Dorocin (Medoro – Cinchona) and in 1973 he got a filly from her he called Princess Pat (4 wins). Princess Pat was by Tempest Hanover, a son of the great Tar Heel.

At stud Princess Pat left 7 foals for 5 winners and one qualifier with just two being fillies, Young Pat (6 wins) by Pernod Eden and Pats’s Daughter, unraced, by Gee Whiz.

Woodhouse sold the latter but bred from Young Pat. Now synonymous with the ‘Pat’ name attached to the foals, Young Pat left 7 winners including the globetrotting Supreme Pat (34 wins and $361k and 1:54.6), Turbo Pat (8 wins) and Go Pat (3 wins).

The latter, by Gee Whiz, took Woodhouse’s breeding into the 2000s and she was to leave another 6 winners with Here Come’s Pat (8 wins) probably the best of them. Another daughter, JD Pat (2 wins), by champion sire Sundon, went to stud and immediately left Alderbeck as her first foal. The daughter of Pegasus Spur won 13 races and $122k, 10 of those wins from the Phil Williamson stable.

Now in 2026, Alderbeck, now owned by Bev Williamson, is the dam of Invercargill winner Becky’s Girl (3 wins from just 7 starts to date), her second foal.

First foal Kraccka Looka, by Father Patrick has won four races to date from the Brad Williamson stable.

There are youngsters by What The Hill (filly) and Oscar Bonavena (colt) on the ground but in the meantime Becky’s Girl looks highly promising.

As they say in the Mainland Cheese ad….some things just take time.

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Recent Auckland winner Dino looks a horse with a future. Bought at the 2025 Christchurch yearling sales when offered by Todd Anderson’s Taffy Ltd by Montana Park principal Dean Shannon for $85k, the 2YO son of Bettor’s Delight was a warm order for his debut after some impressive trial form and while getting few favours in the running, got over the top of his rivals including a gallant Go Jimmy Cassidy (3g American Ideal) in the final 50m.

Dam Tandias Bromac, yet another broodmare by champion sire Art Major, won 14 races, 12 of those in Australia but was placed at Group 1 level before getting exported across the Tasman.

At stud she has already left the very smart The Falcon who has won the 14 races to date and $290k and won in 1:49.8. He is a full brother to Dino.

Another foal, Rumble Stride, by Captaintreacherous, showed plenty of ability winning five of just 10 starts before injury curtailed that promising career.

Second dam Tandias Courage, by Stoneridge Scooter, was a Group 1 winning 2YO in Australia on her way to winning $305k. Her seven winners from the broodmare paddock include Tatijana Bromac (8 wins and $198k) with the latter going on to leave the outstanding Aardies Express (19 wins and 1:48.9) and Te Amo Bromac (7 wins and $146k).

Another daughter in Tania Tandias, by Falcon Seelster, while unraced, has left six winners to date (of 71 races) including the very handy Tommy Lincoln (16 wins)

Four of her winners have won in 1:54 of better.

As for Dino, he is held in some regard by the Purdon/Phelan stable and with this pedigree behind him, it would come as no surprise to see him battling with the better 2yos later in the season.

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North Canterbury owner/breeder Don McKenzie may have passed but his legacy lives on with his estate still in the ownership of impressive Auckland winner Viscount Mackendon.

The Volstead 5YO from Princess Mackendon has now won the four races and is in a rich vein of form for the Wallis/Hackett training partnership as he heads towards the $100k mark in career earnings.

His dam, Princess Mackendon, now owned by northern junior driver Crystal Hackett nearly got to that figure, winning nine times and accumulating $95k in the process.

Her first three foals, all bred by McKenzie, have been winners and Hackett has a weanling filly on the ground by Oscar Bonavena and has the mare in foal to Father Patrick in the most recent breeding season.

Second dam Stimulus (1 win) left 8 winners from 9 foals for McKenzie and breeding partner Jenny Butt with her daughters breeding on to very good effect.

Prestine (5 wins) as an example, has already left Master Class (5 wins to date) and the very promising Prestigious (also 5 wins to date).

Stimulus was a daughter of Abundant and the Game Pride – First Prize mare literally left an abundance of winners for the Butt/McKenzie partnership.

One from the family that didn’t win, Epona, by Sundon, left the millionaire trotter Vulcan (20 wins)

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Bettor’s Delight mare Dance N Delight is certainly doing a fine job for the Kinzett family and although she was unraced herself, that hasn’t stopped her leaving four winners from her first four foals born.

Cheer Up N Dance, by Always B Miki, became that fourth winner when winning her debut for trainer Nathan Williamson at Addington last Friday night, justifying the long trip north and favouritism on the night.

Shut Up N Dance (3 wins from just 3 starts) was the first to come along and now as an Art Major broodmare, already has three foals on the ground, the oldest being Hush Up N Dance, by American Ideal, an unraced 3YO to date.

Get Up N Dance, by Rock N Roll Heaven won 7 races & Rise Up N Dance, also by Art Major, has won 3 races to date. Coming up in behind is a yearling filly by Stay Hungry and a weanling colt by Always B Miki.

Dance N Delight is from the Christian Cullen mare Hurricane Dancer and ironically is the only progeny from her dams 11 foals that did not qualify to race.

Best of that crop was arguably God Forbid (12 NZ wins and $111k) who went to America and won in 1:50.

Hurricane Dancer was a daughter of Tuapeka Dancer and has the highly productive Maureen’s Dream (5 wins) as her grandmother and this branch of this pedigree went on to leave a host of good winners for the Cummings family of Lawrence.

Dance N Delight is a great example of a well bred mare but with no race record doing the business in the ‘breeding stakes’

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Wishing For U (3g Bettor’s Delight – Cmeerock) might have got under punters guard when it won its second race (from 9 starts) at Addington last week in a 1:57.4MR but scrutiny of his pedigree makes it much less of a surprise.

Bred by trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn along with Doctors Taylor and Evans and raced by the same ownership group, the son of our champion sire is the third foal and third winner from his Rocknroll Hanover dam.

First foal Rock Me Lou won on debut and was then quickly sold to Australian interests where he won another two with a best winning MR of 1:55.7.

Second foal is the promising full sister Candy Cane who has won four races to date from 16 starts.

There is a 2YO colt by Bettors Wish coming up in behind and Cmee Cella, also by Sweet Lou but just a yearling who has been broken in.

Robert Dunn trained Cmeerock to win three races as he did the second dam Veecmee (Christian Cullen – Sav Blanc For Mee) who won 8 on the track.

The latter only had the three foals but all three made it into the winner’s circle.

The ‘Mee’ name comes from breeder, the late Ernie Mee who through the '70s and 80s enjoyed considerable success from the progeny of Believe Me (Fallacy – Roistar). She left dual Derby winner Mighty Me (11 NZ wins and $141k) and a number of her daughters bred on with very good success. Nanoose (3 wins), Charsi Me (2 wins), Lady Me (2 wins) and Vee Mee (4 wins and $174k) all became winner producer broodmares. Templeton horseman, the late Mike DeFilippi was one trainer who enjoyed a good level of success with this breed.

Robert Dunn, one of our top trainers over a number of years, obviously knew how good the family was because he invested in it.

It would come as no surprise if Wishing For U continued that winning feeling as the current season progresses through the winter months.