Exciting Matron Delivers Five To Tommy Shelby

A Group 3 winner produced five pups by Tommy Shelby this week as pups from her first litter are starting to set tracks alight in NSW and Victoria.

Clinton Payne15 May 2024

NEWHAVEN Stud Farm proprietor Nick De La Roche has welcomed a litter of five prized puppies.

De La Roche announced 2021 Group 3 Ladies Bracelet winner Pay Call gave birth to three dogs and two bitches by exciting stud dog Tommy Shelby in recent days.

"We've got five, good sized and healthy pups so we're pretty happy," De La Roche said.

"She's a great mum and hopefully one day these will follow in their mother and father's footsteps."

The Tommy Shelby litter is Pay Call's third and early indications are the daughter of Moreira is transferring her racetrack ability into her pups.

Pay Call's first litter are the only registered litter Million Dollar Chase winner Handsome Prince.

Four of the pups have so far made it to the races, all winners including a few exciting prospects.

The De La Roche-owned Mahogany broke through in great style last week at Warragul, coming from the tail of the field, overcoming midrace interference to score while Handsome Prince and Pay Call's former trainer Peter Lagogiane recently unleashed Cool Junior.

The brindle dog won his maiden at Richmond on April 29 when recording a slick 18.11 seconds to win his maiden on debut over 320m before going back-to-back in the maiden final seven days later, again running smart time, 18.20 which was the best of the day.

Astute Victorian conditioner Terry Reid prepares a sister to the above dogs, Payback which is expected to be one of the leading chances in Thursday's $10,000-to-the-winner GRV Vicbred (0-4 wins) Final (650m).

After winning her maiden, Reid declared "she really has a motor" suggesting the brindle bitch is a stayer of the future.

"They are a pretty exciting litter," De La Roche said. "A few of them look really strong.

"I think there's some exciting times for their owners over the next 12 months and beyond and they are still not two yet."

Pay Call's second litter, by Beast Unleashed, head to the breakers in the coming weeks.

Pay Call hails from the same dam line as De La Roche's star chaser Au Contraire who recently won the Group 3 Ultra Sense and last Saturday night she won her 10th race from 32 starts at Wentworth Park.

Au Contraire's grand-dam Charlotte Grace is a half-sister to Pay Call.