Hooked On Scotch To Make A Splash At Stud

IT must have been exciting in the Puleio household back in 2018-19 when Victorians Darren and his dad Mick were sweeping all before them with litter brothers Poke The Bear and Out Of Range.

The sons of Fernando Bale-Nicki Fields between them won the Topgun, Silver Chief, National Derby, Traralgon Cup, McKenna Memorial, Speed Star, Silver Bullet – all at group level.

Their list of finals berths included the Million Dollar Chase, Melbourne Cup, Temlee, Paws Of Thunder, Horsham Cup.

You name it … they were in it!

So, what would Darren and Mick have felt when they knew they had “one at home even better”, a son of Barcia Bale and Nicki Fields.

They named him Hooked On Scotch and it was a name that described an awesome racing machine.

For that is exactly what Hooked On Scotch became.

From 27 starts he won 16 and was placed six times earning $365,000. His trainer Jason Thompson loved him … almost as much as Darren and Mick.

Like just about every great stud dog that has gone before him, Hooked On Scotch's crowning glory was to smash a track record, in his case the Sandown 515m mark running an awesome 28.94.

His win in the G1 Adelaide Cup coming from behind to wear down absolute superstars like Whiskey Riot (22 wins, $812,000) and Sennachie (18 wins, $696,000) had to be seen to be believed. 

Toss in victories in the G1 Hobart 1000, G2 Geelong Cup, G3 Speed Star and G3 Sandown Shootout, a third in the G1 Melbourne Cup and a finalist spot in a star studded G1 Brisbane Cup and you have a dog that was special indeed. Very, very special.

Everything about Hooked On Scotch is awesome.

His race record, the fact his dam was a G1 finalist, that he is from a damline that has already produced a superstar stud dog as well as so many Group performers it is impossible to list them all, and that he could run times few others could match … well it all adds up to a stud career.

Hooked On Scotch was earmarked for a stud career from very early on in his race career.

He is bred on the same Barcia Bale/Knocka Norris (Elite Oriental) cross as champion Aston Dee Bee whose stud career is already on the way to success. 

He is also bred along similar lines to Group star Shima Shine, by Barcia Bale from the Portrait family. It was always going to be a recipe for success.

Brood bitch owners are rightfully happy with his introductory stud fee of $2200 and there are numerous ways to mate him with a view to producing future stars.

HOOKED ON SCOTCH'S STUD PROFILE PAGE

Hooked On Scotch is an absolute MUST for daughters of Fernando Bale to recreate the pedigree of Poke The Bear, Out Of Range and all their littermates … but in reverse.

Poke The Bear and his litter earned $1.08 million. All eight of them were multiple winners. Most were Group performers. The standouts were Group 1 greats. 

But, Hooked On Scotch has an endless number of sirelines he can link to in the hope of providing success for the future.

Daughters of Fabregas will be ideal. That's because Hooked On Scotch has Droopys Kewell in his damline. Fabregas sired champion Dundee Osprey to a bitch bred on this cross, thereby duplicating and balancing Larkhill Jo.

This cross of Larkhill Jo in Hooked On Scotch also allows him to mate bitches with Bekim Bale, Jarvis Bale and even Taylors Sky in their pedigree to create a Larkhill Jo/Sonic Flight cross.

Five recent winners of the G1 English Derby are bred on this cross.

Fabregas has also done very well when linked to daughters of Knocka Norris (damsire of Hooked On Scotch).

The Portrait family does exceptionally well when it is reinforced within itself. Champion Sennachie is in-bred to Primo Uno. Top stayer and producer Shimaguni is in-bred to this family.

Primo Uno can be picked up via Fernando Bale, Worm Burner, Buckle Up Wes, Kilty Lad etc.

This reinforcement of the Portrait family can also be sourced via Cosmic Chief and Meticulous.

This cross of Knocka Norris in Hooked On Scotch also allows for as much Awesome Assassin as possible. Knocka Norris' direct damline runs to Goddess Of Fire, a sister to Awesome Assassin. This is the cross found in Poke The Bear etc.

Awesome Assassin is everywhere in pedigrees mostly via his champion son Collision.

Knocka Norris has also done very well when mixed with Magic Sprite and also Surf Lorian (Don't Knocka Him is bred this way).

The daughter strain of Black Shiraz in the direct damline of Hooked On Scotch also allows for bitches with SONS of Black Shiraz to be confidently mated to him. These include, of course, champion Bombastic Shiraz and Primo Uno (of course), as well as Spring Gun etc.

The fact Barcia Bale's bitches have already done well when mated to Zambora Brockie also allows this proven cross to be utilised via Hooked On Scotch. Daughters of Brockie too should appeal as likely mates for him. 

So too will daughters of Magic Sprite who is proving a fabulous “nick” with Barcia Bale.

It is interesting that Hooked On Scotch has only one cross of Brett Lee in his pedigree and this comes via his son Hallucinate in the damline of his sire. This also means bitches with daughter strains of Brett Lee (his brother Trendy Leigh … found in Zambora Brockie) and his half brother Big Daddy Cool too are ideal for matings to Hooked On Scotch.

This obviously means bitches with Cosmic Rumble, Lochinvar Marlow etc etc etc are suited for Hooked On Scotch.

With just one cross of outcross Droopys Kewell in his direct damline, Hooked On Scotch brings in the opportunity to mate outcross bitches, especially those from the famous Skipping Chick family. Droopys Kewell carries much of that blood.

It can be picked up via the brothers Curryhill Brute (in High Earner) and especially Curryhills Fox (in Spiral Nikita).

AND, bitches by My Bro Fabio will be especially sought after as potential mates for Hooked On Scotch. It will bring in a highly proven cross of the famous litter brothers Hallucinate and Where's Pedro that has worked so successfully with Barcia Bale and Fabio himself.

Add to that, Fabio is by a son of Primo Uno.

Hooked On Scotch has retired to stud at exactly the right time.

There are so many daughters of Fernando Bale waiting to go to stud, and just waiting to be mated to the almost 34 kilos sized Hooked On Scotch. It's a proven recipe for Group 1 success.

Just like Hooked On Scotch himself.