How To Breed A Potential Melbourne Cup Champion

AS the runners parade to the start for Saturday night's Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Jan Wheeler and her family should look at the line-up as yet another example of the continued domination of their bloodlines on yet another glamour Aussie race.

Consider this, all of the eight finalists, except Aussie Rocks, has a distinct Wheeler influence … some more than others yes, but the domination is there.

But, this running of the Melbourne Cup also has another strong influence, that of Aussie Infrared, the Bella Infrared-Ebby Miss dog which rose through the ranks and did it the hard way.

He is represented in the final by hot favourite Big Energy, as well as Aussie Rocks and Tim Zoo all of them with great chances.

And, interestingly, all of them are bred along the very same theme that has been the key to Aussie Infrared's success at stud.

Let's look at the Cup final.

1 BUDDY MONELLI

(Orson Allen-Leisel Monelli by Fernando Bale)

33 starts, 13 wins, 10 placings, $83,000.

By Orson Allen and despite his greatness, most will believe he has been a handy stud dog at best. Buddy's dam, Leisel Monelli won 12, was placed 29 times, and earned $82,000 and was 3rd in the G2 WA Oaks and Mandurah Oaks.

This is the famed damline of that Qld breeding great Another Fool and Dave Hobby in WA tapped into it with huge success decades ago.

Buddy Monelli is bred on the now highly proven Barcia Bale/Fernando Bale cross. You will all be aware, Orson Allen's dam Desalle Bale is a litter sister to Barcia Bale. AND, Barcia Bale also worked exceptionally well when linked to Magic Sprite (damsire of Leisel Monelli).

2 FABS VEGETABLE

(Bernardo-Fabriola Allen by SH Avatar)

53 starts, 14 wins, 10 placings, $94,000.

A son of Bernardo from the SH Avatar-Quiz Bale bitch Fabriola Allen. The dam won seven and earned $22,000 five of those wins coming at The Meadows. She is a sister to Group class Allen Hadrian and Daithy Allen. Fabriola Allen's mother Quiz Bale (Dyna Lachlan-Princess Bale) is bred identically to Barcia Bale.

Linking Bernardo with Barcia Bale (or in this case Quiz Bale) has produced such stars as Maybe Yesterday and Dr Tucker.

Fascinating pedigree bringing in the two US stud dogs KC And All and SH Avatar 2×2 along the direct sireline on both sides of the pedigree.

3 MAC'S DAMAGE

(Fernando Bale-She's A Blazin by Blazin' Bomber)

36 starts, 14 wins, 12 placings, $80,000.

Yet another example of the Fernando Bale/Barcia Bale cross working to G1 level. She's A Blazin is Blazing Bomber out of a daughter of Barcia Bale. She's A Blazin won six from 11 starts and all seven in her litter were winners.

Interesting that Mac's Damage traces back to the famous Gem's Delight through her daughter Mrs King, a very smart race bitch for footy great Terry Hill.

4 BIG ENERGY

(Aussie Infrared-Amo Bailar by Fernando Bale)

28 starts, 14 wins, 6 2nds, $208,000.

Interesting that he goes into this Cup having, in his latest eight starts, been in five Group finals. Dam Amo Beilar won eight races at Devonport, Launceston and Hobart. But her claims to a stud career come from the fact she is a litter sister to West On Augie (38 wins, $441,000) winner of the G1 Nat Sprint. Their dam Te Amo was a great race bitch. Next dam, Osti's Bride, was saturated with the “Osti” damline.

Therein lies Big Energy's successful pedigree. Aussie Infrared has an amazing pre-potency with bitches bred on this theme … exactly the same way his dam Ebby Miss is bred. But, Big Energy also carries a 3×5 of the famous half brothers Head Bound and Brett Lee.

Big Energy is a 100% certainty to make a great stud dog.

5 AUSSIE ROCKS

(Aussie Infrared-Amlin Jewel by Magic Sprite)

36 starts, 15 wins, 11 placings, $118,000.

Yet another son of Aussie Infrared but this time out of the Magic Sprite-Amlin Lass bitch Amlin Jewel. The latter won seven provincial races up to 400m. Seven of her litter of eight won races.

But, once again, the pedigree of the G1 National Sprint runner-up Aussie Rocks and now G1 Melbourne Cup hope, is exactly what have proven over and over again with Aussie Infrared.

Check out the pedigree of Amlin Lass, 2nd dam of Aussie Rocks, and you will see she has THREE crosses of the Osti family all perched up their waiting to link with Ebby Miss the dam of Aussie Infrared. It works, and it works, and it works. That's TWO of the finalists in the G1 Melbourne Cup bred on this theme.

6 IDOLIZE

(My Redeemer-Hightan by High Earner)

55 starts, 26 wins, 19 placings, $333,000.

What a wonderful, wonderful bitch. My Redeemer's flag bearer and with 11 Group or feature race wins, placings and finals berths she is amazing. My Redeemer has shown a real success when mating bitches that have much in common with his famous mum Where's Demonica … generally via Where's Pedro and Bombastic Shiraz.

Idolize's mum, Hightan, was classy herself winning 16 and being placed 20 times for stakes of $62,000. She was 3rd in the G2 Cranbourne Cup. She came from a litter of six that won 84 races and $246,000. This is the famed Leprechaun Yap direct damline tracing to legend National Lass.

Idolize's 2nd mum, Tantrum, is hugely in-bred to Minnies Surprise and Spiral Nikita, sister and brother. This is the cross found in Irish champ Milldean Panther.

Interesting in the pedigree of Idolize is Bombastic Shiraz and Double Guess 4×3 and they are bred along VERY similar lines.

7 TIM ZOO

(Aussie Infrared-Double Supreme by Dyna Double One)

16 starts, 8 wins, 4 placings, $67,000.

It took Dyna Double One quite a long time to “come good” as a sire, and the same is being seen from him as a broodbitch sire. BUT, more and more of his daughters are producing quality offspring. Try Saige Tenniele and Afire as just two. Tim Zoo's dam, Double Supreme won eight races and ran 16 placings earning $30,000. But, her mother, Elle Oh, is a sister to G1 Harrison Dawson winner Black Mumbo and the classy bitch Bella Rico. Yes, Bella Rico is the dam of Bella Infrared's superstar son Hard style Rico as well as Adhana Rico.

The pedigree of Tim Zoo was an obvious one. The fact Bella Rico produced G1 Melb Cup winner Hard Style Rico by Bella Infrared, it was always going to be a natural progression to put Double Supreme to Aussie Infrared (a son of Bella Infrared).

BUT, once again, the mating brought in Ebby Miss able to impact with Pure Octane (who has Osti damline great Paris Match in his damline). And, Stagger (damsire of Double Supreme) traces to the same wonderful damline as Head Bound (damsire of Aussie Infrared).

Remember, too, Aussie Infrared has already done great with Barcia Bale line bitches.

8 MAKE NO PROMISE

(Fernando Bale-Veloso by Brett Lee)

34 starts, 15 wins, 13 placings, $162,000.

Yep, one of two sons of Fernando Bale in the Cup final. Dam, Veloso won just three races and was placed 11 times but she was a winner at The Meadows. Her mother Tricky Shelley was aG1 winner in NZ and this is the direct damline of famed producer Alice Dooley (think Paua To Burn (3rd dam of Make No Promise), Feral Franky, Good Odds Harada).

Veloso is bred on the same Brett Lee/Spiral Nikita cross as Oaks Road and Magic Sprite.

Make No Promise carries a strong 4c4 double of Awesome Assassin.