July Vicbred Wednesday Winner
Our Vicbred Wednesday Winner for this month, selected from horses who claimed their Vicbred First Win Bonus in July, is Heavensway, a Rock N Roll Heaven gelding bred by member Frank Jessup. Given HBV’s sponsorship of the Amarillen Matriarch, new on the Victorian mares racing program for 2022, it is an appropriate pedigree to dive into…
Since his maiden win at Echuca on July 27, in a Vicbred Platinum maiden, Heavensway has taken a second victory in August – also at Echuca. Bred and owned by Frank Jessup and prepared by Danny Ferris, Heavensway comes from a prolific and well-known family, particularly for broodmares. His sister Neighbelline (Village Jolt) is awaiting her first foal, by Bling It On (American Ideal), this season; they are just two of Oversay’s four live foals to have been named and raced.
Oversway is by a stallion who introduced some unique bloodlines into Australia, in Time Stands Still a sire with a paternal line to Big Towner and maternal to Most Happy Fella. Oversway’s dam, Telemon Hanover mare Nellie Robins, had a double cross to Meadow Skipper and the combination brought 4x3 of Albatross to Oversway. The breeding of Oversway to Western Hanover line sire, Rock N Roll Heaven, introduced to Heavensway Cam Fella and Abercrombie lines – a veritable honours list of successful sires.
If we go back a generation, we see that Oversway was one of five foals from Nellie Robins to race – and only one, Impartial (Neutrality) recorded a win. Of her four fillies, three have been bred – Oversay, Nellies Nightmare (Nuclear Nightmare) and Nellirama (Panorama)
Nellies Nightmare produced three live foals, all by Equitable and all who raced, though only gelding Emerald Charm registered a victory. The two fillies were not bred with. Nellirama presents another story. She was retired to the barn after just two starts, to commence an impressive career in the breeding barn, the dam of a dozen live foals, the most recent an Art Major filly foaled in 2020 and a Rock N Roll Heaven mare, Entertainme – as yet unraced.
Her first foal, a Fake Left filly named Tenirama recorded 17 wins and amassed $110,000 earnings before a short stint in the barn before her death. This produced just one Art Major foaled who died before reaching the track.
Nellirama’s second foal, a full sister to Tenirama, would be named Amarillen and she bypassed the track for the barn. The rest, as they say, is history. Also the dam of a dozen live foals, her first was her most successful on the track – Village Jasper star and now HRV HERO Ambassador, Villagem ($626,000). In this cross, we see the introduction of the No Nukes and Abercrombie duplicates we also see in Heavensway’s pedigree, as well as the Cam Fella line which Amarillen gets from her sire Fake Left and Heavensway gets from Rocknroll Hanover.
Amarillen counts among her other successful racehorse progeny fillies Nostra Beach (Somebeachsomewhere, $266,000), Miss Graceland (Rocknroll Hanover, $244,000 and the only to be by Heavensway’s grandsire) and Manellira (Art Major, $97,000), with two Captaintreacherous colts from 2020 and 2021 yet reach the track. Perhaps best known of her offspring though, certainly in breeding circles, is the unraced Art Major mare, Pixel Perfect.
The dam of nine foals bred by member Robert Watson, Pixel Perfect has had seven to the races so far and all have been winners – serious winners, only one has yet to bank more than $100,000 and Bettors Delight filly Soho Broadway is well on the way at $86,000. Soho Tribeca (American Ideal) is now at stud after a $1.1M career while the latest to be named, 2YO Soho Bococa (Betting Line) has yet to line up in a race. Pixel Perfect’s latest is a yearling full sister to Soho Tribeca, and the mare’s last positive test came last season to Bettors Delight. Daughter Carlas Pixel (Courage Under Fire; $480,000) has had just the one live foal so far, a 2021 colt by Captaintreacherous bred by members Shannon & Meaghan Nixon, while member Watson has produced a 2021 Bettors Delight colt from Soho Nolita (Mach Three, $238,000).
Miss Graceland dropped her first foal in 2021, a filly by Art Major for members Benstud Standardbreds, and Nostra Beach has had two foals – American Ideal filly Female Assassin (six start maiden) and a 2021 colt by Art Major.
As a broodmare sire, Time Stands Still’s daughter’s progeny have won over $2.25M in Australia with 56 winners from 83 starters. The best of these are Black Centurian & El Jays Magic (both by JR Mint), Still Hungover (Sutter Hanover; $147,000) and sixth on the list, Rocknorvertime ($85,000) who shares the same cross as Heavensway, being by Rock N Roll Heaven.
Interestingly, the best cross for Rock N Roll Heaven based on average progeny earnings (for crops over 15) are with mares by Perfect Art, who like Time Stands Still, has a line back to Big Towner. Six of Rock N Roll Hanover’s top nine earners in the US also have close Big Towner lines. Perfect Art mare progeny by Rock N Roll Heaven equal over $2.6M and average an impressive $190,000. Even accounting for the most successful horse of this cross, Expensive Ego ($816,000), progeny average earnings are still a remarkable $70,900!
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