Spotlight on Breeding - Bond

Breeding the greyhound is a difficult task with many, many aspects to be taken into account before a successful dogs makes a name for himself and his ancestors with his deeds on the racetrack. Some use all manner of methods to devise a mating, some go to the other extreme and use any bitch to any sire. The "best to the best" adage would be great if it worked every time, but unfortunately it doesn't.

For this month's "Spotlight on Breeding" we'll take a look at that super fast greyhound BOND (Brett Lee-Thai Magic)... for no special reason other than his pedigree and his results since going to stud.

Bond, as everyone will know, was a superstar on the racetrack, controversial at times, but his speed was never in question. His pedigree is elitist, by legend Brett Lee from star broodbitch Thai Magic a daughter of that famous broodbitch Lauren's Desire, herself a daughter of the equally famous Genuine Replica. The three bitches have served the Fletcher family well for a couple of decades.

Much was expected of Bond when he went to stud. Broodbitch owners certainly thought so and flocked to him. While Bond is now leading the sires' stats nationwide, breeders these days are shying off him in droves. To the end of July, Bond was No 1 sire in Australia for winners, having 8475 starters resulting in 1310 winners at a rate of 15.45%.

Statistics show he has 1566 individual runners for just 86 city winners, a rate of one city winner to every 18.7 pups he sires. This puts him a poor 25th on the overall sires list in Australia, well below the figure of one city winner from every 6.8 pups sired by the leader, Bond's own sire Brett Lee. Bond is also No 1 sire in NSW, sixth in Victoria and seventh in Queensland. But Bond is being judged mostly on the quality of his offspring and the stars, while there, are not in abundance considering his has almost 1600 of his sons and daughters racing. Why?

To know the answer, we first have to look at Bond's pedigree and what influences him and can have an effect on his progeny. This is his pedigree:

He's a son of champion sprinter, champion sire and Hall of Famer Brett Lee whose sons are proving their worth at stud, so naturally you would expect a fast son of Brett Lee like Bond is to excel. His dam brings in a dominant damline, and an outcross through her own sire Grove Whisper, the imported dog who was a relative success at stud in this country.

Grove Whisper* was an enigma for breeders in Australia. His progeny suffered from the Irish syndrome... they were very standoffish verging on timid at times. Many of them were ideal 600 metre types, but not quick enough for Group sprints and not strong enough for Group distance events.

It made Grove Whisper an ideal broodbitch sire, but one people were reluctant to double-up on within a pedigree fearing too much stamina, or the Irish curse of timid offspring unable to cope with the littlest of worries. The position of Grove Whisper* in the pedigree of Bond is all important and so influences his results at stud.

Now, step back and take a closer look at Bond's pedigree. The first thing that must hit you is the fact he is in-bred 3x3 to Brother Fox, balanced perfectly through the male Gun Law Osti at the top of the pedigree, and the female Lauren's Desire in his damline. Look at the pedigree of Token Prince and he is in-bred 3x3 to Waverly Supreme* in exactly the same pattern. Former champion Worth Doing is bred 3x3 to Temlee in also the same pattern, top and bottom of the pedigree.

Just like Token Prince and Worth Doing proved themselves years ago, for Bond to be a success at stud, he DEMANDS the broodbitches he mates carry those influences BETWEEN the two crosses of Brother Fox. This means for Bond to succeed to a high level at stud, the bitches he mates must carry Grove Whisper or his sire Whisper Wishes, or grandsire Sand Man, and to a lesser degree New Tears, his sire Pretty Short or grandsire Tangaloa.

Other influences can come from Dusty Rapid, Wee Sal, Grove Road and even Genuine Replica herself.We have already seen that most Aussie breeders would be reluctant to double-up Grove Whisper*, thus this immediately cuts down on the chances of Bond being a great success at the highest level... Group winners.

So, if we are right that Bond DEMANDS these influences in the pedigree of the broodbitches he mates, let's prove it by look at the best progeny he has produced. They are:

• Topline Doovee (Bond-Rocket Gear by Black Shiraz)

• Oakfront O Seven (x Colla Glen by Larkhill Jo)

• Calhoun Park (x Deloris by Token Prince)

• Hybrid Theory (x Renee's Special by Black Shiraz)

• Aston Trivett (x Miss Spicy by Just The Best)

• Keroma Oh Seven (x Khalia Keroma by Go Wild Teddy)

• West On Paris (x Magic Maisy by Just The Best)

• Sydney Vella (x Secret Tears by New Tears)

• Headley Bale (x Tannice Bale by Head Honcho)

• That's My Missus (x Bally Roney by Token Prince)

• Ticabond (x Debenture by Black Shiraz)

• Inflammable (x Yo Yo String by Yo Yo's Boy)

Let's go through them and check their pedigrees.

TOPLINE DOOVEE

Winner of the Group 2 WA Oaks and a finalist in the Group 1 Hobart Thousand, this bitch's dam Rocket gear is bred along the same cross as Bond. Rocket gear carries Tangaloa 4x5 top and bottom of her pedigree. Thus she demands the influences in the middle of her pedigree... New Tears and Buka Sunset. Topline Doovee picks up the much needed New Tears through her damline, and also brings in a double-up of Chariot Supreme (dam of Wee Sal the second dam of Brett Lee).

OAKFRONT O SEVEN

This Irish bitch won the Joe Dunne Memorial in 2009 and is a high class race bitch. Her dam Colla Glen was a natural for a mating to Bond. We have seen Bond DEMANDS Grove Whisper* in the bitches he mates. Colla Glen carries a cross of Grove Whisper's litter brother Willie Joe in her damline. She also brings in FIVE crosses of Sand Man the grandsire of Grove Whisper*.

CALHOUN PARK

A very smart race bitch who chased home Lilley Criminal in the Newcastle Cup and Association Cup. She was beautifully bred by Darren Willis her owner-breeder. The bitch incorporates Thai Magic (Bond's dam) and her half brother Ultimate Wish (sire of Calhoun Park's second dam Hypoblast). Ultimate Wish is also by New Tears and remember he too was needed in the pedigree of the bitches Bond mates to succeed.

HYBRID THEORY

The Sandown Laurels winner, she carries crosses of Tangaloa and Dusty Rapid to link with those that appear through the middle of the pedigree of Bond. Interestingly she also carries another daughter strain of Brother Fox in her damline to link with the balancing act he produces in Bond.

ASTON TRIVETT

The winner of the Group 1 Maturity and expected by Jason Thompson, his trainer, to become one of the best sprinters in the land. His dam Miss Spicy was a multiple Group 1 winner so he had a walk-up start to being a success. Miss Spicy is by Just The Best from a daughter of import Fortified Speed. But she brings in Pretty Short, Chariot Supreme and Sand Man, all influence Bond is crying out for in the bitches he mates.

KEROMA OH SEVEN

A multiple big race finalist and undoubted talented dog with a 30.27 maiden winner around Ipswich, he too has a damline boasting Dusty Rapid, Sand Man and also brings in a cross of Brother Fox's own half brother Acacia Park.

WEST ON PARIS

The 2008 WA Sprint champion, she significantly carries New Tears in her immediate damline as the damsire of Magic Maisy (her dam). There is also another cross of Chariot Supreme to help the pedigree succeed.

HEADLEY BALE

One of the top stayers in the land. Paul Wheeler has enough broodbitches, enough land and enough staff to experiment with his breeding patterns. Not for him the reluctance to breed how he wants. The doubling of Grove Whisper was never going to be a concern for Paul and that exactly what he did to produce this high class staying dog a finalist in the Group 1 Albion Park Gold Cup. Grove Whisper appears in Headley Bale's dam as the sire of his dam Tannice Bale. He is 3x3 in the pedigree of Headley Bale.

THAT'S MY MISSUS

This bitch has undoubted ability and was a finalist earlier in the year in the Group 2 Qld Futurity. Her pedigree and her ability has out-bred the ability of her own dam Bally Roney who raced just three times for placings in two maidens at the Gold Coast. The very smart Emma's Angel, dam of Bally Roney, is by a son of Grove Whisper* out of a daughter of New Tears... just what Bond demanded.

INFLAMMABLE

From a very smart litter which included multiple city winners. This dog made top grade at Albion Park. He carries Whisper Whishes, Pretty Short and Chariot Supreme in his damline to pick up on those influences through the middle of Bond's pedigree.

SYDNEY VELLA

The National Derby and Potential Stakes finalist, his dam Secret Tears is a daughter of New Tears and Dusty Rapid comes in through the immediate damline.

TICABOND

This dog is a flying machine and has proved his worth around Wentworth Park although he has struggled to run out a strong 520m. He was a finalist in the Richmond Derby. An interesting pedigree because his dam Debenture brings in the bitch Hot Show Deb as her second dam. Hot Show Deb is a litter sister to Sobbing Sal the dam of Brett Lee. These sisters are line bred 3x3 in the pedigree of Ticabond. Once again one of Bond's better performers carries a return of the influences in the middle of his own pedigree.

For those of you skeptical that this is all that is needed to produce the better offspring by Bond, take a look at the best progeny of Token Prince and Worth Doing, bred on a similar pattern to Bond. They all adhere to these principals. And future breeders should also look at the pedigree of champion sprinter El Galo. He also carries Brother Fox top and bottom in his pedigree, this time 4x4. Which means he DEMANDS bitches he mates bring back to him the lines of Malawi's Prince, Malawi (or his brother Buka Sunset), or their sire Waverly Supreme. He can also take bitches with Bobniak and Farloe Melody*, New Tears and Pretty Short, Amerigo Man and Curryhill Brute or his brothers Skelligs Tiger or Curryhills Fox. Which, as you can see, opens up a myriad of opportunities for El Galo to achieve success at stud.

The simple fact he carries Malawi's Prince (his most important influence in his pedigree as a sire) as his damsire, gives El Galo unlimited opportunities to click with bitches that carry Malawi's Prince anywhere in his pedigree. Consider that Bombastic Shiraz carries Malawi's Prince and Buka Sunset in his pedigree and his daughters are perfect for El Galo. And they are about in their thousands.

Also Collision carries just one daughter strain of Brother Fox, but has an important cross of Malawi's Prince and he too will be a perfect broodbitch sire for El Galo. And that's without even getting into the fact Token Prince has Malawi's Prince as his sire and his daughters are everywhere... all naturals for El galo. He will also be right for initial doubling-up of his grandsire Brett Lee. This could prove as powerful as the doubling of Temlee did. Just like he was on the racetrack, El Galo is a certainty to achieve at stud.