Drink Schooners
MICHELLE Sultana is the glamorous face of greyhound racing and her dad Sam would be the first to admit she's far more glamorous than he.
Michelle, who has been walking greyhounds from the time she could walk herself, had a moment to savour at the weekend when Drink Schooners (Fabregas-Silver Bullet by El Grand Senor) landed the Listed race, The Collerson at Wentworth Park.
It probably didn't grab as much limelight on the night as the win by Buck's Future in the Group 1 Paws of Thunder and Double Gee's victory in the Group 2 Summer Distance Plate.
But, Michelle has guided Drink Schooners to an impressive career of 51 starts for 14 wins and 23 placings earning $75,000 along the way.
Raced by the First Past The Post Syndicate, Drink Schooners is bred on a proven, proven, proven cross.
He is a member of a litter of five named offspring of which four are winners and all show plenty of ability. They also include Bonding Session (9 wins, $14,000), Causing Havoc (8 wins, $16,000) and Charlu Skye (7 wins, $15,000).
Their dam Silver Bullet (El Grand Senor-Macey by Big Daddy Cool) won eight and was placed 12 times but she was purely a short course specialist never being tested beyond 400m.
Her mother Macey (Big Daddy Cool-Proper Honey by Proper Tears) was prolific.
She started 57 times for 27 wins and 21 placings earning $33,000 but she too was a short courser ... albeit a very, very good one.
This pace dominance is interesting in that Drink Schooners traces directly along his tail female line to Dennis Reid's champion staying bitch Whip Tip.
While the pedigree that was put together to produce Drink Schooners is first class and based on a proven recipe, it also had a precedence in that Macey was mated to Fabregas to produce a dog called Davey who won 25 races and was placed 13 times for $16,000 in stakes. Five of this litter were prolific country winners.
Davey did get 500m successfully.
So, let's look closely at the pedigree of Drink Schooners and see what is so proven about it.
His dam Silver Bullet is line bred 3x2 to the famous half brothers Brett Lee and Big Daddy Cool.
We have already seen that Fabregas does spectacularly well when he is mated to bitches with Big Daddy Cool (and Malawi's Prince) in their pedigree. Michelle Sultana would know this only too well.
Her father Sam trained the brilliantly fast Are Jip who was by Fabregas from a daughter of Big Daddy Cool.
Also bred on this cross is Fabregas' sensational son No Donuts and the very classy She's Gifted.
You must remember, Bearability (sire of Fabregas' third dam) is bred identically to Big Daddy Cool and they are positioned to impact greatly in the pedigree of Drink Schooners.
But, putting Silver Bullet to Fabregas was almost like putting brother and sister together to produce Drink Schooners.
That's because both Fabregas and Silver Bullet carry Black Shiraz, Awesome Assassin, and of course the similarly bred Bearability and Big Daddy Cool.
Also, Drink Schooners' dam Silver Bullet is by El Grand Senor a handy at best stud dog who is fast earning recognition as a broodbitch sire. El Grand Senor is best known for the pace and chase he puts into his offspring.
This is only a good thing.
WHILE Drink Schooners was giving Michelle Sultana and her owners reason to celebrate, the same was said for the connections of Buck's Future (Buck Fever-Midnight News by Bombastic Shiraz).
Buck's Future has an incredible in-bred pedigree with a 3x3 cross to genetic sisters Naughty Thoughts and Midnight Drama.
Naughty Thoughts is by Go Wild Teddy-Ready To Rain. Midnight Drama is also by Go Wild Teddy but from Ready To Rise a daughter of Ready To Rain.
Breeder David Pringle had plenty of reason to in-breed this litter based on previous success doing so.
Group 1 Bold Trease winner Bourbski Fever is a daughter of Buck Fever-Midnight Movie. She is in-bred 3x2 to genetic sisters Naughty Thoughts and Midnight Drama.
Pringle did something almost identical when he put Midnight News to Shakey Jakey (a half brother to Buck Fever) again bringing in a 3x3 cross of Naughty Thoughts and Midnight Drama.
This litter included Group stars Nature's Gent, Midnight Elsa, Watch The Wasp and Ridin Shotgun.
The pedigree of Buck's Future is even stronger.
It brings in a 5x5 cross of Shining Chariot positioned to impact.
All of this is "calmed" to a degree by the cross of Irish star Spiral Nikita the sire of Buck's Future's second dam.
