Matt Machine

THE success on Saturday night by Matt Machine in a best-of-the-night 29.79 in the heats of the Silver Chief at The Meadows will have some greyhound breeders jumping for joy.

That's because Matt Machine is by the US race dog SH Avatar (Kiowa Mon Manny-Tom S Caterwaul) from the bitch Love To Rock (Turanza Bale-Flamenco by Where's Pedro).

Those who believe in total outcrossing of their broodbitches will be jumping for joy over the success of Matt Machine who has already been a finalist in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup while just a baby.

But what those outcrossing devotees don't like to mention is the fact an outcross mating can toss up a good 'un, maybe even another that can run a bit, but the downside can be a lack of numbers with ability.

Of course there are always exceptions to every rule.

Matt Machine is one of seven pups from the SH Avatar-Love To Rock mating. Only one other in the litter has to date (they are now two years and three months) been named.

Some time ago, when Love To Rock was owned by the late Terry Wales, a guy I knew well and respected because of his devotion to greyhound racing, I got the opportunity to make some suggestions for her future as a broodbitch.

Love To Rock raced five times and was unplaced each time. Terry said she was very fast but had injury problems.

She, of course, is a litter sister to the sensational multiple Group 1 winner My Bro Fabio and Group 2 winner Warrior King.

Their dam Flamenco is a full sister to Mogambo and a litter sister to the great staying bitch Lady Arko.

The pedigree of Love To Rock is interesting in that she brings in a 2x4 cross of Daishi Bale and Secret Bride and they are bred along similar lines � to a degree. One is by a son of Walkabout Sid, the other is a daughter of Walkabout Sid's brother Amerigo Man. Both trace directly to the Wheeler family's female line via Gail's Beauty.

The strong link between Daishi Bale and Secret Bride may have had much more to do with the success on the racetrack of My Bro Fabio (a dog I believe will make it big time at stud) and Warrior King than expected.

Ginger is also duplicated and balanced 4x5.

Turanza Bale, as well as being the sire of My Bro Fabio and Warrior King (and Love To Rock), is also the sire of champion Xylia Allen and Golden Easter Egg winner Grigorieva Bale.

They are from different damlines. Grigorieva Bale is in-bred to the sisters Gwendalyn Bale and Winifred Bale. Xylia Allen is from the Hot Lace female line. This is the damline found in Dyna Lachlan.

I believed at the time that we could learn greatly from the pedigree of champion Xylia Allen in a bid to help Love To Rock produce at stud.

And it was with this in mind, I suggested to Terry Wales he could toss up between Bekim Bale and Barcia Bale as an ideal mate for Love To Rock.

Bekim Bale (Bartrim Bale-Amelia Bale)

Whiloe some of the progeny of Bekim Bale can be difficult to get to chase, this can be overcome by the fact the Turanza Bale progeny are fabulous chasers and will bring in keenness � at least this is what we are hoping will happen.

Xylia Allen's second mother is a bitch called Francesca Bale (Light Of Fire-Frosty Bale). If you look closely at the pedigree of Bekim Bale you will see his second mother is Evonne Bale who is a litter sister to Francesca Bale. Thus, by putting the Turanza Bale bitch Love To Rock to Bekim Bale we would virtually be recreating (to a degree) the pedigree of champion Xylia Allen.

In this mating, we would also link 3x3 at the top and bottom of the pedigree the litter brothers Hallucinate and Where's Pedro. Many of the best progeny of Bekim Bale are in-bred to these brothers or to their half brother Pure Octane (this is how Group 1 winner Mepunga Hayley is bred).

And, as an added bonus, Zarbo the second dam of Love To Rock was mated to Bekim Bale to produce a very handy litter of city class stayers.

Love To Rock has been mated a second time, producing four dogs and five bitches in August 2015 to a mating to

Barcia Bale (Go Wild Teddy-Princess Bale) and it was one I suggested for her to Terry Wales.

This mating brings in a number of fabulous crosses.

Head Honcho, as I mentioned before, is a dominant source within the pedigree of Love To Rock. In this mating he is duplicated 3x4 and balanced via son and daughter. This is a fabulous cross.

Also, the litter brothers Hallucinate and Where's Pedro are brought in 3x3 and in a very powerful position within the resultant pedigree.

Barcia Bale is getting a great number of quality city performers bred on this cross of the litter brothers ... spearheaded by Group winner Ritza Lenny.

While this is a great cross, I really wanted to bring in a reinforcement of the fabulous link between Elusive Rebel and Lansley Bale who are bred along very similar lines.

They are found in Bartrim Bale and his litter sister Princess Bale (dam of Barcia Bale and his genetic brother Tomac Bale), as well as the very smart Group 1 winner and Topgun runner-up Peter Rocket.

This is done via the cross being found in Princess Bale but is reinforced via the added cross of Elusive Rebel in Where's Pedro.

Other suggestions for Love To Rock were Dyna Lachlan and Dyna Tron.

While Matt Machine is a special young greyhound, I for one will be very keen to see how her litter to Barcia Bale turn out on the racetrack.