Elite Machine
THEY say once something is proven, we should endeavour to copy it in a bid to achieve similar success. That is often true when designing greyhound pedigrees.
Aspects like daughters of Fabregas being mated to Fernando Bale, or bitches with a combination of Big Daddy Cool and Token Prince to Fabregas, or daughters of Barcia Bale to Fernando Bale - they are all proven recipes.
No, it will not work all the time,.
That's when quality of a race bitch must be the highest criteria.
Over in WA at the weekend, Elite Machine (Aussie Infrared-Pat's Lass by Dyna Tron) stamped himself a quality race dog when won a heat of the Group 1 Perth Cup in a time the quickest of the eight heats.
Some great race dogs did not get anywhere near that time on Saturday night.
Elite Machine (13 wins, $66,000) now heads into next weekend's Group 1 final a great chance.
If we take a close look at his pedigree, there is a proven recipe found in his make-up.
He is by Aussie Infrared the sire of such stars as Catch The Thief, Playlist, Zipping Kyrgios, Ebby Infrared and fellow Perth Cup heat winner Electrified.
But one of the standouts of the Aussie Infrared progeny is Lala Kiwi (23 wins, $661,000, G1 Aust Cup, G3 Cran Classic, G3 The Ambrosolli, Listed Ballarat Oaks, 2nd G1 Melb Cup, 3rd G2 Cran Cup, finalist G1 Topgun, G1 Temlee, G1 Aust Cup, G1 Perth Cup).
Take a close look at the pedigree of Lala Kiwi, then do the same with Elite Machine.
It is almost like looking in the mirror.
Both G1 stars are by Aussie Infrared.
Their dams are both by Dyna Tron.
And, they both have a cross of Primo Uno up close along the direct female line.
You wouldn't be far wrong thinking Elite Machine is a clone of Lala Kiwi.
But what is also special about both these high class Aussie Infrared progeny is that their second dams are hugely in-bred.
Lala Kiwi's second dam is that great stayer and proven producer Shimaguni who is saturated with the blood of the famous "Portrait" family. Think also Shima Shine who is by Barcia Bale out of a sister to Lala Kiwi's mother.
But, now have a look at the pedigree of She's Our Caviar (Superman-Black Abby by Primo Uno).
She is saturated by the famed Malawi Blue family, tracing back to that wonder straying bitch Bentley Babe (5th dam of Elite Machine).
Bentley Babe won the Sandown Cup, Hume Cup, Dillon Memorial and Sale Cup. She was placed and a finalist in many other feature races.
I knew her owners Phil and Gerda Rudall, Townsville based, very well and discussed mating their great bitch to Just The Best.
The racetrack performances of that litter were not up to the quality of Bentley Babe's litter by Brett Lee. But here we are two decades later with a very live chance in the G1 Perth Cup who traces directly to the unraced Shirdon Nomi (Just The Best-Bentley Babe).
She had litters by Surgeon, Major Blaze and Primo Uno.
The Primo Uno litter produced Black Abby who was not placed in four starts. She had litters by Superman and Nitro Burst. She's A Caviar, by Superman, won nine races including one at The Meadows.
She's A Caviar had two litters by Dyna Tron and one by Surf Lorian. Her daughter, Pat's Lass, from the first Dyna Tron litter was unraced.
Six of her litter by Aussie Infrared can really gallop. She also has a litter by My Redeemer and a very young litter by Mepunga Blazer. The Aussie Infrared litter has won 70 races and earned $252,000.
It is the "shot in the arm" this branch of the damline has needed for a few generations.
Proven crosses can do that for you.
I would hazard a guess one of Elite Machine's litter sisters "could" become a fine producer. She will need to be mated to a stud dog with up close Barcia Bale. Aston Rupee looks superb.
