Coincidences

IN greyhound breeding, like life, coincidences can be amazing.

Take for instance recent race results around the country, like Zipping Maserati's win over Spring Patriot in the G3 The Brother Fox at Dubbo on Saturday night.

Or the win at Angle Park last Thursday night by Air Pumbaa in a heat of the G3 Howard Ashton.

Zipping Maserati is the flag bearer for his young sire Zipping Garth having won the time honoured July Maiden at Grafton on debut, then recently added the Million Dollar Chase Consolation at Wenty.

He is Zipping Garth-Zipping Lilly the dam a daughter of Don't Knocka Him-Tricky Gypsy. Zipping Maserati, and his fine littermates, are line bred 4x3 to the half relations Malfoy and Sirocco Lass both being out of that former star race bitch and producer Many Tricks. This is the Spanish Dance damline and Zipping Maserati has four crosses of the influence.

Garth's dam Zipping Abby carries three of those.

But, what I found interesting too is the fact Brother Fox runner-up Spring Patriot is by Fernando Bale from the former G1 class race bitch Spring Leaf.

It is Spring Leaf who brings in the strong "coincidence" with Zipping Maserati.

She is by Spring Gun-Scarlett Cath. Zipping Garth's dam Zipping Abby is also by Spring Gun. Spring Leaf, like Zipping Maserati, also has Many Tricks in her direct damline.

Zipping Maserati and Spring Leaf have MUCH in common.

It was no coincidence Zipping Maserati and Spring Patriot singled out to battle for the $50,000 Brother Fox prize on Saturday night.

WHICH brings us to Air Pumbaa, the son of Panhandle Slim-Mahjong World by Djays Octane.

Ray Murray trains the dog for Holly Hawke and he is showing plenty of potential. Ray raced his sire Panhandle Slim (Kalden Komoto-Somtimes Speedy by Collision) and has given him a chance at stud.

Panhandle Slim has Premier Fantasy as his grandsire.

But, it is the pedigree of Air Pumbaa's mother Mahjong World that interests. She is hugely outcrossed, by US stud great but Aussie failure Djay's Octane and has as her second mother a bitch called Westmead Era (Droopys Scolari-Mega Delight) by Smooth Rumble who was imported to Australia back in the late 2000's.

Westmead Era, from UK broodbitch legend Mega Delight the dam of three English Derby winners (Westmead Hawk won twice), had two litters in Australia with Rock Revolution (13 wins, $20,000) her best.

Also in that litter was Fleeting Glory (1 wins, $3000). She is the 2nd dam of Air Pumbaa. Fleeting Glory went to Fabregas to produce Franco Tonic (10 wins, $26,000), but her litter by Djay's Octane was led by Mahjong World (11 wins, $21,000). It was a handy litter, three named offspring all winning.

Mahjong World's litter to Panhandle Slim will not be two until June 10. It gives them plenty of opportunity to improve their credentials. All seven of the named offspring in the litter have won.

But, what interests me about Air Pumbaa's pedigree is that, despite his saturation of outcross influences, he has in-breeding to help him succeed on the track.

In fact, he is bred along very similar lines to current G1 staying star Gypsy Wyong (Westmead Hawk-Dyna Gypsy by KC And All).

I suggest anyone interested should look closely at the pedigrees of this pair and it will be obvious just how similar they are.

Gypsy Wyong's sire, the great English champion and grand sire Westmead Hawk, is out of Mega Delight who just happens to be the fourth mother of Air Pumbaa.

But, what is the strongest similarity of the pedigree of both Gypsy Wyong and Air Pumbaa is that they are in-bred to Rumble Spirit and her half brother Smooth Rumble, both being out of that wonderful producer Follow Through.

In Gypsy Wyong they come in 3x4, in Air Pumbaa it is 4x5. But, in both instances they are placed to impact greatly with each other.

Gypsy Wyong's damsire is KC And All, the US stud dog who has been so successful in Australia. Air Pumbaa's damsire is yet another US stud influence in Djay's Octane.

What is different in Air Pumbaa is that he also brings in a cross 4x3 of the genetic brothers No Intent and Head Bound.

WHILE on the subject of intense in-breeding and line breeding, how good was it to see Wow She's Fast (My Bro Fabio-Fair Of Face by Barcia Bale) win the G1 Sapphire Crown in such devastating fashion and in such scintillating time.

She is 3x4x3 in a dominant position to Where's Pedro and his brother Hallucinate and their half brother Pure Octane. But, she also is line bred 3x3 to the half relations Primo Uno and Bella Portrait.

If anyone needs an example of intensity working, take a look at the pedigree of Group class galloper Old News (Fernando Bale - Pandaken by My Bro Fabio). He's been second in the G2 Warrnambool Cup, third in the G3 Easter Gift and a finalist in the G2 Horsham Cup.

He is 2x3 to the identically bred Chloe Allen and Turanza Bale, and 2x3 to the half relations Chloe Allen and Jarvis Bale.

Old News has five lines of his pedigree tracing to the Wheeler family's famed foundation bitch Gail's Beauty.