Burn Time

PETER Rocket was a favourite race dog of mine back a few years ago and when his son Burn Time made the final of next weekend's G1 Association Cup with a long-priced heat win on Saturday night it was satisfying.

Keith Hellmuth raced and trained Peter Rocket (Where's Pedro-Belron Blue by Lansley Bale) to a 67-start career for 22 wins and $303,000 in stakes.

He won the G1 Dapto Megastar and the G2 Horsham Cup, was second in the G1 Topgun and Temlee, and a finalist at the ultimate level in the Melbourne Cup and Adelaide Cup.

From all reports, he was a desperate chaser.

Retired to stud, he has achieved, the hugely in-bred Peter Galo (47 wins, $190,000) his best to date, but it was left to Keith and his wife Lisa to produce his G1 star Rockoon (16 wins, $131,000) winner of the G1 Hume Cup and a finalist in the G1 Bold Trease.

Rockoon's dam Raya Riot (Bombastic Shiraz-Holly's Gem) also produced a quality litter by Barcia Bale that included the classy Fuelish and a bitch called Headline (16 wins, $52,000). Also in the litter was a bitch called Flash Riot winner of just three races.

Keith put Flash Riot to Magic Sprite and got Star A Riot (16 wins, $160,000) winner at G1 level of the Peter Mosman, 2nd in the G1 Dapto Megastar and a finalist in the G1 Paws of Thunder.

So, when it came time to mate Headline, with the success of Rockoon by Peter Rocket, that was probably a natural mating for Keith to entertain.

The result ... Burn Time winner of 18 races and $73,000.

It was simply a case of recreating the successful pedigree of G1 class stayer Rockoon ... but was it?

A much closer look at the pedigree shows that by putting a daughter of Barcia Bale to Peter Rocket brings in a 1x2 cross of virtual brothers.

Peter Rocket is by Where's Pedro from a daughter of Lansley Bale and his second dam is by Head Honcho.

Barcia Bale is a grandson of Head Honcho, his dam is by Where's Pedro's litter brother Hallucinate and Barcia's second dam is by Lansley Bale.

ALL of Burn Time's litter can run

He's been a work in progress for Keith who recently took him over to Adelaide for a couple of distance runs at Angle Park winning both when leading throughout.

A spot in the much sought-after Association Cup final is testament to a pedigree well put together by Keith and Lisa and a tribute too to Peter Rocket who deserved much more than the token use by broodbitch owners he got.

WHILE on the subject of the Association Cup, another finalist next weekend will be Zipping Niesko (Aston Dee Bee-Crafty Lady).

She is a litter sister to G1 stars Zipping Moose (Nat Derby) and Zipping Sapporo (Nat Futurity).

Interesting that there already appears a significant "nick" working with some of the best progeny sired by Aston Dee Bee.

Zipping Niesko's dam Crafty Lady was a fine race bitch and has been an outstanding producer for the Hallinan kennel.

She is Bit Chili-Valeri's Purse and therein lies the "nick" starting to happen with Aston Dee Bee.

Dee Bee's damsire is Bombastic Shiraz. Bit Chili is a son of Bombastic Shiraz.

Zipping Niesko, Moose and Sapporo are line bred 3x3 and balanced to Bombastic Shiraz via daughter and son.

Dee Bee's G3 Launching Pad winner Kuro Kismet is line bred 3x4 to Bombastic Shiraz, but he also carries a 4x3 of the litter brothers Hallucinate and Where's Pedro.

Dee Bee's record breaking daughter Oriental Amber is incestuously in-bred 2x2 to sisters Aston Elle and Ima Geisha Girl (Bombastic Shiraz-Elite Oriental).

SA St Leger winner, Jack's Well, is another bred on the 3x3 duplication and balance of Bombastic Shiraz.

It is a proven theme that cannot be ignored by broodbitch owners when looking to Aston Dee Bee to sire them a successful litter.