I MUST admit, I look forward to a phone call from Steve Shinners.

You will know Steve because he’s been preparing good greyhounds for decades now, right back to a bitch called Hunter Tylo (Hotshot-Malagro Sal) who his mate Kel Greenough talked into buying as a pup.

Hunter Tylo, of course, is from the famed Wee Sal damline … that of legend Brett Lee.

From Hunter Tylo, then Victoria-based Steve bred Oh Behave that first class stayer.

Steve shifted to WA some years ago and set about winning races and of course he relied on the Hunter Tylo damline to help him do this.

He loves a chat and his enthusiasm is infectious … to say the least.

When he rings, we chat for hours and it is always bloodlines.

We talk over his breeding plans and a couple of years ago, he put a bitch called Miss America to Aussie Infrared with huge success … HUGE success.

It produced Group class Electrified, Runaway To Mars, Solidified, Obstropalous etc.

When it came to mate Miss America again, Steve rang and this time it was Aston Dee Bee we settled on.

On Saturday night, at Angle Park, Steve and his glamorous wife Krystal, had a big night … a BIG night.

One of that litter, Miss Envy speared through along the rails at the first turn and dashed to the front in the Group 1 National Sprint before going on to win.

So, why did we decide on Aston Dee Bee for Miss America?

Let’s first look at the pedigree of Miss America (Fabregas-Sober by Premier Fantasy). She is 3x3 at the top and bottom of her pedigree to the litter brothers Black Shiraz and Big Ginger Boy.

That all things pedigree guru, Ken McLean, taught me years ago that when a bit is bred on this 3x3 theme, any matings plan for her should involve line breeding to aspects of her pedigree that come IN BETWEEN Black Shiraz and Big Ginger Boy.

Also, at the time, Aston Dee Bee was proving a goldmine at stud and many of his best progeny were boasting a double of Bombastic Shiraz.

This is exactly what we achieved by putting Miss America to Aston Dee Bee, a 3x3 duplication and balance of Bombastic Shiraz via daughter and son.

But, we also introduced a strong reinforcement of the famed Mad Midge damline coming via the direct damline of Aston Dee Bee through Anniston (his 4 th dam) and through Awesome Assassin (sire of Fabregas’ 2 nd dam).

This too is a hugely proven cross.

What it did was introduce a 2x2 of Aston Elle (dam of Aston Dee Bee) and Fabregas (sire of Miss America) who are bred on an identical cross.

The 2x2 of those stud influences was always going to hugely impact the mating.

Miss Envy is the result and Steve Shinners tells me the litter is superb … even better than the Aussie Infrared litter that produced so many Group performers.

Since then, Steve has mated Miss America to Hooked On Scotch … the same cross that produced superstar Postman Pat. You must check out the similarity of pedigrees in Misty Fields (2 nd dam of Hooked On Scotch) and Fabregas. They are bred identically, but in reverse.

And, for her fourth litter, Steve copped the tip again by putting her to Bernardo. This time the attraction was the proven cross with daughters of Fabregas (i.e. G1 winner Aussie Secret) and the fact it would bring in a duplication and balance of Premier Fantasy.

This is exactly the cross found in Bernardo’s grand race bitch Baby Jaycee.

Miss America is obviously named after Steve’s wife Krystal the blonde bombshell he met while on holidays in Bali.

I like to remind Steve “he was nuthin” until Krystal turned up.

Steve is ever upbeat and great fun to chat with.

A Group 1 National Sprint victory for he and Krystal is a fabulous result.