By David Brasch
OWNERS are forever looking for an edge when it comes time to mate their broodbitch.
These can include a proven cross, a ‘nick’ that appears to be working better than most, or simply a top class stud dog who they hope can put into the resultant pups that extra special something that makes them a racetrack success.
It’s something to do with that age-old adage ‘breed the best to the best … and HOPE FOR THE BEST’.
Zambora Brockie (Nitro Burst-Flying Liddy by Flying Stanley) has emerged as a special young stud dog from what can only be described as humble beginnings.
He was a superstar on the racetrack racing 55 times for 31 wins and stakes of $531,000.
Brockie won the G1 Vic Peters and Winter Cup, he won the ultimate speed test the G2 Shootout, and added the one-turn G2 events the Warrnambool Cup, Horsham Cup and Bendigo Cup.
His placings were second in the National Sprint and Topgun and he was a finalist in the Paws Of Thunder, Temlee, another Topgun and the Melbourne Cup.
Brockie passed every critical test in regards to his racetrack performances.
His winning times included such scorching runs as Sandown 29.06, Meadows 29.47, Albion Park 29.64, Wenty 29.56 and he even got 600m successfully at The Meadows in 34.15. His country track times included Warrnambool 24.78, Ballarat 24.87, Horsham 26.71 … you get the picture. He was a very special race dog.
But, when he retired to stud, he struggled at first to get bitches.
Could it have been something to do with the fact his sire Nitro Burst flew under the radar. Brockie was obviously his best, but he did also sire Proven Nitro (25 wins, $251,000), Nitro Cee (18 wins, $111,000) and Who Dey (10 wins, $93,000). Smart Missile (12 wins, $64,000) was also special and ran a track record, but missed out on the really big races.
Brockie’s dam, Flying Liddy, a daughter of Glen Gallon’s sire Flying Stanley (but very little else), raced 53 times for just three wins and $7000 in stakes – her wins coming at Maitland and Nowra. That’s hardly the sort of form to inspire breeders.
But Brockie’s pedigree stood up. He is line bred in the damline on both sides of his pedigree to the famed Marungi Girl female family … the family of Brett Lee. He is also line bred to the famous Zulu Moss family.
But, despite all this, and despite limited early numbers, Brockie has become a boom young stud dog. His pups chase, and there are very, very obvious ways to mate him judging on the pedigrees of those very best of those early stars.
What stands out the most is that Brockie is VERY compatible for daughters of both Barcia Bale and Magic Sprite. He does exceptionally well when he mates bitches with crosses of Brett Lee to link with his litter brother Trendy Leigh.
So, let’s analyse just why Brockie does so fantastically with bitches by both Barcia Bale and Magic Sprite.
Brockie to a daughter of Barcia Bale is already responsible for such stars as Zambora Smokey, Zambora Lou, Zambora Markie, Zambora Lion (all out of Zambora Cross), and that wonderful litter that includes Sequana, Stinger Noir, No Easy Beat and Made In America (all out of the unraced Lilly Sur Seine).
So, what is it that makes Brockie connect so with Barcia Bale?
Barcia Bale (Go Wild Teddy-Princess Bale) and Brockie’s second dam Crazy Jo (Trendy Leigh-Crazy Habit) are bred on an identical cross and provide a wonderful ‘balance’ for each other whenever they meet up in a pedigree.
Barcia Bale and Crazy Jo both carry Malawi’s Prince, Grove Whisper and they also bring in the brothers Brett Lee and Trendy Leigh (via son and daughter respectively).
Whenever a daughter of Barcia Bale is mated to Brockie, he meets up with Crazy Jo in a 3×1 pattern and thus hugely positioned to impact with each other.
The same applies to when daughters of Magic Sprite are mated with Brockie.
Magic Sprite is a virtual brother to Crazy Jo. They are by the famous brothers Brett Lee (Magic Sprite) and Trendy Leigh (Crazy Jo) and their direct damlines run to a daughter and son of the famous broodbitch Zimbabwe via her daughter Versatile Miss (dam of Worth Doing) and her son Chief Babwe (sire of Crazy Jo’s famous 4th dam Genuine Replica).
In fact, National Dingaan (4th dam of Magic Sprite) and Lauren’s Desire (3rd dam of Crazy Jo) are virtually sisters considering how close are their pedigrees.
Which brings us to Brockie’s great daughter Velocity Bettina (17 wins, $163,000).
She is out of G3 Qld Cup winner Velocity Shirl (Collision-Velocity Cloud).
Her mother Velocity Cloud is by Bombastic Shiraz from a daughter of Brett Lee … exactly the cross found in Zambora Brockie. Velocity Bettina has a fabulous pedigree and a credit to her breeder Steve Williams for putting it together.
