Caption: Jason Thompson with Invictus Rapid (Photo: Paul Munt)
By DAVID BRASCH
HARRY Manolitsis is a Victorian firmly entrenched in greyhound racing despite a much earlier stint in harness racing that saw him race a superstar.
These days Harry keeps churning out Group 1 performers like Topgun winners Get It Gizmo and Elevated.
He is always one to take a chance with the bloodlines he has and that was never more evident recently through the city winning deeds of a dog called Invictus Rising.
Harry put proven Group producing bitch Jubilation (Collision-Velocity Cloud) to that star sprinter Invictus Rapid (Cosmic Rumble-Miss Feisty).
Jubilation had already been to Kinloch Brae to produce track record breaker and Group 1 finalist Flynn and Group 2 finalist Shoot To Miss.
Invictus Rapid was an interesting mating choice, providing a pedigree in the resultant offspring that is hugely line bred.
Invictus Rapid was top notch but just a ‘smidge’ short of being a top class Group 1 performer.
He ran second in the G1 Peter Mosman and the G2 Healesville Cup and G3 Devonport Cup.
He was a finalist in the G1 Silver Chief, G1 Harrison Dawson, G2 Shepparton Cup and G3 Darwin Cup.
It was an impressive career.
Invictus Rising, already a 29.86 winner at The Meadows, is just one of the litter by Invictus Rapid-Jubilation.
But, Harry tells me there was a litter brother to Invictus Rising that was lengths better in early trials only to be tragically killed.
Harry is not one to wrap dogs, but claims this pup was ‘special’.
The pedigree of Invictus Rising is amazing.
It brings in a 3×2 of the famous half relations Spiritual Rumble and Collision. Brett Lee is duplicated 4×4, Token Prince is duplicated and balanced 4×5, and Black Shiraz is duplicated and balanced 5×4.
Look closely and the pedigree shows Spiritual Rumble and Jubilation are both bred on the Brett Lee-Rumble Spirit cross.
Invictus Rising also carries a reinforcement of the Brother Fox/Osti Lee cross.
It’s a pity Harry lost that exciting pup. Invictus Rising is proving a smart city winner from the litter.
SMART Queensland-trained galloper Ninetymile King (My Bro Fabio-My Superstar by Go Wild Teddy) deserves close scrutiny of his pedigree because there are some aspects of it that are well worth noting.
He carries a saturated pedigree that has taken him to a final berth in the Group 1 Gold Bullion and 29.84 and 34.90 victories at Albion Park.
He is line-bred 3×3 to Where’s Pedro via the direct damline on both sides of his pedigree, balanced 4×3 to Head Honcho via daughter and son, duplicated to Golden Currency 5×5 in his damline, and also duplicates the Gail’s Beauty damline via Turanza Bale and his own direct female line.
Some years ago, former Queenslander Dave Robartson in-bred a litter he bred to produce a 3×3 double of Malawi’s Prince as the damsire of both sire and dam.
From the litter came a dog he named High Earner and he certainly lived up to his name with multiple G1 Perth Cup wins etc, etc, etc.
It is VERY interesting that positioning of Malawi’s Prince in the pedigree of High Earner, and now the 3×3 of Where’s Pedro in Ninetymile King.
It seems to be dominant for MALES in a litter.
Some years ago, Wally Harkins asked about matings for his bitch Establish. We put her to Worm Burner to bring in a 3×3 of Primo Uno along the damline on both sides of the pedigree.
Again, this is a pedigree theme just like High Earner and Ninetymile KIng and the result was Sir Truculent a Group 1 staying star … and he’s a MALE.
Yes, Sir Truculent also has a litter sister called Aristocratic Gal who has been a G2 finalist.
How good could she be as a future broodbitch!
Early this year one of my closest friends asked about the pedigrees of yearlings he was interested in buying into.
One had a 3×3 to the Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in exactly the position as was found in High Earner (3×3 to Malawi’s Prince), Sir Truculent (3×3 to Primo Uno) and Ninetymile King (3×3 to Where’s Pedro). I suggested to my mate that the filly he was keen on might NOT be the best choice … the double in her pedigree being dominant for MALES.
He bought into her anyway … she cost $375,000.
What was not in the catalogue at the time of the Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast, was that the first foal of the very same mating had raced just once to that time.
He is a COLT, named Profiteer, and within weeks of the purchase of the filly at the MM he won a $2 million race in Sydney.
Profiteer started favourite in the Golden Slipper, but compounded in the straight to finish just behind the placegetters. He’s already been syndicated for ‘big money’ to stand at stud.
The intensity of his pedigree, and that of the filly my mate bought into, was such that I suggested the filly might be on the small side. She is.
This filly has intense 2×2 to mares bred on an identical Fusaichi Pegasus/Danehill cross.
The fact this filly is a full sister to a classy colt like Profiteer makes her worth high as a future broodmare even if she does not win a race.
That’s how it works in the thoroughbred industry … not so much in greyhound racing.
But, I stand by the theme in her pedigree that says it is dominant for a MALE.
Only time will tell if this is right.
Ninetymile King comes from a litter of three dogs and four bitches. Five of the seven have been named, two bitches not.
The only other of the litter named to have raced is the MALE, Omega Tyson, winner (to time of writing) of six of his 12 starts.
