Six figure package proves a bargain!
By Peter Wharton
Champion breeder Ken Breckon has no regrets about shelling out $100,000 for a pair of American-bred trotting broodmares more than a decade ago.
They are Regal Volo (by Malabar Man) and Luby Ann (by Andover Hall), both useful racemares in their own right who have gone on to achieve outstanding success in the broodmare barn.
Regal Attire – striding to victory at Menangle
(c) Club Menangle
“We bought them as part of a dispersal of the stock of Bill and Jean Feiss. They were getting out of trotting and breeding to concentrate on the pacers,” Ken, who conducts Breckon Farms, Ohaupo with wife Karen, said.
Regal Volo, who won five races at the Victorian provincials, has produced seven foals of racing age for six winners, four of which have taken records inside 2:00 and three have earned in excess of $100,000.
They include the Breeders Crown champions High Gait (1:57.5), a winner of 16 races including four Group 1’s and $342,474 in stakes, and her full brother Twentyten (1:58.6), a winner of 18 races – including five at Group level – and $372,236, as well as the good Melton winners Alannah Hall (1:58.6) and Regal Love.
The latest of her progeny, Regal Attire, had three seasons of racing in New Zealand, winning seven races with nine placings from 25 starts and $91,826 before being sold to New South Wales interests in June.
The Muscle Hill gelding has already won twice at Menangle from three attempts and is expected to progress quickly through the grades.
Since producing Regal Attire in 2017, Regal Volo has left a two-year-old colt by What The Hill and a colt foal by him. She is to be mated with Majestic Son this season.
The two-year-old named Triumph Stride was knocked down to Emilio and Mary Rosati for $190,000 at NZ Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Auckland in 2021 and is being prepared by Chris Lang.
Regal Volo with Lovemelikeyoudo (Love You) as a foal
The Breckon’s are now breeding from three daughters of Regal Volo in High Gait, Regal Love and Lovemelikeyoudo.
High Gait’s first two offspring, High On Love and High Energy, are both winners, the latter numbering the Group 3 NZ Trotting Stakes at Addington among her successes.
Regal Love ranks as the dam of the two-year-old Regal Girl, a $90,000 yearling who notched her first win for Tony Herlihy at Alexandra Park earlier this month, while Lovemelikeyoudo’s first issue is a weanling colt by Father Patrick.
Luby Ann won four races in a brief career and at the stud has left three winners from as many foals of racing age.
Two of her progeny have achieved NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year honours in Luby Lou (2018) and Tickle Me Pink (2019).
Luby Lou won four of her five starts including the coveted NZ Derby-Oaks double, while her sister Tickle Me Pink totted up nine victories and $160,137 highlighted by the Jewels, Sires Stakes’ Championship and the Great Northern Trotters Oaks.
Luby Lill, a two-year-old filly, followed two minor placings with a convincing win at Auckland.
