Group double for Dancingonmoonlight Farm in Oz

By Peter Wharton

The renowned Mandeville-based breeding establishment Dancingonmoonlight Farm had a red-letter weekend in Australia recently bringing out two Group winners in the space of just 24 hours.

Mister Smartee, a four-year-old gelding by Always B Miki and one of his second crop, led throughout and comfortably defeated the best free-for-all pacers in Western Australia in the Group 2 $100,000 James Brennan Memorial at Gloucester Park.

On the following night, Rakero Rebel, a five-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven mare, finished strongly to beat the best mares in commission in the Group 1 $150,000 Queen of the Pacific at the Victoria Cup meeting at Melton.

Mister Smartee, who is unbeaten in seven outings this season, will be one of the leading fancies for the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on November 8. He looks to have terrific potential.

Luna Danza and her Tall Dark Stranger filly foal

The gelding is out of the unraced Stonebridge Regal mare Luna Danza and is her first produce to win. Luna Danza ranks as a half-sister to the Group 1 Nevele R Fillies’ Series winner Whanau and cup class pacers in Strauss, Future Assets and Toto, being out of a top flight racemare in Lento, a winner of eight Group races.

This family has consistently produced a number of good winners over the years. They include Vintage Cheddar (1:50), a winner in top company in NZ and Australia, Always Smokin, Mabrook, Rock Bottom, Wingatui Dew and the Tasmanian Blue Bonnet winner Followthewind.

Luna Danza has a Tall Dark Stranger filly at foot and has gone back to Always B Miki this season.

Rakero Rebel – winning the Group 1 Benstud Queen of the Pacific
{photography (c) Stuart McCormick

Rakero Rebel, who is rated by experienced judges as having greater potential than any other mare in Australia today, is trained by Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars, who have the top trotter Just Believe, winner of the $75,000 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint on Victoria Cup night.

Rakero Rebel has now won four Group/Listed races during the past 12 months including the Robin Dundee Stakes at Menangle in a lifetime mark of 1:51.1.

She is out of Timeless Perfection, dam of a fine racemare in Plutonium Lady and the exported Fire Bug (1:51.4). Timeless Perfection was a Christian Cullen mare from the American-bred mare Sirius Flight, by The Big Dog from the NZ Oaks winner Pacific Flight.

Timeless Perfection

Other members of this family, which was founded by the Scottish Command mare Black Watch, have been Malak Uswaad, who took a record of 1:49.4 in America, the WA Pacing Cup and Derby winner Chicago Bull, Blue Moon Rising (Edgar Tatlow Memorial) and the Victorian country cups winner Perfect Stride.

Timeless Perfection has just returned a positive test to Bettor’s Delight.

“We were thrilled to have bred a Group double in Australia over the weekend,” Dancingonmoonlight Farm breeding manager Sara Famularo said.

“We always watch and cheer on any of our progeny that we have bred and sold out of our mares on the farm. It’s always extra special when the winners are out of mares we have bred ourselves and raised on farm. “It’s always a great feeling seeing their progeny go on and do a wonderful job for other owners, and see the success they are having on the track.”