Breckon is Bubbling over with joy
By Peter Wharton
The Bettor’s Delight mare Delightful Dale, who was bred by champion Ohaupo breeders Karen and Ken Breckon, of Breckon Farms, qualified as a two-year-old but never raced.
“She was trained by Gareth Dixon but didn’t quite make it as a racehorse,” Ken Breckon said.
Illavabubbles winning at Menangle with Chloe Formosa
However, as a broodmare Delightful Dale has made her mark on racing on both sides of the Tasman.
Her first seven offspring have all been successful with six taking records inside 1:57 and three with earnings in excess of $100,000.
The Always B Miki mare I’llavabubbles – her sixth foal – put the exclamation mark on Delightful Dale’s breeding record when she led throughout from the outside gate at Menangle in a career-best 1:49.8 recently.
It was the five-year-old’s 13th success from 49 starts and lifted her stake tally to $142,057.
Sold to dual code Waikato horseman Graeme Rogerson for $16,000 at NZ Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2020, I’llavabubbles began racing as a two-year-old winning three races with two seconds from nine starts. She won twice as a four-year-old before being shipped to Sydney last August.
Illavabubbles as a yearling in 2020
From 13 starts on Australian soil she has won eight – including six out of seven at Menangle – and has been three times placed.
Besides I’llavabubbles, Delightful Dale is also the dam of the Group 2 Perth winner and NZ Derby placegetter Shandale ($305,028), the prolific Albion Park winner Bob’s Your Uncle ($150,435), the Menangle winner Shandance, Gladamare, Harvey Specter and Hello Gorgeous.
Gladamare, a Mach Three mare who won four races, is now being bred from by Breckon.
“Phil Kennard bought the first one out of her. He’s now a two-year-old with Mark Purdon and is showing a heap of promise,” Ken said.
Dale Elinor (by In The Pocket), the dam of Delightful Dale, was also bred by the Breckons.
“Dale Elinor was named after my mother. She had a lot of ability. She won a few races but she looked like she could have won a whole lot more,” Breckon stated.
Her dam, Megaera, won three Group races and $250,646 and was one of the best fillies of her day.
“Megaera started the love affair with the game for my brother Peter and myself,” Ken said. “We bought her off good friends Sandy and Jan Yarndley at the Auckland yearling sales in 1995.
“She was our introduction to harness racing,” Ken, who is currently building a 48-horse stable block and entertainment area, said.
At the stud Megaera left two winners in Penthouse Pete ($119,538) and Dale Elinor and figures as the grand-dam of the Breeders Crown champion Katy Perry ($517,733) and Grand Circuit star Cash N Flow (1:49), the winner of a record 28 races at Menangle and $691,493. She is the third dam of the WA Oaks winner Major Mama, Ilikemebettor (1:48.2), Bettor Call Me and the Derby heat winner Major Perry.
