Its So Easy…….Just ask WJ (Bill) Doyle
Rob Courtney
The 6th win by Its So Easy (Majestic Son – With Intent) at Ashburton recently had this writer exploring the mare’s background, her pedigree, one which always held some commercial appeal in the past.
And what a maternal family!
It’s so Easy winning at Addington 16th August
I did not know Bill Doyle and never met him, but when you uncover some of his deeds, the man must surely go down as a legend in our sport of harness racing and seemingly well ahead of his time with his breeding theories specific to the straight-out trotter.
It would appear that Its So Easy’s equine family has been breeding a steady stream of high-quality trotters for approximately 80 years (that’s a long time to be still relevant in today’s world) and after his passing, Bill Doyle’s legacy has lived on very successfully through his three daughters, Denise Nyhan, Helen Pope & Lynne Smith.
Margo Nyhan, trainer of Its So Easy, is of course Bill Doyle’s grand daughter.
As early at the 1940s, Doyle was breeding from Passive (U Scott – Violet Wrack). She won 4 races but at stud she went to another level.
Of her 9 foals, 8 were winners and top horses at that. Grand mare When won 19 races, Asia Minor (15 wins) and Wipe Out (10 wins) were other ‘open class’ standouts. Strangely, the latter was a top line pacer.
Bred to Light Brigade, Passive left Someday (6 wins) who in turn left the bonny open class mare About Now (25 wins).
Another of her progeny, William Jay (by Great Evander) won 3 races for the Nyhans then got his chance at stud but like many colonial breds of the time, did not receive much support from NZ breeders.
Margo Nyhan accepting her award for Overzealous: Monkey Bones – Zealous Lady
2020 Dominion Runner
In the early 80s, Doyle began experimenting with imported French blood (stallions Beau Nonantais & Gekoj), and possibly the first to do so in the standardbred world in these parts and mated to Gekoj, Someday left Look, (9 wins), the NZSBA 2010 Broodmare of Execellence.
Look at stud was a broodmare gem. Her 10 foals were all winners, winning a combined total of 66 races with the standout being the top mare Some Direction (25 wins + $307k) but Now Another Look (6 wins), Total Perception (7 wins) and Speculate (9 wins) all made significant contributions to the family CV.
Total Perception’s first foal was With Intent (13 wins + $175k) and she is the dam of the family’s latest winner, proudly carrying the racing colours of the late Denis Nyhan.
Knowing Me, a full sister to Its So Easy, started in Race 1 on the same programme and looked a shade unlucky not getting racing room over the final stages from 4 deep.
The family of Bill Doyle (that’s the humankind) are still actively breeding from the ‘Passive’ line.
Further investigation found that other breeding identities (eg Spreydon Lodge) were investing in these pedigrees as well, acknowledging the achievements of one man, initiated so long ago.
Therefore one might predict that the production line of winners, coming from that source, is not likely to dry up anytime soon.
It possibly never happened, but what an opportunity it might have been for a young budding horse breeder/lover to spend an afternoon bending the ear of such a legend.
Here is the Addington Hall of Fame story on Bill Doyle http://www.hof.co.nz/Timeline.asp?Case=6&ItemId=9&AlphaId=4&CategoryId=3