Each month Chase will highlight the story behind Queensland’s most recent complete monthly breeding statistics: March, 2021

By DAVID BRASCH

GROUP 1 star Houdini Boy has been retired to stud.

The son of Zambora Brockie-Pechey by Magic Sprite will stand at $1980 with Newhaven Stud under the guidance of Nick De La Roche.

He joins other Group 1 stars Get It Gizmo, Flynn and proven Moreira at the stud.

Raced by Mark Ruff and trained by Kel Greenough, multiple Group 1 winner Houdini Boy started just 28 times for 14 wins, 10 placings and earned $267,000 in stakes.

The dog broke a hock late in February in a Group 1 final and was operated on a few days later.

\”His chances of getting back to the track have always been remote,\” admitted Greenough.

\”The bone fracture healed perfectly, but the problem was he damaged the tendon holding it together.\”

Greenough was overwhelmed by the response from broodbitch owners to use him at stud.

And, he and studmaster De La Roche have every reason to believe the dog will not only be well patronised, but a great success.

\”Everyone knows what he was able to run over 400 metres, 500 metres and then 600 metres,\” said Greenough. Those times showed he had ridiculous speed.

\”It makes him appealing as a stud dog.\”

Houdini Boy was a multiple Group 1 winner of the Sale Cup and Zoom Top.

He also won the Speed Star 600m, was third in the Group 1 Bold Trease and a finalist in the Group 1 Vic Peters and Super Stayers.

He is a son of hugely successful sire Zambora Brockie and the Magic Sprite-So Seductive bitch Pechey, a Sandown and Meadows winner and daughter of Group 1 Bold Trease winner So Seductive.

WHILE on the subject of Houdini Boy, the latest list of whelpings in Queensland includes a litter of three dogs and three bitches bred on an identical cross to the just retired staying star.

They are pups by Zambora Brockie-Brandi Alexander by Magic Sprite.

The Tom Tzouvelis-trained Brandi Alexander (16 wins, $101,000) was an outstanding race bitch finishing second in the Ipswich Futurity and being a G1 finalist in the Brisbane Cup, G2 Qld Futurity, G2 WA Oaks, G2 Launceston Cup, G3 Ipswich Auction and G3 Townsville Cup.

She comes from a wonderful litter which included seven Group performers.

An interesting litter among the whelpings is the first sired by multiple track record breaker Fernando Blaster from Hot Ember (Dyna Double One-Hot Spur), the winner of 11 races and $37,000.

Hot Ember, a finalist in the Ipswich Futurity, is a litter sister to top stayer Double Gee (11 wins, $170,000).

Double Gee is the second fastest ever greyhound over 710m at Albion Park, winner of the G2 Summer Distance Plate at Wentworth Park, second in the G1 Super Stayers and a finalist in the G1 Zoom Top and G1 Nat Distance.

The mating of Fernando Blaster-Hot Ember produced two dogs and six bitches. They contain a fabulous 3×2 of Dyna Lachlan and Dyna Double One who are virtual brothers.

Bundaberg track record breaker, Elegant Eleanor (Fabregas-Befitting), has whelped her first litter, six dogs and four bitches to Fernando Bale.

A finalist in the G2 Qld Futurity, Elegant Eleanor is a litter sister to Best Fit (8 wins, $71,000), who was second in the G2 Lismore Gold Cup.

Their dam, former star race bitch Befitting, is also the dam of Fab Fit (20 wins, $116,000), Snug (19 wins, $84,000), etc.

This is the Fernando Bale/Fabregas ‘nick’, which has produced Group stars like Deliver, Fernando Cazz, Slingshot Gypsy, Fernando Bluey, and the great NZ litter headed by Big Time Brie etc.