Photos On The Wall - Jeff Wallace

If ever a client exemplified the cliche "Our success is your success" then long term Premier Pedigrees client Queensland breeder Jeff Wallace would stand at the top of the pedestal.
Back in 2012 a brief but much appreciated note came through on the Premier Pedigrees email stating something to the tune of "Ken, thanks to you we now have 18 photos on the wall".
This positive feedback came from one of our most loyal Australian clients in Brisbane breeder Jeff Wallace and his wife operating with a band of around half a dozen mares.
It never ceases to amaze us how one stallion can change a breeders fortune and the stallion in Jeff's case was Western Terror.
The vast majority of the 18 photos Jeff possessed at that stage were provided by two sons of Western Terror that Jeff had named Blazing Terror and One Eyed Terror.
Both turned out to be evergreen warhorses.
Blazing Terror became the veteran of 242 starts for 36 wins, $234,654 in earnings and with a time credit of 1:54.6 whilst One Eye Terror fashioned a similar record with 254 starts for 45 wins, $229,226 in the kitty and a personal best of 1:54.9.
Another stallion to create an affinity with the Wallace's breed was Mach Three.
Some of their success stories with this stallion included Mach Dreamy, 58 starts for 10 wins, $75,257, 1:58.0, Mac Sweet, 124 starts for 13 wins, $61,908, 2:01.3 and the talented but ill-fated mare How Will I Know, 70 starts for 18 wins, $195,159 and a 1:55.9 mile credit. It was a bitter disappointment losing this mare carrying her first foal as she had provided the Wallace's with a great thrill on the racetrack winning the Group 2 Qbred Triad Final 4YO Mares in 2014.
Four mares have largely contributed to what these days would be closer to 318 photos on the wall ( I don't know if Jeff has kept a record of his winning tally ) for the Wallace's who are "Breed To Race" breeders rather than "Yearling Sales" breeders therefore emphasis when breeding each season has always been to look at stallions that offer value for money and most importantly are also genetically compatible with their mares.
These four mares are Forgiven ( Perfect Art ), Sweet Shania ( Fake Left ), Impish Princess ( Fake Left ) and the latter's daughter Lets Rocknroll ( Rocknroll Hanover ).
Forgiven has left Blazing Terror and Mach Dreamy ( see details above ) as well as Just Rokin ( Rocknroll Hanover ) 114 starts for 19 wins, $109,348, 1:53.7, and has foal's yet to hit the racetrack by the likes of Captaintreacherous and Always B Miki.
To date Forgiven's progeny have won 77 races.
Sweet Shania has left One Eyed Terror and Mac Sweet ( again see details above ) as well as Girl With Fire ( Grinfromeartoear ) 68 starts for 14 wins, $94,355, 1:53.7.
To date Sweet Shania's progeny have won 90 races.
Impish Princess was an elite racemare brought back from North America for breeding with the ill-fated How Will I Know ( see her details above ) being her best racetrack performer to date ahead of the likes of Mista Natural ( Mister Big ) 9 wins and Rocknroll Annie ( Rock N Roll Heaven ) 10 wins. 
Daughters still on the racetrack include Western Showgirl ( Western Terror ) 7 wins and Royal Princess ( Pet Rock ) whilst an un-named yearling filly by Sunshine Beach awaits in the wings.
To date Impish Princess's progeny have won 45 races.
Lets Rocknroll is the first foal from Impish Princess and only had one unplaced start before hitting the matron's paddock where she is now creating the beginnings of her own breeding legacy.
Her first foal Ima Rock Princess ( Shark Gesture ) won 1 race from 6 starts and is now being bred from but in her second foal Im Norma Jean ( Modern Art ) the Wallace's hit the jackpot fittingly providing them with Group 1 glory in the $100,000 2016 Qbred Triad Final for 2YO Fillies.
At last, the Wallace's had achieved a much deserved and treasured Group 1 winning photo on the wall and it came about through focussing on a mating that was endeavouring to exploit a Rasmussen Factor to a mare that oozed precocity in Wendymae Hanover.
It is immensely satisfying when a targeted mating plan comes to fruition for the right reasons given bloodlines are only one of the variables that contribute to winning performance at any level.
Im Norma Jean had 94 starts for 17 wins, $172,837 and a personal best mile credit of 1;52.8 so is well-credentialled as she heads into the breeding phase of her career..
Following on from Im Norma Jean, Lets Rocknroll had Corey William ( Mr Feelgood ) with another powerful genetic build behind him. To date Corey William has raced 89 times for 22 wins, $134,580 and a mile rating of 1:52.4.
Two years after the birth of Im Norma Jean came a full-sister in Miss Mia. As a now 5 year old to date her figures are 60 starts for 7 wins, a modest $38,691 in the bank and a personal best of 1:58.3.
From this outcome we become true believers in Mendel's Law Of Probability as it pertained to Genetic Variation where if you truly identify a superior pedigree mating then you should do it 4 times because of gene variation where in equine parlance one will be a superior performer ( Im Norma Jean ), two will be fair to modest performers ( we would put Miss Mia down as one of these ) and one a complete dud ( not being able to run fast enough to keep warm ). There already exists a lot of equine evidence to support this Law,
Ima Beach Babe ( Sunshine Beach ) and Joy Maker ( He's Watching ) have won 3 and 1 race respectively to date and are currently racing whilst Lets Rocknroll has had a Changeover filly this season.
To date Lets Rocknroll's progeny have won 51 races.
​It will be the daughters and grand-daughters of these four mares that will continue the already amazing breeding legacy of Jeff Wallace and his wife and Premier Pedigrees thanks the Wallace's for being allowed to be part of the journey.

Footnote:

Two years after the birth of Im Norma Jean a colt was born further South of Queensland bred on the same genetic template i.e. by Modern Art out of a mare who was a great grand-daughter of Western Hanover...his racing name is Lochinvar Art and he just happens to be one of Australia's current elite modern day pacers.
Whilst we cannot lay any claim to the mating which produced Lochinvar Art we did have at least six genetic reasons why Lets Rocknroll should be mated with Modern Art and the rest is history as they say.....the creation of a Group 1 winner.