Smiling Shard

What a wee horse this fella is, I don't think there would be many people who would believe this guy would be in the top bunch of 4yo's. Just looked like a natural 2yo who would do alright as an early 3yo and then be caught up and taken over by more progressive types like many other top juveniles such as Light and Sound, Lennon, Ohoka Arizona and Jay's Debut have been. But no he has proven himself as a 2, 3 and now 4yo running some massive races such as Breeders Crown Final 2 and 3yo and this year probably his toughest performance yet in the Kaikoura Cup and now beats Stunnin Cullen fair and square in the Ashburton Cup. Im in awe of the wee fella with the big heart. Congrats to Cran who places him so well and the owners.

Yep, congrats... SS looks to be one of the new wave of GC stars waiting to hit the big time...

he is a very nice horse and Mark and Debbie Smith are very proud breeders

I see an embryo transfer colt half brother by Lis Mara in the sales next Feb. I think that would be good breeding as what I've seen of Lis Mara he was tough

yeah super duper lil fella...

um... what's the embryo transfer breeding process with the Std breds?

with the cost of it usually only for valuable mares that can't breed full term themsleves (like Mainland Banner) or racing mares who take a foal before they finish racing.

some controversy about what it might do to racing mares and if it affects their performance.

Neil... so let me get this right re embryo transfer: the egg gets fertilised with the semen and when that is successful, the embro is transferred to a "surrogate" who carries it to full term?

Correct Brando - so there are impacts on the donor mare as she has to take some drugs to overcome the flushing of the embryo - said by a layman that doesn't know much about it :)

lol... thanks for that Neil... well that's just WRONG... if a mare is unable to give birth than that's racing... what if the mare(mother) dies before the foal is born via its surrogate? what's next - cloning?

The HRNZ rules that I can find

1615 (1) A foal born as a result of embryo transfer shall be recognised as the progeny of the donor
mare and donor stallion and shall be eligible for inclusion in the New Zealand Harness
Racing Studbook, provided that all the requirements prescribed by regulations relating to
embryo transfer are complied with.

EMBRYO TRANSFERS
16. Any person proposing to engage in artificial breeding by embryo transfer shall apply to the
Executive for authority to undertake breeding by embryo transfer.
17. It shall be a condition of any approval granted by the Executive that:
(a) more than one embryo may be transferred from each approved donor mare in each
year but only one embryo from each mare shall be permitted to develop to full term in
each year;
(b) a donor mare from which a successful embryo transfer has been performed shall not
be permitted to produce another foal by any other form of breeding in that season.
18. The Veterinary Surgeon performing the embryo transfer shall supply to Harness Racing New
Zealand on each occasion the brands and markings of the donor mare.
19. The donor mare shall be recorded as the dam of a foal born by embryo transfer.
20. Subject to any special contract which must be approved by the Executive, a foal produced as
a result of an embryo transfer shall be the property of the owner of the donor mare at the time
of service.
21. No foal which has been begotten by embryo transfer shall be eligible for registration unless its
parentage has been verified by bloodtyping.
22. Every foal which has been begotten by embryo transfer shall on its Certificate of Registration
and in all official records carry the notation "E.T." after its name to indicate that it has been
bred using embryo transfer techniques.
23. Every registered horse which has been begotten by embryo transfer and any of their progeny
shall be included in a special Stud Register as provided by Rule 1616(1). It shall be a
condition of the transfer of any horse which has been begotten by embryo transfer and any of
their progeny that the transferee is advised in writing of the restrictions which may from time to
time apply to the racing and breeding of such horses.
24. Any mare may be used as a recipient mare as long as she is clearly identifiable. The
Veterinary Surgeon performing the embryo transfer must supply to the Keeper of the Stud
Book details of the markings and any other identifying marks of the recipient mare in each
case.
25. The recipient mare shall before any embryo transfer is performed be certified in writing by an
approved Veterinary Surgeon as being not more than 40 days in foal and an assurance given
to the satisfaction of the Executive as to her having not been served within 40 days prior to
embryo transfer and similarly a pregnancy test shall be carried out and the result thereof
forwarded to the Executive within 60 days of the date of the embryo transfer.
26. In every case of embryo transfer, notice thereof shall be included in the Certificate of Service
form.

chur for taking the time to post those HRNZ rules Neil... still don't make it right in my opinion... if your horse is infertile, it's infertile, if it can't have foals full term, then it can't have foals full term... when do you draw the line?... breeding doesn't give one license to play God!...

anywho... I don't want to hijack this thread bout me fave lil horse.