Serpentine breeder Steve Johnson has an amazing record for producing classic winning youngsters and his recommendation to buyers at the Perth sale this year is to check out his trio of Bettors Wish fillies.
Johnson is ranked seventh on the all-time list of most successful breeders in WA based on races won, with 836 wins – an impressive record for a nursery that breeds a maximum of 12 foals a year.
He has produced a swag of standout pacers, including David Hercules ($1.2M), Never Ending ($686K), Tricky Miki ($568K) and Major Martini ($322K).
He is preparing eight youngsters for the 2025 APG Perth Yearling Sale on March 2.
He will offer a full brother, Lot 384, to star youngster Never Ending (P3,1.54.6, $686K) at the sale but he is more focused on the prospects of his three Bettors Wish youngsters.
“Never Ending’s brother ticks all the boxes, in that he is by sire of the moment Sweet Lou, from an outstanding maternal family and is a brother to a top horse,” Johnson said.
“But I have been really impressed with Bettors Wish as a sire. He had four yearlings in the sale last year and all four have made the APG finals on Friday night.
“The two fillies (Wishing Belle and Ma Petite Dame) quinelled their heat in fast time and cleared out from the others.
“The colts (Bettor Behave and Wheelsofortune) ran second and third in their heats and looked strong.
“Our three fillies are from outstanding families and have the stallion’s stamp on them.”
Bettors Wish won $2.7 million on US tracks. He is by mega sire Bettors Delight from a mare closely related to champion stallion American Ideal.
His progeny have won $4 million in the US from two limited crops.
His first Australian crop of 28 youngsters are 2YOs in 2025.
The first of Johnson’s fillies by the promising young sire is Lot 328, a filly out of Somebeachsomewhere mare Alrosa, a half sister to two million dollar earners – superstar filly Princess Tiffany (1.49.9, $1M) and tough gelding Rock Diamonds (1.50, $1M).
This filly’s grandam Dancing Diamonds (1.57.3, $343K) was also a star 2YO winning six races in her juvenile season. She has produced six winners of 102 races.
This filly has the blood of the Hall of Fame stallion Bettors Delight on both sides of her pedigree.
The next Bettors Wish youngster, Lot 380, is out of Group 1 placegetter Mandy Joan (1.54.9, $168K), a half sister to Never Ending and two other $100,000 earners.
The third impressive filly from the sire is Lot 440, a filly from broodmare gem Chemical Romance, who has left eight winners of more than $1 million is stakes – including Group 1 winner Bettor Reward and classy mare Sovrana (1.55.5, $177K).
“We have had a lot of fun with Chemical Romance. I wanted to buy her at the yearling sale but she was knocked down to Robert Watson,” Johnson said.
“When he had a reduction sale about 15 years ago, I bought her in foal and she has been a great mare. We were very lucky to acquire her.
“I bought Sovrana back last year and she won a race in town for us. She will carry on the line for us.”
Hoofnote
The full brother to Never Ending is certainly one of the best credentialled colt in the sale.
His sire, Sweet Lou, has swept all before him in the last few years. He has 268 winners of $16 million in stakes in Australia and Never Ending ($686K) is his second highest earner behind the NZ-bred Spirit Of St Louis (1.48.2, $1.4M).
Never Ending was pretty much unstoppable as a 2YO, winning three Group 1s – the Golden Slipper, the Pearl and the colts Westbred final. He was named Australian 2YO colt/gelding of the year.
He won six of his eight starts as a 3YO, including the Westbred final, the 3YO Pearl Classic and the Battle Of Bunbury. He was a gallant second in the Group 1 WA Derby.
He was lightly raced again as a 4YO, taking out the Winter Cup, the 4YO Preux Chevalier and the Group 2 Westbred final before an unplaced run in the $2 million The Eureka at Menangle.
His dam, Endless Journey had already produced three $100,000 earners before Never Ending – Mandy Joan (1.54.9, $168K), Isaiah Artois (1.58.3, $117K) and Dibaba (1.54.1, $112K).
Her daughter Janet Gai is the dam of tough gelding Otis (1.54.8, $190K), who is also by Sweet Lou.
For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Perth Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today!
