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One of Victorian breeding’s biggest success stories has been the emergence of the Group One winning Snippets mare Scandinavia as an elite matriarch.

Foaled in 1994, Scandinavia was bred by Robert Crabtree from the Vain mare Song Of Norway.

After a notable racing career she produced 13 foals resulting in seven winners from nine to race.

They included four stakes winners and another stakes placed, the most notable being the Flying Spur colt Magnus, a G1 AJC Galaxy and G2 Linlithgow Stakes winner and placed in the G1 VRC Newmarket, G1 Oakleigh Plate twice and Royal Ascot G1 King’s Stand Stakes, and Helsinge, an unraced daughter of Desert Sun.

Helsinge went to Bel Esprit to produce Black Caviar, the world champion unbeaten winner of 25 races, and to Flying Spur to produce All Too Hard, a four time G1 winner and now a top class young sire.

Helsinge is also the dam of Moshe, a brother to Black Caviar who won three of his five starts and is now the sire of over 40 winners.

Consistently one of Victoria’s top sires, Magnus added his third G1 winner on November 25 when his 5YO gelded son Great Shot beat Black Heart Bart in the $1million Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth.

Great Shot is among 247 winners of 773 races and $28 million sired to date by the 15-year-old Magnus.

Great Shot was foaled after his dam Satin Covers (Dr Grace) was purchased by Scenic Lodge Stud for $26,000 at the 2012 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at the Gold Coast.

Great Shot was then sold for $31,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.

Great Shot is one of seven winners from eight to race out of Satin Covers.

They include Melbourne winners Gawne and Firenze while another daughter Nine Covers is the dam of the dual G3 winner Casino Dancer (Casino Prince).

All Too Hard enjoyed a fine spring with his oldest 3YO performers including the G2 Sandown Guineas winner Villermont; the G2 placed All Too Huiying, who recorded three wins in six weeks including a Listed Race at Flemington on Oaks Day: and Demonetization, winner of both his outings in NZ.

Villermont, All Too Huiying and Demonetization are among 36 first crop winners by All Too Hard to date.

Others include Listed winner Curdled, stakes placed Warranty, Eclair Sunshine, Mystic Empire and Sydney and Melbourne winners The Mighty Fed, Za Zi Ba, Superhard, Aberro, Cuba and All Too Soon.

Villermont, a $250,000 yearling, is the seventh winner from the classy Dehere mare Bollinger, winner of the G1 Coolmore Classic and G2 Surround Stakes and a daughter of the 1993 Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay.

Bollinger started her stud career in Kentucky, resulting in winners by More Than Ready, Gone West, Smart Strike and A.P. Indy.

Returned to Australia in 2012, Bollinger produced the winning fillies Madame Lily and Bollinger Rose as well as Villermont before she died in 2016 at the age of 17.

Bollinger was the fourth foal produced in Australia by Bint Marscay before she was shipped to America in 2000.

Three of her Australian foals - Bollinger, Sheraton and Mannington - won divisions of the Blue Diamond Preview or Prelude as 2YOs.

Purchased for $2,050,000 at the 2005 Easter broodmare sales, G1–placed Mannington is the dam of Victoria Derby winner and sire Benicio and the Group winner Romneya.