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2012 PGG WRIGHTSON NZ YEARLING SALES 3YO PACE

It is just as well Tim Butt came away with the Hunter Cup, won by Choise Achiever, in Melbourne last Saturday night. His luck on this side of the Tasman has taken a hammering, winning and losing three races in as many weeks with erratic runners. First it was Cam Before The Storm relegated from first at Blenheim. A week later at Motukarara, Enough's Enuff lost a maiden, and then a master blow, winning the $200,000 PGG Wrightson Sales Series for 3-year-old fillies with Elusive Chick and losing it to a JCA decision and Dancing Diamonds at Addington.

Elusive Chick had been taken to the front by Colin DeFilippi with a lap to run, and put what appeared to be a winning break on the pack on turning in. Only Dancing Diamond emerged with the purpose of pegging her back. Between starting her chase and getting there, Elusive Chick had come off her line by three sulky widths, without causing any hindrance to the progress of Dancing Diamonds. But when Dancing Diamonds arrived at the wheel of Elusive Chick, further drift occurred. And while Blair Orange never stopped driving Dancing Diamonds out, it was noticable from three camera angles he was forced to jiggle the cart at least twice to avoid the possibility of hooking a wheel.

DeFilippi told the panel that at no stage did Orange appear to stop driving Dancing Diamonds and said the horse could have won had she been good enough. Orange based his appeal on the line DeFilippi ended from where Elusive Chick started, the issue he had with his sulky inside the last 100m, and the fact the margin was tight - half a head. In defending the drift out, DeFilippi said: "They're not motor cars."

The JCA made speedy work on the matter, resting their decision to relegate Elusive Chick on the requirement of a horse maintaining a straight line to the finish. It was a friendly fight, with the connections of the new winner saying they didn't like to win that way, and the Elusive Chick people gallant in defeat. Dancing Diamonds has not been quite herself since a hard run first-up, and Orange was anxious to give her cover. That's the trip he gave her.

The filly was bred by Phil Creighton and Stewart Gillan and they sold her as a yearling for $110,000. But there was a hiccup in the detail, putting trainer Mark Purdon in the position of going to Creighton later and asking him if he wanted to keep a half-share. The Bettor's Delight filly races for Creighton, his wife Margaret, and Braedon and Caroline Whitelock. Asabella, the dam of Dancing Diamonds, had a colt foal to Art Major this year and has been served by Bettor's Delight.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Feb2012

2012 IAN DOBSON SUMMER TROTTING FFA

Dr Hook was back to his best with a sharp sprint to comfortably beat outsider King Charlie and Clover Don in 2 24.5 for the 1950m mobile. The favourite, Paramount Geegee took little part in the contest because of a minor tie-up issue.

The trainer, Paul Nairn commented "He wasn't quite himself before Christmas. I had the vet go over him, so I gave him 10 days off and that's all he needed."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Feb2012

2011 CHRISTCHURCH CASINO NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Greatness has come early for Terror To Love - and for Paul Court as well. As the partner with his father Graham, Court has prepared the winner of the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup in just his fourth season as a trainer. And Terror To Love has won the jewel in the harness racing crown at just his 26th start.

In the euphoria of the occasion, Paul still the feet of his long legs on the ground. "Dad has had a lifetime in the game and has done the hard yards. He's had a lot of nice horses, but you're fortunate to get one like this, with so much speed and the stamina to go with it. I'm a bit of a passenger, but I really appreciate the hard work that goes into it," said the 32-year-old, who plans to return and set up a stable in Canada next year. Paul did the hard yards of his own, usheredup by his father to follow the Prime Minister John Key, address th huge crowd and accept the trophy that went to the winning trainers.

Terror To Love, a Western Terror 4-year-old bred by Terry McDonald from the Live Or Die mare Love To Live, was recognised as a young talent as an early 2-year-old and confirmed it by winning the Sapling Stakes in that season. He could have been the best of his age at three, and possibly was, but he had dreadful luck in some of thne classics especially the Northern Derby. When the curtain came down on his 3-year-old campaign, Graham considered his immediate future and aimed high. "He always had this high speed, and he could stay as well. It seemed to me that there were really no standouts as far as the Cup was concerned, and some of them had been in that class for a while. I'd had some nice horses, bu nothing like this, and nine out of ten of the good ones I'd had, had been sold."

Court told owner McDonald of his plan. McDonald was pleased to hear it, but he'd heard them before. Only a year ago, he was sitting pretty with one of the race favourites, Stunin Cullen, only to be disappointed. He'd been in the game long enough to know more failures than success. McDonald had met Court through a cousin while he was in Dunedin, and he's lost count of the horses he's had in the stable. He says dozens and dozens, but that could be on the very light side.

In any event, Terror To Love is the special horse that has taken them from endless hope to a pinnacle few make. Court gave McDonald words of confidence the day before the race, pleasing McDonald with the odds he'd got when the market opened. They were probably on the same page when they saw the horse track Smiling Shard up in the middle stage, only to see him slide back as others made hopeful runs. "It was lovely for a while, but I thought we might be in a bit of a bother when he started getting back," said Court.

On the track, Curtin was thinking much the same. "I'd had a good run, and then we were back to where we came from, and I could see going down the back they were a wee way ahead of me. It's not too often I come that wide on the corner, but he was up to it."

Smoken Up was a fading second, again finding 3200m a journey too far after leading Rangataua Ray for two laps, and only held second by a nose from Highview Tommy who was equal last with Smiling Shard at the 600m.

McDonald, who also bred Michael's Magic, the grandam of Terror To Love by Michael Jonathan, has younger half-sisters to Terror To Love by Artsplace, Christian Cullen and Mach Three and the mare is due to foal to Somebeachsomewhere.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11

2011 NEW ZEALAND SIRES' STAKES 3YO FINAL

Cup Day was like a day of redemptions in some respects. Last year, Terry McDonald had the favourite for the Cup in Stunin Cullen, but the former Sires' Stakes 3yo Final winner disappointed and is now on the sidelines with a fractured knee. This year, McDonald won with Terror To Love. Last year, Jim and Dr Susan Wakefield had the favourite for the Sires' Stakes in Empyrean. That Christian Cullen colt had won seven straight and was getting a good trip home from the back of Gold Ace when he galloped at the 400m. This year, the Wakefields won with Texican.

For trainer Cran Dalgety, who won a Sires' Stakes 2yo Final a few years ago with Smiling Shard, this was also his first win in the 3yo Final. "Jim really deserved this after spending a lot of money at the yearling sales over the years," said Dalgety. "We bought this fellow at a time when we were just looking for Bettor's Delight colts from In The Pocket mares. He was a bit over budget, but we got him and I figured we would deal with the consequences later," he added. Dalgety had a budget of $40,000, but he paid $70,000 for the first foal from the good mare Bury My Heart at Karaka.

Dalgety wasn't getting too excited about Texican until he gave him a shot at the last Sires' Stakes 2yo heat at Alexandra Park on Inter-Dominion Final night in April. Fifth on debut a week earlier at Rangiora, Texican downed Chancellor Cullen that night and Dalgety began to think "he might be okay". Second in last season's Sales race soon after to Western Cullen, Texican was out of luck in the Sires' Stakes 2yo Final, but his form ha been exemplary this time in.

He was a big second to Smiling Star in the Sires Stakes heat at Forbury Park when resuming, and won the penultimate heat at Addington. One of five heat winners to draw the last five barrier positions for the final, while Chancellor Cullen drew worse on the outside of the front row, Texican was soon in the three wide train and went to the death passing the 1000m, before Dexter Dunn handed up to Mark Dennis. A quarter down the back in 27.7 had left the pacemaker Chancellor Cullen vulnerable in the run home after an early burn, and Dunn angled Texican into the clear late to have the last say over the hard charging Ideal Scott, with Smling Star a game third in a battling finish. Besotted, like Ideal Scott a son of American Ideal, finished strongly for fourth as Mark Dennis and Lets Elope also beat home the fading Chancellor Cullen. The last quarter in 30.1 had been about the slowest in a 1:56 mile rate as Dunn also won his first Sires' Stakes Final on Cup Day.

If the day was supposed to be some sort of celebration after all the hardship experienced by Christchurch folk over the last year or so, few would have deserved to party more than the 78-year-old Jim Wakefield. "I had five properties in Christchurch and four of them have been written off," said Wakefield. "Luckily we had one left to live in at Rangiora. We had London Pride and London Express as Sires' Stakes horsesback in the late 90s, but nothing until Empyrean," he added.

Empyrean, who has been through a "colty stage", has been showing signs of getting back to his best this season, although he was disappointing two races after Texican's success, as was Bettor's Strike in the Cup for the Wakefields. But nothing mattered much after the Sires' Stakes. This was the Wakefields first Group One success since Dalgety produced Sparks A Flyin to win the Fillies Final at Addington 10 years ago.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11

2011 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING FREE-FOR-ALL

Vulcan's win in the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All might have been something of a farewell of sorts for driver Anthony Butt but most would view it as a reinforcement of a fine tradition. Vulcan, dual Harness Jewels champion, 4yo Trotter Of The Year in a voting clean sweep, is typical of the development of trotting talent which has been a speciality of the Butt brothers, Tim and Anthony for so many years. You hardly need to mention Take A Moment and the great Lyall Creek but there have been many more.

A touch of genius one might say in this case since Epona, the dam of Vulcan, is a sister to the trotter of that name which won 24 races and over $200,000 for Jennifer Butt and Don McKenzie who have bred from this family for several years, as Jenny's late husband Murray had previously. Abundant, the dam of Genius and Epona, was from First Prize, an enigmatic but highly talented trotter for Jennifer's father, Derek, a man whose Expertise with trotters himself went back to stars of the 1950's starting with Barrier Reef.

Tim Butt is not going into the Dominion Handicap with the same sort of confidence he has had in some years. "Ideally he is a year away. In fact I would probably not have run him today if horses like I Can Doo had paid up. But I suppose he is here and he is well and if he stays that way he can take his chance." The Dominion Handicap is almost in danger of being renamed the Butt Family Stakes. Anthony has won eight of them and seven have been trained by Tim. It is one hell of a tradition.

Tradition is something Anthony will break when he moves on a semi-permanent basis to Sydney on Staurday where stable stars such as Raglan are already in great form. He was the first to qualify for a start in the Miracle Mile beating Mr Feelgood in the Newcastle Mile. "I will basically be there full time until April perhaps coming back for some big races. You have to give it your best shot and we are hoping to build up a big team there over the next few months," Anthony said. "Quite a lot of New Zealand horses come in well under the handicapping system there. We have Trojan for example. He won nine here and is an M0 in Sydney. I think we will get plenty of support when people realise what is on offer there."

If Anthony, left parked with Vulcan for long enough to claim a well deserved win, was happy with another Group win on Cup Day (2003 is the only Cup Tuesday this century he has not driven a winner) Ricky May was not so happy with Stylish Monarch. "He just lost it after that false start," Ricky said. "The gate closed quite quickly and it seemed to spook him. He didn't recover. I didn't think I would get him up to the gate the second time and he just never got it together after that. He has never done anything like that with me before. Usually nothing bothers him."

Credit: David McCarthy writing in H R Weekly 10Nov11

Beaudiene Bad Babe outfinishes Lancome

2011 CADUCEUS CLUB OF CANTERBURY PREMIER MARE'S CHAMPIONSHIP

"If we're ever going to beat her, tonight's the night." Those were the exact words of trainer Murray Brown, moments before he and every other trainer faced the daunting task of tackling a rampant De Lovely in the $40,000 Premier Mare's Championship at Addington on Friday.

Brown's confidence heading into the Group 2 event with Beaudiene Bad Babe stemmed from a couple of things - primarily the way his mare seemed in the days prior, and the fact that he thought she was closing the gap on De Lovely in the two times they'd met.

"She beat us twice in December, but we got more than a couple of lengths closer to her the second time," Brown said. "De Lovely hadn't raced since then (December 17), whereas we'd come home and run those two thirds down south behind Stunin Cullen. And 'Babe' was just so well this week...she was fair kickin' the box down at Spreydon Lodge, and I hadn't seen her like that since last year."

Brown received another reason to think 'maybe' from the unlikeliest of sources on Friday: Geoff Small himself. "Geoff wished us luck on the way past our stall. I said to him that we'd be hard pressed to beat his mare though, because you can never head out there thinking you're going to win against a horse like De Lovely. But his reply was that 'we've got to get beat sometime'."

Brown didn't think much more of the passing comment as he headed out to find a spot in the stand. What he and the rest of us witnessed in the Caduceus Club of Canterbury sponsored event were two contrasting drives...Dexter Dunn at his brilliant best when he rolled to the top and took control with Beaudiene Bad Babe a lap out, and David Butcher producing something at the other end of the popularity scale in the eyes of punters when he sat and waited for far too long.

"It was another great drive from Dex," Brown said afterwards. "I saw him look around at the 600 metre mark and cut for it; I knew then that De Lovely was too far back, and wouldn't be able to catch us. She's one of those horses who really knows where the winning post is. She just surges and keeps kicking that last fifty metres."

Southland's pride and joy has now won 22 races from 41 appearances and just keeps marching on, her stakes tally having tipped over the $400,000 mark and not looking like stopping any day soon. Friday's victory was the Badlands Hanover-Beaudiene Babe 5-year-old mare's forth Group race success, and more importantly it gave her coveted back-to-back titles.

"You just can't explain the thrill that something like this gives you," Brown said. "I didn't mind in the least that all the hype was around De Lovely leading up to this, because it took the pressure off me. But you never get moments like these...to win this race two times in a row is just incredible. It's tingles down the spine stuff."

Brown has stuck to the same programme with Beaudiene Bad Babe every year, believing that a three-month spell at the start of each new season's campaign is an integral part of her overall success. Even that couldn't allow for Mother Nature throwing in her 'two cents worth' this season though..."She's taken longer to come up this time. And I admit that she probably got away from us after her latest trip north. Having had an easy two days at Gareth Dixon's after she finished racing in Auckland, and then a three-day trip home, she put on a bit of weight."

Brown and the Estate of Peter Ryan that race Beaudiene Bad Babe have resisted the lure of the New Zealand Cup until now, but that'll all change come November because the likeable Southland trainer believes she's finally ready for such a test. "The Cup has to be in our minds now," he said. "And she's paid up for the Inter-Dominions, because we've got to have a go when they're at home. We're not the best horse in it by any means, but she'll have to draw well one day and might just surprise a few."

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 26Jan11

2011 DREAM WITH ME INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS GRAND FINAL

Ken Breckon couldn't believe his luck - flying back from Melbourne last week on a seat in row 13. He'd gone over from Auckland a few days earlier sitting in row 13. Here he was, 13 years since his entry into harness racing after buying a filly by Butler B G from Sandy Yarndley. And here he is, at Alexandra Park, watching I Can Doosit start from gate 13 in the $250,000 Dream With Me Inter-Dominion Trotting Grand Final.

The outcome was a stunning Kiwi triumph over the Australian star Let Me Thru, with Stylish Monarch closing on them well but too late for third and Raydon was fourth after a tough ride in the open for much of the last lap.

Breckon is one of the young pillars of the industry, and only the pressure of his booming Hydroflow business has forced him to step down from the vice-presidency of the Auckland Trotting Club. But his breeding and racing activities through the purchase three years ago of the iconic Yarndley Farms nursery are multipling by the month. "We've got twenty-three of our own mares and I'd like to have fifty, and they'll be at the top of the market," he said. "In the past we've sold three or four yearlings at the Sales, but we're getting to the commercial level now and next year we should be offering ten."

As well, he's a champion supporter of local stables, with Mark Purdon and Grant Payne training three, Steven Reid five, Tony Herlihy some, and syndicate horses with them and Geoff Small.

Breckon will be the first to say it hasn't always been as smooth sailing as it is now. Losing his brother Peter from a sudden heart attack at the age of 43 eight years ago gave him the impetus to extend his interests when it could have worked in reverse. "We'd always been racing people. My father and my grandfather were keen on the punting side. Our work took us into the farming community, where we'd meet stock and station agents and retired farmers and they all had horses. Peter probably had a bigger desire than me to get started. He was a good talker and got me across the line, and we went and bought the yearling that was Megaera through the late Leo George."

I Can Doosit is an early product of Breckon's enterprise. He is from Sheezadoosie, a good trotting mare by Chiola Hanover who won seven races and is the dam of a 3-year-old sister to I Can Doosit. Like the runner-up, Let Me Thru, he's achieved stunning results at a young age. Both are only five, and both are magnificent types by Muscles Yankee. "We've had our up and downs this Summer, and Mark's been under pressure with the horse," he said. "From a layman's point of view, he's done a huge job to peak him on a very short campaign."

Part of the chorus were his sons, 9-year-old Andrew and 11-year-old George. "I encourage them to come. When we bring them to the races our horses win - or win more often. The folk here say if they were theirs, they'd be here every week." Breckon is confident of his growing committment to harness racing. "It's going through a lull, but it will bounce back. The future is globalisation. You can see it here with the number of people here tonight, and horse not only from Australia but Sweden. And the sponsors of the next Inter-Dominions are a firm from Sweden."

Breckon is going that way himself. With a staff of over 100, he has expanded into Australia and Fiji, and there are five full-time on the farm. He has plans to spend $2 million on the farm, including a new house and room for guests.

Breckon was never too certain of victory, even when I Can Doosit appeared to clain Let Me Thru with some finality. Let Me Thru was a thorny fighter, and rallied from being passed and being down half a length 50 metres out to close again and miss by a neck. Chris Lang jnr knew Maurice McKendry would give up the lead on Sovereignty when he came looking. "He's not silly," he said. "Springbank Richard brought himself undone racing outside us like that. It may have been why we lost by a neck and the other horse won by a neck. My horse felt good in the warm-up. When we got to the front, I thought 'good luck' to the others if they can run him down. I always felt he was a show of winning down the straight. Next year he'll be bigger and better."

The win was another training triumph for Grant Payne and Mark Purdon, who had their moments when I Can Doosit was patchy during a successful three-race, two-win Melbourne campaign in February. "I didn't expect to beat the Aussie horse, and my horse has never raced that well doing it tough," said Purdon. "It worked out well because Raydon took us right to the corner, but Let Me Thru kept on fighting."

Stylish Monarch went from early leader to second behind Sovereignty and then three-deep when Let Me Thru took over. "I had to use him a bit early and I was in two minds whether to come out when I couold have," said Ricky May. "He's going super."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 13Apr2011

2011 ARTHUR D RILEY & CO LTD INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS CONSOLATION

It might turn out to be the most important Consolation win in Inter-Dominion history. Because while most of the support races at Alexandra Park last Friday night will soon fade from memory, Annicka's victory in the Trotters Consolation could hopefully be the start of a true internationalization of our open class trotting races. The brave mare became the first Swedish-trained horse to win a race in the Southern Hemisphere when she used her gate speed to secure a perfect trip and down the second tier trotters last Friday night.

It was only a $30,000 race and her winning stake probably wouldn't have paid her team's accommodation bills and flights, let alone the massive expense of getting the mare herself to New Zealand. But the scenes in the winner's circle after the race confirmed this was far bigger than just one win. This race was a genuine history-making event, the first time a horse from trotting-rich Scandinavia has campaigned with any success in this part of the world.

Annicka's win meant more to her connections than money, because after setting out with a dream they had to endure a dissappointing start to the Inter-Dominions as the mare struggled to find her best form. There are dozens of things that can go wrong with any horse, many more once you start putting her on a plane to the other side of the world. Annicka obviously picked up her share and trainer Jorgen Westholm struggled last week with the mare's shoeing, her diet and even the bedding in her stable.

But all was forgotten soon after she hit the line. Westholm, rated in the top 10 in Sweden, was swamped with Swedish wellwishers who were beaming at seeing one of their own victorious in such a foreign land. They had travelled a long way to see her in hopefully the Grand Final but winning is winning, even in a Consolation, and their joy was contagious.

Annicka will now stay on for the Trotting Champs at Addington next week and then return to Alexandra Park for the Rowe Cup on May 6. And Westholm says she can only get better. "You guys definitely haven't seen the best of her yet," he told the 'Weekly'. "She is way better than what she has shown and we have had a few problems, some of which we haven't sorted out yet. But she was good enough tonight, and this was a very special win for us."

But already the lanky Swede says he is thinking of what horse to bring down next to contest whatever series ends up replacing the Inter-Dominion Trotting Champs, or indeed if it remains but separate from the Pacing Series. "I have some other good horses we would love to bring down here. But they will need to be good because the horses here are good, the standard is good."

Those words, and the ones Westholm, Klaus Koch and his friends will spread when they return home will be critical. While we are a pacing-dominated industry in this part of the world, true internationalization of the industry is only possible with the best trotters. And there is enough goodwill among some administrators and big owners to suggest we could see more Scandinavian trotters wooed down under. If one of the best was to come and even win a major race, the ripples of interest could become waves.

On face value the money invested in getting horses like Annicka to the carnival seems a lot, especially when the industry and the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club in particular, are struggling. But an industry-wide push in the next decade could open doors which were knocked on by Annicka last Friday night. Which is why we owe Klaus Koch, Jorgen Westholm, travelling trainer Lisa Mannberg, the connections of the mare, and Annicka herself a big thank you.

Credit: Michael Guerin writing in HRWeekly 13Apr2011

Part-owner Hazel van Opzeeland & Blair Orange

2011 NRM (NZ) INTER-DOMINION PACERS CONSOLATION

Two of Mark Purdon's pacing stars could be bound for careers in Australia next season. That was Purdon's feeling after Highview Tommy bounced back to winning form in the Inter-Dominion Consolation last Friday night.

The stallion made the most of a perfect drive from Blair Orange to round up hot favourite Captain Joy then hold out Raglan in the $44,750 event. It was his first real show of form during his northern campaign, and Purdon thinks an increased workload last week may have aided the former Harness Jewels winner. "He had been working well at home but disappointing on race night," said Purdon. "I was wondering whether, being a stallion and a bit older now, I had been a bit too kind to him so I really stepped up his work last week. The fact he won didn't surprise me because he had felt good."

Purdon says like a lot of older stallions, Highview Tommy may have become cunning and know what races he can and can't win. "The other night he would have got to the top of the straight and been feeling good and he tried, whereas sometimes in races recently he probably couldn't win at the same stage and didn't put in. That sometimes happens with stallions, and that is one reason I think he might be better suited in Australia next season. He might have better racing opportunities there, but I don't think his owners would ever sell him."

Purdon says Australia is the most likely home for Auckland Reactor next season since the star is not suited by the standing start racing which prevails in New Zealand pre-Christmas. "I think we have to look at the big races in Australia and it will be up to his owners to decide how they, or we, go about that."



Credit: Michael Guerin writing in HRWeekly 13Apr2011

2011 DREAM WITH ME STABLES NZ TROTTER'S TRUST NZ TROTTING OAKS

"Dad, do you really want a trotter?"
"Yes, Michelle," he said to his daughter. "I want to buy a trotter before I give up."

Jim McDonald was 80 then, and along with his grand-daughter Olivia, did a search of the PGG Wrightson catalogue a year ago to find one he liked. He settled on a filly by CR Commando from In De Fence, a mare by Sundon and paid Invercargill's Don McRae $15,500 for her.

"I didn't see her before she came into the ring, and then got Matt Bowden to break her in before I gave her to Mark Jones. It wasn't long before Mark got back to me and said we had something worthwhile."

The filly had won two of her five starts and with experience, speed and manners, she easily found the front in the Group 3 Dream With Me Stables NZ Trotter's Trust NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington last Saturday. It was a lead that Brookside Filly couldn't put a dent in, with Brawlinwiththe boyz showing her old spark but beaten into third by more than four lengths.

While Commander Jewel is the first trotter McDonald has raced, its not the first he's owned; that was the smart mare Racey Tracey. "But I put her in foal to Sundon and lost her and the foal," he recalled.

Commander Jewel has won just short of $25,000 and has joined the chasing bunch behind Paramount Geegee in the 3-year-old Ruby of the Harness Jewels.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 18 May 2011