 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2000
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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Jim Holland thought he would "go up" to see Shania Patron race in the Air New Zealand Sires' Stakes Fillies Championship at Addington. But from his farm in the deep south, 17km out of Wyndham, he thought against it when he saw she had drawn the outside of the front line. He admits that he is not as agile as he once was, and that was a reason, too. "I am coming up 82 in July and my legs have packed up."
So he settled for Trackside and that would have been fine had it not been for the fog that came in thick and fast a race earlier, and made much of it a blur. But Jim had a good look at her in the straight, where she came with a determined finish for Ricky May - who considered the outside barrier a 20 metre handicap - from three-wide in the middle line to cruise past the plucky Tiger Turner and English Elegance.
By Holmes Hanover, the sire also of Tiger Turner, Shania Patron is a sister to the former grand 3-year-old No Return who won two legs of the John Brandon triple crown in the early 90's. She is raced by Jim, his wife Irene, and Brendan McLellan, who trains her and helps Jim look after his four mares and young stock. Jim sent four mares to the stud this season, but suspects three of them may not be in foal. Shania Patron is one of three fillies left by Patroness, an El Patron mare who died before her time after a kick in the ribs broke a blood vessel. Her last two foals were fillies - Shania Patron and a sister McLellan has in work at present.
Jim has been racing and breeding horses for more than 30 years, his best being his first, Adios Adieu, who won 11. The first horse he bred was Refluent, by Quiet Water, who won six from the stable of 'Ginger' Bourne. He sold a Holmes Hanover-Some Legacy colt at this year's yearling sales for $34,000.
From the time 34-year-old McLellan started training, he has had a horse of the Hollands'. The first was Boyden's Beau, who came from Terry May's stable after he had gone sore, and won five. He trained Anna Patron, by Armbro Raven from Patroness, and she won five before being sold and taking a 1:55 mark in America. And while Shania Patron has claims to being the best he has trained, that honour still rests with the speedy Happy Patron who won the sprint leg of the John Brandon series in 1989.
There is a strong chance that will change soon. The owners have already knocked back a six-figure offer, and McLellan says Shania Patron is still improving. "This race had always been at the back of my mind," he said, "and she is just got better with each start. We will probably look at the Caduceus Classic now in June 9, and make a late payment ($7500) for that," he said.
McLellan works a team of 14 and says the win has come at an ideal time. "I get married in July, so it is a big thrill to win a race like this," he said.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 31 May00