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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

Let Me Thru (3) beats Sovereignty (8)

2011 TRACKSIDE CHANNEL - INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS (Heat 2)

An hour or so after Chris Lang was still puzzling over a very off day for Sundon's Gift, stablemate Let Me Thru continued his dazzling form by winning the Second Heat. He has the edge over the opposition at present. He made a winning fist of leading and holding off Sovereignty by a neck, and he won on Auckland Cup night from Sovereignty by a little less than that after sitting parked.

Driver Chris Lang jnr said he was even better coming off a sit. "But he can do it anyway; lead, sit parked, or come off the pace. He doesn't do a thing wrong. We can't find a fault with him," he said. Lang's the one to talk about that. He has won nine straight on the big 5-year-old. His imposing record is 18 wins and three placings from 25 starts. I'm always confident he will run well wherever he is in the running. He could have started racing fiercely tonight after being revved up getting to the lead, so I just let the reins go and he backed off," he said.

Lang has seen enough of Sovereignty to know how hard he is to beat. "He wouldn't want to draw fourteen in the Final and Sovereignty to draw somewhere good on the front."

There was much to like about the run of Stylish Monarch, who was parked early and trailed later, and Master Bomber who came into it with a tidy burst. Stylish Monarch blew heavily after the race. "He'll be one of the big improvers," said driver, Ricky May. "He takes a lot of work, and the more racing he gets, the better he gets." Stylish Monarch has not won on the track from six attempts, but the breakthrough is anytime soon.

Lets Get Serious went for a gallop after 600 metres and Musgrove did the same 600 metres from the finish.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 30Mar2011

Raydon(12) wins from Stylish Monarch(8) & Sovereignty(11)

2011 GARRARDS HORSE & HOUND INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS (Heat 3)

There was never much doubt Raydon would again find the form that made him a star at four. He hasn't travelled all that badly in the meantime, but it's still been 15 months since he last won - and that was at Alexandra Park on December 18, 2009.

Following that and before the Rowe Cup a year ago, he hurt a hock that meant a spell of more than three months. He didn't race for nine months. It's been a trail of redemption in the meantime, a trip that co-trainer Barry Purdon knew would eventually have a pleasing outcome. It could be as close as a day or two away. He has emerged from a solid block of form with the ultimate turnaround - a strong win over Stylish Monarch who roared past the tiring Sovereignty inside the last 20 metres.

Raydon had looked sharp in his Heat the week before, and that came after an encouraging third on Auckland Cup night behind Let Me Thru. Purdon was ready for it. "He looked really good twelve months ago, but it's taken him a while to adjust to the new standard," he said. "There's been no pressure on him. We've just taken him quietly. We always felt it would happen, and it has. He has just stepped up a level."

Stylish Monarch made the transition from middle class to upper class without quite the form hiatus that affected Raydon. He has won 15 races, or roughly 40% of his starts, and he rarely finishes out of the money. He has got better with each run at the meeting so far; a third, and a rattling good finish for second after being near last with a lap to run. Again, he recovered as if there was another three or four lengths of benefit to come.

Maurice McKendry said the false start put a keen edge to Sovereignty. "He pulled a wee bit, but I was quite happy with him," he said.

First night winner Dr Hook got back and was buried from the outset, and he ran on without turning heads. "We were there to get some money, but it just didn't turn out our way," said trainer Paul Nairn.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly 6Apr2011

Let Me Thru(13) from Springbank Richard(inner), I Can Doosit(4) & Danny Cash(9)

2011 NEW ZEALAND HERALD INTER-DOMINION TROTTERS (Heat 4)

The kindling stick form of Let Me Thru continued at Alexandra Park last Friday night. But instead of doing it in front, instead of running parked or sitting close with cover, Let Me Thru used blinding speed from the back.

He had one behind him with a lap to run and began the run home giving I Can Doosit an enormous start. Springbank Richard was back with him, but a place or two ahead. They set out after I Can Doosit, who had taken the lead off the tiring Annicka on the corner. "I thought we'd run into third or fourth," said driver Chris Lang jnr. "I didn't even ask him to go. What he did up the straight ... that's the best feeling I've had in harness racing. The more we ask him to do, the more he can do," he said.

Lang, who was fined $250 for not having Let Me Thru on the gate at dispatch, said he felt for Nathan Williamson and Springbank Richard after the horse was sent to the outside for causing a false start and then having to travel wide on the mobile for another lap. "That was tough for him," he said. Lang said he would like to say the draw doesn't matter for the Final, but added that it would play a part.

Williamson knows what it can mean. He went from barrier two to the outside of the gate, which cost him the prospect of a better position. "He was a bit keen on the gate," he said. "Who knows, that might have been better for him. I was held up and it cost me a bit of ground in the straight, but Let Me Thru came from behind me."

I Can Doosit is making pleasing progress at the right time and he's shaping as good as any of the chasing pack. "He didn't have it easy, and hit the wall halfway down the straight," said driver, Mark Purdon.

Danny Cash ran better but Master Bomber didn't and made the Final with a battling sixth. Trainer Gerard O'Reilly said a hoof problem and the change of location had given him one problem and then another.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly 6Apr2011