$1,000 weanling has now won $71,000 plus

By Harnesslink · 26 July 2026 · 6:10 pm

Joany Baby’s (Speeding Spur) win today in the $25,000 Advance Agriculture Winter Rewards Handicap Trot at Winton, highlights the fact it’s possible to get a good return by buying horses at the lower end of the market.

Joany Baby was bred by Woodlands Stud and is out of the three win Sundon mare Mekong Princess. She’s from the famed ‘Castleton’ family and has Castleton’s Mission and Castleton’s King in her pedigree.

Joany Baby was bought by Canterbury trainer Bruce Negus for just $1,000 at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Weanling Sales at Karaka.

“Bruce sent her down to me and said the beach may suit her. I usually have her in the cart and Aveross Majesty on the lead. I’m very grateful to Bruce who thought she might suit me. I’m also very grateful to my vet Peter Gillespie. She had a couple of bad accidents on the beach. There was a cut on her front leg just below the elbow that had to be stitched up but it’s healed up really well. I’d also like to thank my farrier Murray Jones,” O’Connell said.

With Joany Baby’s stablemate Aveross Majesty making the pace today, driver Brent Barclay settled Joany Baby in eighth position. At the 800 Joany Baby was still eight lengths off the leader but at the 500 she got on the back of an improving Bullit Train. Turning in, Barclay angled her off Bullit Train’s back and she started to trot home down the outside. She powered home to beat Jaccka Ace by half a neck with Andy Hall a neck back in third.

JOANY BABY REPLAY

“She likes to have the pace on all the way. She’s got a short sprint, but it’s quite a good one. She keeps surprising me with how well she goes when she gets the right run and that was the perfect run today.”