Bits and Bridles

Secret Wishes’ (Bettor’s Wish) win in the G1 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Mobile Pace was the 200^th for Brian West of Studholme Bloodstock as an owner.

His first was Defoe trained and driven by Robert Dunn at Ascot Park Invercargill in January 1988. The gelding was raced by the Club Classic Lucky Seven Syndicate.

The win was also his tenth Group One win. His Group One winners have been Chase A Dream (3), Secret Potion (2), Lancome, Superbowlcheerleader, Beyond Words, No Matter Wat and Secret Wish.

Andy Hall (Andover Hall) has been a great money earner for his breeder/owner Ian Hunter.

The ten year old has endured seven seasons of racing with 122 starts of which he’s won twelve and earned over $200,000.

The giant trotter commenced his career with Nathan Williamson. He then went for a stint with Regan Todd, then back to Nathan, onto Robert and Jenna Dunn and is now trained by Lyndon Bond.

He started in the 2017 Dominion won by Sundees Son in a record breaking 3-56.6. Andy Hall finished seventh posting a time of 4-00.26 probably good enough to win a Dominion in most years.

Williamson won eight races with the gelding and the Dunns and Lyndon Bond have won two apiece.

Stallion Art Major is enjoying a golden run at the moment with Got The Chocolates, Bruntwood Brigade, Iron Brigade, Bacchus, I Can Too and Sans Repos all winning recently.

Trainer Robert Dunn and stable client Ross Gordon have enjoyed plenty of success with the stock of Art Major over the years. Winners include Got The Chocolates (14), Billy Badger (8), Heisenberg (13), Charlie Brown (7) and Say My Name (6).

Over the seventeen years he’s been servicing, Art Major has left the winners of 2,079 races in New Zealand for earnings of $33,202,718.

His biggest New Zealand earners have been Merlin, Princess Tiffany, Sky Major, All You Need Is Faith, Isaiah and Messini.

His success extends to Australia through the deeds of Don Hugo, My Field Marshal, Major Crocker, For A Reason and Sushi Sushi.

This season in New Zealand the Alabar based stallion has had 96 starters for 38 winners.

Pacing royalty was to the fore at the Rangiora Harness Racing Club meeting on Sunday.

Cherish Me (Downbytheseaside-Adore Me) trained by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety and driven by their son Carter, proved too smart in the Wai Eyre Farm Anne Thompson Graduation Final for pacers.

The win was the filly’s second in three starts.

Cherish Me is the sixth foal of $1.6 million mare Adore Me who has been equally as good at stud, leaving Sweet On Me (who won six of her seven starts), Darling Me (13), Remember Me (5), Forever Me (3) and All You Need Is Me (six wins from thirteen starts).

Three year old filly Katelin (Elite Stride) trained by Colin and Julie DeFilippi took out the trotters final of the Anne Thompson Series.

Katelin was purchased by Bruce Negus at the 2023 NZB Standardbred Weanling Sale in Auckland for just $2,000.

She was out of two win Majestic Son mare Cyclone Emily who is closely related to a host of black type winners including Cyclone Chief, Glenferrie Typhoon and Cyclone U Bolt.

There are five feature races at Addington tomorrow night: the New Zealand Two Year Old Trotting Stakes, the Sires’ Stakes Final, the Welcome Stakes and the Country Cups Championship.

$200,000 Group One Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final

• Run since 1984 and has been won by some of the greats – Lazarus, Auckland Reactor, Courage Under Fire, Christian Cullen, Chokin and Honkin Vision.
• The race was originally run over 1609 before changing to 2000 metres, then to 1950 metres and since 2018 has been run over 1980 metres.
• The race record of 2-19.0 is held by the 2018 winner Ultimate Machete.
• Mark Purdon in various training partnerships has won ten of the last eleven editions of the race.

$100,000 Group One Avon City Ford Welcome Stakes

• The late Katie Cox had a night to remember at Addington in 2023. The Leeston reinswoman scored her biggest win as a trainer in the $45,000 Group Two Avon City Ford New Zealand Welcome Stakes when It’s Tough (Bettor’s Delight) came with the last run to win the 80^th running of the two year old feature.

$100,000 Listed Hydroflow Country Cups Championship

• This will be the fifth running of the Country Cups Championship. The previous winners have been The Falcon, Mighty Looee, Charlie Brown and Betterthancash.
• The race record for the 3200 metres of 3-59.6 is held by Betterthancash.

$50,000 Group Three Syncroflex Express New Zealand Two Year Old Trotting Stakes

• Has been held since 1981
• The race record of 2-29.1 is held by 2019 winner Muscle Mountain
• Sundon won the feature in 1988 and five of his progeny went on to win it – Petite Sunrise, Fear Factor, Just Incredible, Jo Anne and Dependable.

$40,000 Group Three Yabby Dam Farms ‘Heather Williams Memorial’

• This race honours the late Heather Williams who with her husband Lex, bred one of our great trotting mares and millionaire One Over Kenny.
• This will be the sixth running of this fillies and mares feature.
• Previous winners have been Splash Cola, I Dream Of Jeannie, Time Up The Hill, Galway Girl and Eurostyle.
• Time Up The Hill’s 2023 winning time of 2-25.7 is the race record.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink