Bits n Bridles

In the last week Dean Shannon has proven what an exceptional talent he has for spotting and buying race winners as yearlings.

In 2024 at the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales he bought five yearlings. War Chief was for himself while four were for the TAB Club and all have won races.

War Chief (Captaintreacherous) who was a $220,000 purchase, has now won four of his nine starts for Shannon and trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and has banked $53,000.

TAB purchase Sidestepper (Always B Miki) was knocked down for $50,000 and has won once from just three starts for Robert and Jenna Dunn.

Eun Sogna (Captain Crunch) was a $42,000 purchase and has won six of his fourteen starts for Cran and Chrissie Dalgety.

The TAB Club paid $40,000 for Off The Canvas (Art Major) and he’s won two of his nine starts for Nathan Williamson and No More Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) for which the TAB Club paid $340,000 has won once from four starts for Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.

To pick one yearling from the Sales and have it win is hard enough, but to pick five race winners is pretty exceptional.

All five three year olds show plenty of potential and haven’t finished winning yet, so we all watch with interest.

Breeders Todd and Fleur Anderson of Taffy Limited are also having a great run. Having bred War Chief, Faith Not Fear and Cheers The Captain, they will have been pleased to see each of them win last weekend.

War Chief is out of Delight In Me, Faith Not Fear out of Imaginary Bet and Cheer The Captain is out of Cheer The Lady.

Add to the list two trotters they bred which qualified at Pukekohe this week. Copy Book Landing (Tactical Landing – Petite) and Lipstick Cherry (Bold Eagle – Girls On Film) got their ticket in the same heat.

Copy Book Landing is a five year old mare and was having her first public appearance. She’s also had time to have a Volstead colt.

At the other end of the scale Lipstick Cheer is a two year old filly. Both were $110,000 purchases at the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Christchurch.

A couple of stars also bred by the Andersons are Merlin and Captains Mistress. They’re about to reappear on the racetrack with some big targets in front of them, so there should be exciting times ahead for the Central Southland couple.

Two of Phil Williamson’s tightest assessed trotters – Love N The Port (Love You) and Jimmy Carter (The Pres) have been retired.

Love N The Port started 65 times, winning eleven races and banking over $350,000.

The highlight of his career was the winning of the Group One Rowe Cup in 2023. His other Group wins were the G3 Southern Lights and G3 Worthy Queen.

He was also placed in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup twice, the Ordeal Trotting Cup, the Anzac Cup, the Southern Lights, the David Moss Stakes, the Waikato Flying Mile, the Cambridge Flying Stakes and the Greenlane Cup.

Jimmy Carter was the veteran of 182 starts, winning 21 and being placed 52 times for $345,000.

His only group win was the 2024 G3 Southern Lights when he beat Love N The Port.

He was placed in the G3 Southern Lights and twice in the G3 Gallagher Gold Cup at Omakau.

This Sunday sees the running of the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru.

Some of the greats who’ve won the race in the past are Captain Sandy (1949), Johnny Globe (1951 and 1954), Caduceus (1959) and Robin Dundee (1965).

Six winners of Hannon went on to win the New Zealand Cup in the same year; Johnny Globe 1954, Bonnies Chance 1982, Inky Lord 1989, Bee Bee Cee 1994, Iraklis 1997 and Kym’s Girl 2001.

The race’s most successful drivers have been Ricky May with six wins, Colin De Filippi and Anthony Butt with five apiece.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink