Bits N Bridles

Belle Neige (Love You) won’t be taking her place in next month’s Renwick Farms Dominion and will stay at home instead, to target mainly the mares and fillies races in the north.

Trained by Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett the six year old mare has a host of suitable races like the $25,000 Queen Of Diamonds Prelude, the $100,000 Queen Of Diamonds, $40,000 Northern Breeders Stakes and the $40,000 Waikato Trotting Breeders Stakes to target in the next few months.

Yabby Dam Farms who owns Belle Neige has hopes of getting her in foal this season and will send her to one of their own stallions E L Titan.

Belle Neige has won ten races, her feature wins have been the G3 Northern Trotting Breeders Stakes and the G3 Greenlane Trotting Cup.

Bring On The Muscle (Majestic Son) trained by Clark Barron is back home at Rakauhauka after a quarter crack issue halted his Canterbury campaign.

The five year old won both of his starts when domiciled at Clark’s brother Ken’s property in West Melton and had been nominated for two further races but didn’t start.

“He’s had a quarter crack problem and is having two or three weeks off. Touchwood he should be right to go again,” Clark said.

Bring On The Muscle was nominated for the Renwick Farms Dominion but was recently withdrawn.

“We were always lukewarm about it, but there are a few other races in between we wouldn’t mind having a go at.”

Barron hopes to have the gelding ready for the $40,000 G3 David Moss Stakes on Invercargill Cup Day.

The Bulldog Hanover Kaikoura Cup will be one of the features at the Kaikoura Trotting Club meeting at South Bay on Monday.

Facts:

• Two Australian trained pacers have won the feature – Sushi Sushi in 2012 and Arden Rooney in 2015. Captains Mistress will be looking at adding to the list.
• Classic Brigade is the only pacer to have won the feature three times (2019,2020 and 2021).
• Mark Purdon with five wins is the leading driver in the Cup.
• Only six mares have won the feature – Royal Belmer (1972), Armalight (1982), Michelle Bromac (1987), Gina Rosa (1989), Imagine That (2005) and Nearea Franco (2009).
• The race record for the 2400 metre stand of 2-54.3 is held by 2017 winner Lazarus.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink