Bits N Bridles

Long time Southland breeder and owner Vin Devery was back in the winner’s circle at Gore on Sunday when Schemeandream (Always B Miki) won in the hands of trainer Nathan Williamson.

The three year old filly goes back to Facetious (Johnny Globe) whom Devery bred and is the second dam of Dreamy Atom, one of his foundation mares.

Devery has bred a stack of very good winners including top liners Amazing Dream (30 wins and  and earnings of $1.9 million), Honkin Vision (16) and Western Dream (14).

When Prince Lincoln (Always B Miki) won at Cambridge last Friday it was Lincoln Farms John Street’s 552nd winner.

His first was Agent Orange at Alexandra Park in July 1987, trained by Roy and Barry Purdon while his first feature win was with Brocketsbrae trained by Ray Norton in the Group Two City of Auckland FFA in January 1998.

Street’s first Group One winner was Badlands Bute in the 2004 Woodlands Stud Great Northern Derby.

His other Group One successes have been in the 2005 New Zealand Derby with Badlands Bute, 2009 Sires’ Stakes Series Final with Sir Lincoln, Three Year Old Emerald with Sir Lincoln, 2012 Auckland Cup with Sir Lincoln, 2014 Taylor Mile with Bespotted and the Two Year Old Emerald with Beaudiene Boaz.

Street has successfully used a number of trainers in the nearly four decades he’s been involved in the sports. Ray Green (308), Ray Green and Robert Mitchell (79), Ray Norton (49) and Ray Green and Nathan Delany (47) have been the most successful for him.

Drivers Maurice McKendry 165, Zachary Butcher 73 and David Butcher 67 have notched up the biggest number of winners for Street.

Midnight Diamond’s win at Addington recently was the first winner for stallion Royalty For Life in New Zealand.

Trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn and owned by Dancingonmoonlight Limited, Midnight Diamond is out of Lady Midnight and was bred by Pinelea Farm.

As a racehorse Royalty For Life won the 2013 Hambletonian, the Canadian Trotting Classic, and the Zweig Memorial and he banked $1.6 million.

He has just a sprinkling of foals in this country.

When the 2026 Interdominions begin in Brisbane next Saturday it’ll be the eighth time the State has hosted the series.

The first was in 1972 when NSW pacer Welcome Advice trained by Alan Harpley won the $36,000 final. Other Brisbane winners have been Stanley Rio (1977), Village Kid (1986), Jack Morris (1993), Yulestar (2001) and Leap To Fame (2023 and 2025).

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink