Browns sweep the Dick & Janet White Memorial

The final event at Kapunda on Sunday is one Peta and Terry Brown will treasure, with the family stable producing all three placegetters in the Dick & Janet White Memorial.

Victory went to Daisy Bouchea, driven confidently by Michael Smith, who scored by a metre over Our Spitfire, handled by the Browns’ son Nicholas Brown. Sammy Barbaro, driven by Terry himself, finished a further 2.4 metres away in third. Remarkably, the first two home were both harness racing mares.

After two false starts, Our Spitfire pinged straight to the top with Brown Jr dictating the tempo. Sammy Barbaro settled on his back, while Daisy Bouchea enjoyed a perfect one-out, one-back trip. The order remained unchanged until the 400-metre mark, when Smith eased Daisy Bouchea three wide. She finished powerfully to secure a memorable trifecta for the Browns.

Terry Brown said the result carried deep personal meaning. “It was an honour to win a race named after Dick and Janet. Dick was a great man. He helped a lot of people progress through the industry, including myself.”

Brown lived with Dick White when he first relocated from Victoria in the 1980s. White, a respected industry figure, passed away in 2020 following a house fire near Globe Derby. He was 85.

The win also stirred memories of another cherished moment. “To trifecta that race named after Dick and Janet was only second to winning my dad’s (Don Brown) memorial race with Seizinger back in 2003,” Brown added.

Incredibly, the Browns only have those three horses in work at present. “My 13-year-old daughter Charli drives Daisy Bouchea in her trackwork,” Terry said proudly.

Kapunda’s once-a-year Cup meeting again proved a success, attracting a strong crowd and delivering competitive racing. The Kapunda Trotters Cup went to Meadow Valley Star, having its first start in the state for trainer Matthew Horsnell, who later completed the feature double when Dhaulagiri took out the Kapunda Pacing Cup as the odds-on favourite.

Horsnell also prepared Keayang Hungry, winner of the opening event.

Driving honours went to Wayne Hill with four winners, while Michael A. Smith landed a double

For complete race results, click here.

by Gary Newton for Harnesslink