Cracker night for SBSR

There’s no better way to advertise your breeding brand than having winners on the racetrack and the Southern Bred Southern Reared brand had them in spades last night.

The southern group who breed and sell as a collective, last night recorded three winners at Alexandra Park and four at Addington. And there’s the promise of more to come with SBSR horses Havtimemajor, Gus and The Janitor racing at Albion Park tonight.

“SBSR is gathering momentum like you wouldn’t believe. It’s not just here, it’s overseas. We’re getting very global,” SBSR stalwart John Stiven said.

At Alexandra Park, Just Us Two (Art Major) bred by good friends Phil Creighton and Stewie Gillan won for Nathan Purdon.

The three year old gelding is out of Dancing Diamonds, a Bettor’s Delight mare out of their super mare Asabella.

Ride The Wave (Downbytheseaside) bred by Diane and Noel Cournane and sold at the 2024 NZB Standardbred Sales to Stonewall Stud won for Steve and Amanda Telfer.

He’s out of Fight For Glory, the winner of fourteen races including Group One features the Queen of Hearts, the New Zealand Oaks, the New South Wales Oaks and the Queensland Oaks.

War Party rounded out the SBSR night at the Park when he won his second race for Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and driver Harrison Orange.

The Bettor’s Delight colt is out of Democrat Party, making him a full-brother to grand circuit pacer Republican Party and unbeaten two year old Tour Party.

War Party was bred by John and Katrina Price and was sold to Purdon/Phelan for $240,000. The Prices have retained a share in the colt.

At Addington the SBSR roll out continued, with Makani (Majestic Son), Kracka Looka (Father Patrick), Joey Arden (Lazarus) and Larissa Beaudiene (Bettor’s Delight) all winning for the brand.

Makani led all the way to win his first race in five starts. The three year old gelding is out of Hawaiian Hula and was the first horse bred by southern horseman Mark Hurrell.

He was sold by Hurrell to trainer Sam Payne at the 2024 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales for $23,000.

Kracka Looka trained by Brad Williamson, won her fifth race last night.

She was bred by Phil Williamson and is out of his ten win Pegasus Spur mare Alderbeck, making her a half sister to the promising Becky’s Girl.

Two year old Joey Arden displayed good manners to beat Fundraiser in the two year old feature.

JOEY ARDEN REPLAY

He was bred at John and Judy Stiven of Arden Lodge and is out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Crackabeach, a daughter of six-win mare Impish.

“The Shards (Mark and Debbie Smith) owned her and put her in foal to Lazarus. They were going to sell a few and I said to Mark he’d better give me a list of mares and she was one of them. I went to have a look at her and she was a lovely type, we could catch her easily and pick her feet up so we bought her,” John said.

Stiven has been singing the praises of Somebeachsomewhere for a long time and he’s never wavered from his love of the Mach Three stallion.

“I’m the biggest fan in history of Somebeachsomewhere down under. We only had one mare because we’d bred a lot of colts, so that was the driver to get another ‘Beach’ mare. We’d just not long come back from our trip to the States with John Curtin. We saw a lot of Tall Dark Strangers out of Somebeachsomewhere mares selling at the Kentucky Sales and they were awesome looking animals. I thought it was going to be the next golden cross. On purpose we bought her to send to Tall Dark Stranger.”

Joey Arden was bought by Stonewall after Amanda Telfer liked what she saw when visiting Arden Lodge.

“Amanda came to visit one day with Brett Gray to look at another horse. We went out to a paddock with mares and foals and this guy (Joey Arden) was in it. He just walked straight up to her and she gave him a pat. The next day Steve rang asking to buy it.”

Not surprisingly Crackerbeach’s next foal, a colt by Tall Dark Stranger, (Arden’s Intent) was presented at this year’s NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch and was bought by Southland trainer Alister Black for $35,000.

The SBSR haul was complete last night when the Dave Kennedy bred Larissa Beaudiene won her second race – her first since she won as a two year old at Rangiora in November last year.

Trained by Benny Hill and handled last night by his son Seth, the three year old filly came over the top of his opposition to win easily by two lengths.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink