Mantra Blue hangs up the hopples — Breeding barn beckons

Top race mare Mantra Blue has run her last race and already her transition to becoming a mum is well advanced.

By Sweet Lou out of Kamwood Blue Chip, Mantra Blue won 10 of 24 starts for trainer Zachary Butcher with stakes earnings just shy of $200,000.

The decision to retire her came after she ran 12th in the Bob McArdle Sires’ Stakes Southern Mares Classic at Addington on Show Day.

After doing some crucial groundwork earlier in the year Paul and Pauline Renwick’s breeding operation Renwick Farms, headed up by their granddaughter-in-law Ashleigh Keast, were the first cabs off the rank, and the deal was done.

“Within 24 hours of that race the ball was rolling,” said Keast, “we are rapt.”

The preparatory work had been done in May when Ashleigh and husband Darren Keast were in Auckland campaigning their filly Tosana.

She was being stabled at Lincoln Farms coincidentally, as it turns out, right next to Mantra Blue.

Ashleigh Keast made some enquiries about the five-year-old’s breeding prospects after her racing career with Butcher and her Australian owner Lynette Philpott.

Mantra Blue continued to race, winning four times between June and August with Keast told she’d have first option when the time came for her to head to the breeding barn.

And now less than six months and “a bit of back and forth” later Mantra Blue has a new home at Renwick Farms in Canterbury, adding some youth to their broodmare band.

“She fits really well into our plans going forward in that she’s a Sweet Lou out of a Christian Cullen so we’ve got a bit of variety as to who we can go to.”

“The Sweet Lou daughters are going great job in the States – they are just so versatile with what they can cross with.”

And there are plans already in place to get her served by “The King” Bettor’s Delight.

“We are going to give it a crack this breeding season.”

“With Mantra Blue’s breeding we are able to go to Bettor’s Delight so we would be silly not to have a go.”

It’s a rapid transition from racemare to broodmare.

“I’ve only had her a bit but she seems a cool customer.”

Mantra Blue’s Racing Career :
5YO Mare
Sweet Lou – Kamwood Blue Chip
24 starts
10 wins
Stakes $199,772

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk