Tasmanian Derby winner Enjoy Life’s interesting family

The Always B Miki colt Enjoy Life, who won the $40,000 Woodlands Stud Tasmanian Derby at Hobart, is the second harness racing winner of the Apple Isle’s premier three-year-old classic bred and owned by famed Victorian breeder Peter Gleeson, who also brought out the 2023 winner Celebrity Royal.

Enjoy Life is the fifth major Derby winner bred by Gleeson, joining the NSW Derby victors Major Secret (2014) and Always Hot (2025) and the Victoria Derby winner Best Deal (2024). He bred Major Secret and Best Deal in partnership with brothers Bruce and Craig Cameron.

All are members of the same family as that which produced this year’s Derby winner.

Enjoy Life is out of the Vicbred and Breeders Crown finalist Perfect Life, who won eight races and was a smart mare in her own right. Perfect Life was by Live Or Die from Secret Life, by Safely Kept from Lifeline, a prolific producer by Classic Garry from the 2002 Australian Broodmare of the Year Larrakeyah Lady.

Over the years this family has produced a host of top performers, many of which have won at Group 1 level including Safe And Sound, Massarua, The Good Times, Major Times and Very Pretty.

Besides Enjoy Life, Perfect Life is also the dam of the Breeders Crown champion Perfect Class, a winner of 11 races and $396,010, Perfect Major ($295,691), who reached cup class in WA, and the dual SA Southern Cross victor That’s Perfect.

A daughter of Perfect Life was Perfect Look (by Art Major), who is the dam of the Vicbred Homegrown Classic winner Looks Perfect, a winner at her only four attempts to date.

This branch of the family was established by the Moonee Valley and Gloucester Park winner Secret Life, who bred extensively and whose family is today widely represented.

Secret Life became the dam of seven individual winners including the NSW Derby and Vicbred champion and successful colonial sire Major Secret ($464,872), the Victoria Oaks and Breeders Crown winner Beauty Secret ($425,921), the dam of five 2:00 performers, and the dual Listed winner Somewhere Secret.

Other daughters of Secret Life bred on with marked successes. Play Ball (by Presidential Ball) left five winners including the Vicbred 3YO champion Out To Play ($363,407), Paintball (by Art Major) produced four winners including the exported The Pantheist ($474,945), a Breeders Crown winner at three, and Stay And Play (by Live Or Die) the dam of four winners.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink