The making of the Mistress

The stunning record-breaking harness racing win by Captains Mistress (Captaintreacherous) in Saturday’s 2026 Racing and Sports The Rising Sun, has been a few years in the making.

The four year old mare was bred by Todd and Fleur Anderson of Taffy Limited and purchased as a weanling by Mick Boots.

“It depends on what they are, but you need to be getting paid reasonable money to warrant selling them early,” said Anderson.

Southland trainer Nathan Williamson was also involved in the process.

“Peter Lagan (Bloodstock agent) found her. He looked at her and decided to ask Mick if he wanted to purchase her as a weanling. I flew up (to Laura Smiths) and went to have a look at her. She was outstanding and I said to Mick ‘make sure you buy her’ and he did. He also bought Utah Jazz at the same time. Mick’s idea was to buy some really nicely bred fillies to race in our feature races and if they were up to it, to breed from them a little later on,” he said.

Williamson qualified Captains Mistress at Winton as a two year old in February 2024 running a mile in 1-58.4.

“I rang Mick that night and said ‘I think we’ve got a superstar horse.’ She ran a phenomenal last 400 that day.”

CAPTAINS MISTRESS QUALIFY TRIAL – REPLAY

On debut the following month, she finished second to Music Mistress at Ascot Park before winning her next start in the G3 Entain Two Year Old Fillies Mobile Pace at Winton.

“She used to look at things on the track and shy a little bit, but never to the point of being a real problem. She was just phenomenally fast and well gaited.”

Captains Mistress won eight of her eighteen starts for Williamson and her win in the Dunstan Sires’ Stakes Series Fillies Championship was Williamson’s first Group One win as a trainer.

After winning the Group One Magness Benrow New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Final at Alexandra Park in May last year, she embarked on a four race Australian campaign under the care of Grant Dixon.

She won three of those races before she came home to target the main three year old races in spring.

“When she came back from Queensland last year we had numerous problems through the spring and the preparation was a bit of a nightmare. Mick understood and never put pressure on me to line her up when she wasn’t at her peak.”

She had her last race for Williamson at Alexandra Park in December last year, when just before the finishing post, the seat on the sulky detached tossing Williamson on the track. He was unconscious, hospitalised and out of racing for three months.

“It was disappointing with what happened because it would have been a great note for her to finish on. She was Two Year Old of the Year, but it was a real shame she wasn’t Three Year Old of the Year. I think she would have been, without me having the hiccup. She was always probably destined to head over there. I was rapt to be associated with her for as long as I was. Obviously a terrifically talented horse and she’s just got better and better since she’s been in Jason’s care. I’m proud to say that we always looked after her really well.”

Since being in Australia and trained by Jason Grimson, Captains Mistress has won ten of her eleven starts including four Group Ones. And she’s banked $655,450 for Boots.

Eight of Captains Mistress’s Australian wins have been over a mile.

“She has adapted to the mile racing. She’s obviously brilliantly fast but Jason has done a sterling job with her. He’s had her at fever pitch every time.”

Williamson says having races available for Captains Mistress week in week out also helps prepare the classy mare for her feature race calendar.

“With the Australian system you can race them a lot more, whereas we struggle to get racing for our horses. I found we battled with that all the way through her three year old campaign. She came back with such a high rating she couldn’t race unless it was in some of those Country Cups races and it always took her a few runs to get there.”

Throughout her three year old season Boots had some substantial offers for the mare.

“There were some huge offers for her round that three year old time. He decided to hang onto her and it’s been well justified,” said Williamson.

When asked what time Captains Mistress might be capable of running in the future, Williamson was hesitant.

“She trialled in 1-48 round Albion. I’ve never been to Menangle, but the times there would say it’s probably a quicker track than Albion Park, so therefore she might go 1-46.”

Her only miss this season has been running an unlucky fifth in the Miracle Mile when she didn’t get a clear run in the straight.

Without fail, Williamson has stayed up to watch her race.

“I haven’t missed a race yet. She’s hugely important to me because she was my first real Features horse and she was my first Group One winner. I had to chuckle watching the coverage (The Rising Sun) and they were talking about gate speed. I never thought about her being crossed if she wanted to hold the lead. Probably the only reason that other horse (Final Deadline) got a head on her out of the gate was because she’s probably not used to being asked to go flat out like she did on Saturday.”

The win on Saturday night gave Captains Mistress a golden ticket into the $1,000,000 ID26 Pacing Championship Grand Final at Albion Park in a fortnight.

“Saturday night was another stamp I suppose, in terms of stepping forward against the boys. The time they ran in the front it was pretty sensational, then she cruised to the line. It’s very exciting and you always wish people well that buy horses off you,” Anderson said.

In winning the Rising Sun, Captains Mistress joins Merlin as the second millionaire pacer out of the Anderson owned mare Imaginary Bet and is the sixth millionaire pacer produced by the Scuse Me family.

Her millionaires are now Christen Me ($2,745,747), Have Faith In Me ($2,000,964), Merlin ($1,838,814), Adore Me ($1,667,029), Dream About Me ($1,375,085) and Captains Mistress ($1,100,877).

“To leave one really nice horse is sensational. To leave two is pretty exciting. She’s a lovely mare and passes it on to her progeny,” Anderson said.

Outside of her millionaires, Imaginary Bet has also left Gemma Mac, Durrant, Magician, Faith Not Fear and Captain Of Chaos.

Faith Not Fear was purchased by Denis and Mark Dunford at the 2025 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales for $160,000 and he qualified earlier this season for Hayden and Amanda Cullen, while Captain Of Chaos was sold to Boots at the 2026 Sale for $180,000. Captain Of Chaos has been entrusted to Williamson.

“She foaled late, (Imaginary Bet) so we haven’t got a foal for this year. But she’s back in foal to Captaintreacherous,” added Anderson.

And he’s hoping for a filly.

“She hasn’t left me another one (laughter). It’s a hard one because we breed to sell. At the time, we made the decision to sell, (Captains Mistress) but in hindsight it would have been a nice one to have kept to race ourselves. But hindsight is a wonderful thing. It’s great for Mick to have a really lovely mare. Jas (trainer Jason Grimson) and Cam (driver Cam Hart) have got her going nicely over there and Mick is having a hell of a ride, which is great for him.”

The Anderson’s bought into the Scuse Me breed in 2015.

“Back then there weren’t too many people with the breed. The late Ian Dobson actually owned Imaginary Bet. He’d bought her at the yearling sales. The only other one (from the breed) that Charlie (Roberts) had put up for sale was Hartofdixie which Ross Hoggard from Rossland Stud bought. When both those yearlings were sold, Adore Me had only won $17,000 I think.”

Imaginary Bet was unraced and sent to Dobson’s stallion Christian Cullen, producing Cullen Bet which won once in nine starts for Benny Hill.

Down the track it’s possible Captains Mistress may return to New Zealand to embark on her breeding career.

“Mick said when he sent her over there that she would return here for breeding and that I would prepare the foals. Then I got injured. A lot of water has gone under the bridge and Jason’s done a phenomenal job with her. I know Mick likes the way horses are nurtured in this country. I think Jason deserved a lot of the credit, but I think Mick deserves the big credit in that he’s patient and able to wait. He’s like that with all his horses.”

And now that Captains Mistress is running at the Interdominions in a fortnight, are the Andersons tempted to head to Albion Park?

“I’ve had a big morning on the farm and sipping on a cup of tea and Fleur is saying she’s just trying to work out whether we can go to the Interdominions (laughter). The timing probably isn’t going to work for us to be fair. It’s a huge step up last night (Saturday) going against the boys, but it’s another step up going against horses like Leap To Fame and The Janitor. Who knows. Better people than me will know the right thing to be doing,” Anderson said.

“She’s been phenomenal from day one and I wouldn’t bet against her beating Larry in a fortnight,” Williamson said.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink