Young Breeder - Paul Hailes

For a young man, Northern Southland harness racing breeder Paul Hailes has a bit of skin in the game.

“I was never pushed into it, but I always had a bit of a fascination with the breeding side of it when I was younger. I lost interest when I went away to boarding school but got interested again when I came back to the farm,” Paul said.

Paul and his wife Lauren farm near Balfour on land that has been in Paul’s family for a long time.

“My grandfather Con and his brother Walter came down to Southland from Kaikoura in 1919 and they both bought a thousand acres each off their uncle.”

The thousand acres owned by Paul’s grandfather was later split between Paul’s father Eddie and his brother Kevin.

“They were always into horses and went to the races. Dad’s mother quite liked a bet. Dad leased a mare off a neighbour Ron West in the mid 60s. It was a mare called Ronella who has won five races and had a wee bit of breeding.”

Ronella was out of Kelvin Lass, a granddaughter of Lady Effie whose last foal was a mare named Moccasin.

Moccasin left a host of winners including 1968 Interdominion Trotting Championship Grand Final winner Stylish Major who won twenty one races and was also placed in the New Zealand Trotting Championship twice, the Rowe Cup and the New Zealand Trotting FFA.

Moccasin also left Le Chant who won twenty races including the 1966 and 1968 New Zealand Trotting FFA and the 1967 Worthy Queen.

Eddies foundation mare Newella (Newport Chief – Ronella) won six races – five for Gil Shirley and one for George Shand.

The best horse Eddie bred from the family was Chesterton, the winner of sixteen races – eight for Derek Balle and Owen Gillies, seven for Gil Shirley and one of Steven Reid. He was out of Glenburn Rose, a granddaughter of Newella.

Interestingly Eddie also bred Glenburn Star which won eight and was by unknown stallion Greg’s Delight, an unraced Alba Counsel stallion out of Newella. He only ever left two foals.

Throughout his life in Northern Southland Paul has been surrounded by farms that have run and bred standardbreds.

“Although we weren’t direct neighbours, Kina Craig was in our block. Before my time there were the Dillions at Sherwood Farm. Then there was Jaccka Lodge and Macca Lodge.”

He says the area is ideal horse country.

“You get a bit of dry in the summer and in the winter they’re not living in the mud all the time.”

Being from good southern farming stock, Paul likes to be hands on, as he learned from his father.

“Dad and I used to d0 quite a bit of handling using the sheep yards, but that was a bit rough. Those were the days when Maurice Kerr used to come and drag them onto the truck and they’d come back two weeks later as little gentlemen. That was a long time ago. Since I’ve been tied up with Macca (Macca Lodge -owned by his father and mother- in-law Brent and Sheree McIntyre) they do a lot of that now. I enjoy handling the young ones and I’ve helped out at a couple of weanling sales Macca went to.”

The first mare Paul bred from was Glenburn Lass whom he sent to Holmes Hanover.

“It never came to anything.”

Success didn’t come until the early 2020s, when he bred Boot Electric (Somebeachsomewhere) who qualified by ten lengths at Wyndham in February 2020 and was sold to Emilio Rosati. He went on to win fourteen races in Aussie including the 2021 Group One Four Year Old Bonanza at Melton.

“I bred him with Caine (McIntyre). I didn’t have any great expectations of him. They looked after him and brought him along quietly. Caine and I were both desperate for a bit of money so we sold him. He went on to do some good things in Australia which was a good result really.”

Paul is currently breeding from seven mares, some on his own account and others in partnership.

His broodmare band is Smokin Annie, Glenburn Jewel, Glenburn Joy, Wallflower, Bella Cara, Manhattan and Southside Of Heaven.

“I’ve got most of them at home at the moment, but they’ll go back to Macca Lodge when they get closer to foaling.”

Smokin Annie (Mach Three) won ten races. She has two foals on the ground – a yearling colt by Bettor’s Delight named Glenburn Ed and an unnamed American Ideal weanling filly. Smokin Annie is back in foal to Bettor’s Delight.

“Potentially she’s probably the most exciting broodmare I’ve got.”

Glenburn Jewel, a five win Live Or Die mare, has left Boots Electric, Smokin Annie (10), The Honey Badger (3) and Anita Mary (3).

“She’s done an awesome job at stud. When Anita Mary came out and did alright, we threw the dice a bit. Glenburn Jewel was retired to the paddock and had been for a few years, but she was looking awesome. I said to Caine we might have another crack at her (pulling her in foal). I took her over to Macca and he got her in foal straight away to Perfect Sting.”

Glenburn Joy, a two win American Ideal mare is in foal to Downbytheseaside. On the ground Hailes has a Tall Dark Stranger yearling colt and a Perfect Sting weanling colt out of her.

“After she’s foaled we might give her a spell and see how the ones on the ground go.”

Hailes shares in the ownership of the well-bred Bettor’s Delight mare Wallflower with Macca Lodge and Spud Crosse.

“She was in foal to Downbytheseaside, but I think she’s lost it.”

Bella Cara is an unraced Well Said mare out of Imprint, making her a half-sister to Dibaba (7) and Idolise, the dam of Braeview Kelly (19 wins and 1-49.5) and Ohoka Connor (10). She’s also in foal to Perfect Sting. Hailes owns her with his wife Lauren and Macca Lodge.

Manhattan (11 wins and 1-49.6) is owned by The Loyal Travelling Reserves Syndicate which Hailes is a part of. She’s had a Captaintreacherous weanling filly and she’s back in foal to Downbytheseaside.

Southside Of Heaven, a four win Rock N Roll Heaven mare is out of Debnita Rose (Mach Three – Glenburn Rose). She’s owned by Hailes, Caine McIntyre and Jonny Turner.

Debnita Rose won four races but she’s been a shy breeder, leaving only two foals, Southside Of Heaven and Ace Of Spades.

Although Hailes is busy looking after his farm, he still has time to have a hands on role at Macca Lodge.

“I work at Macca most mornings, helping with the jog teams.”

Hailes is also involved in the administration of harness racing in the south and is Vice-President of the Northern Southland Trotting Club, a committee member of the Caduceus Club and is also on the committee of SBSR.

He has taken yearlings to the sales and it’s something he may do again at some point.

“It depends on whether they have a filly or a colt. Wallflower is potentially commercial enough and Bella Cara too. Possibly Smokin Annie, if she had a colt.”

And as for young people getting into the sport?

“Just be aware that the cards don’t always fall your way. I think if you can get a small group together that are like minded, it’s a good way to start. It’s pretty hard doing it on your own. There are good rewards and good money if you sell them.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink