Treacherous Gall’s Show Day challenge

Quality two year old harness racing filly Treacherous Gall (Captaintreacherous) faces her biggest test on Friday (Oct. 11) at Addington when she starts in the $150,000 Group One Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires Stakes Fillies Final over 1980 metres.

The two year old filly is owned by southerners Dave Kennedy and Cleland Murdoch and trained at Yaldhurst by Regan Todd.

She was bought south for a two race campaign in March winning both starts including the Group Three Caduceus Club of Southland Nevele R Fillies Classic at the Northern Southland Trotting Club meeting. She commenced the second part of her two year old season with a fast finishing second to Aardiebytheseaside at Addington before impressively winning a heat of the Sires Stakes two weeks later.

Murdoch has been on the Sires Stakes Board for ’10 + years’ and is the immediate past Chairman. He’s also on the executive of the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders.

“I’m effectively the breeders rep on the Sires Stakes board,” he said. 

Treacherous Gall will face the likes of Advance Party (Bettor’s Delight), Kahlua Flybye (Bettor’s Delight), Aardiebytheseaside (Downbytheseaside) and boom filly Millwood Nike (Captaintreacherous).

“At this stage she (Millwood Nike) looks exceptional. The barrier draw and luck in the running is going to be crucial for everyone really. I suspect I’ll be a bit nervous on the Friday.”

Treacherous Gall is out of the maiden Bettor’s Delight mare Galleons Pleasure who was bred by Murdoch’s good friend the late Gary Allen.

“I’ve had a long association with Gary for over twenty years. Robert Wilson and I met him at the trotting conference. He was down so often he damn near became an honorary Southlander. He used to stay with me at Arrowtown most Christmas’s so any success we have is tinged with sadness that he’s not there because he would have been in boots and all.”

Galleon’s Pleasure was raced by Allen, Brian Wasney and Kennedy and from eleven starts recorded two minor placings before she was retired.

At that point Allen’s health was starting to deteriorate and Kennedy ended up with Galleons Pleasure as a broodmare.

“When it came to breeding Gary had asked if I wanted to be in which I agreed to. Gary and I had talked about going to Captaintreacherous so that’s how Dave and I got to bred her.”

Treacherous Gall has a rich pedigree with her granddam Galleons Cheer (Albert Albert) winning five of her nine starts. She was trained by Hamish Hunter at Ryal Bush in Southland.

“Hamish told Gary that Galleon’s Cheers on ability would lap Nursemaid (winner of 14).”

As a broodmare Galleons Cheer has had an exceptional run leaving Cheer The Lady, Galleons Supreme (the dam of Spanish Armada and Supreme Dominator) and Galleons Honour (the dam of Duke Of Wellington and Duke Of Cornwall).

“Her daughters have just done an amazing job.”

Treacherous Gall is the first two year old Murdoch has ever raced in three decades of breeding and racing standardbred. 

“I bred Northview Punter and Northview Cardle but never raced them.” 

Northview Punter (Bettor’s Delight) won first up at Waikouaiti as a two year old for trainers Greg and Nina Hope before being exported to Australia. He won his first two starts as a two year old at Gloucester Park before running a close second in the Group One Golden Slipper. Northview Punter when on to win another thirty four races in Australia banking $552,003.

Northview Cardle (McArdle)qualified as a two year old for Murray Brown before he too headed to Australia where he won his first two starts at Menangle as a two year old. 

By the time Treacherous Gall was broken in the drums were beating that she was something a bit special.

“Tim Trathen broke her in. He told people that she was very good. Dave and I decided we’d give her to Regan to train. I ran into Regan one day at a Northern Southland meeting and he said, ‘they tell me you and Kennedy have got a really good filly out at Tall Tree Stud.?’ He said that he was going to pick her up before some other bugger gets to. He said shortly after ‘holy smoke I think we’ve got something good here.’

Murdoch said that he and Kennedy have had a number of offers for the filly, but they’ve decided she’s staying put.

“It’s nice to have a good horse. You breed all those years and have to justify all the expenses to your wife. She tells you that ‘you’re all a bunch of dreamers’ then all of a sudden, you’ve managed to get a really nice horse. That makes all that stuff worthwhile.”

Affectionately known as ‘Bags’, Murdoch hope’s he’ll be getting a few bags from the TAB on Friday.

“I’ve got her at fifteen dollars, but I’ll be very surprised if she pays that on the day. Kennedy booked to fly home on Friday, and I told him he won’t be going anywhere if she wins.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink