Vicbred stars sold to America

Dougs Babe (Western Terror), winner of last year’s Vicbred Super Series Final for four-year-old mares, and Elegant, who took the Vicbred 3YO Fillies Silver, will do their further harness racing in North America.

The Geoff Webster trained stablemates are due to fly out to New York on February 14. They will be joined by the smart WA racemares Miss Limelight and Booraa.

Bred by Webster’s late brother Doug, Dougs Babe won 11 races including five at Melton and $199,938 in stakes. She was four times placed at Group level and was a dual Vicbred and Breeders Crown finalist.

Dougs Babe was raced on lease by the Ballarat and District Trotting Club Standardbred Group.

“I’ve only trained three horses for the group and all have won – Dougs Babe, Bit Of A Babe and Beach Garden,” Webster said.

Elegant, bred and raced by Adelaide couple David and Glenda Battye, totted up 10 wins including the Southern Cross 3YO Final and a heat of the Victoria Oaks. The Somebeachsomewhere filly amassed $102,756 in her 33-start career.

Dougs Babe, whose sale was brokered by champion reinsman Anthony Butt, has been bought by clients of the New Jersey stable of ex-Kiwi master trainer Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman.

The sale of Elegant, Miss Limelight and Booraa was organised by highly regarded Perth bloodstock agent Frank Ranaldi.  He has sold a number of high profile pacers to America recently including Crunch Time, who is unbeaten in four starts at The Meadowlands, and his brother-in-blood Captain Crusader, the Victorian country trotting cups winner Havehorsewilltravel and the Group winning Queensland mare Fond Memories.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink