Lewis brothers have plenty to smile about

Horsham harness racing club president Terry Lewis admits he defers to his brother David’s assessment these days about the quality of their young racing stock.

The Lewis’s have enjoyed a good run of success over recent years with horses they have bred together including Stawell Cup winner Kowalski Analysis (Roll With Joe) and Abettorpunt (23 wins, Bettors Delight) and appear to have another handy one on their hands with Didafull Oneeighty (Betting Line).

The three-year-old filly has won both of her starts at her latest preparation and looks a winning chance again in her heat of the TAB Download the App Pace at Melton on Wednesday afternoon.

“The night we won the Gold Chalice at Melton in February with Isthisjustfantasy (Betting Line) in February, we were over the moon with her – but David told me that night he thought we had an even better three-year-old at home,” Terry said.

“We all know, everyone’s got a better one at home, and I thought he was having a lend of me.  But he was definite that Didafull Oneeighty would be a better horse, and time will tell, but I have to admit now that I think he might be right,” he said.

Didafull Oneeighty scored back-to-back victories for Matty Craven and Amy Day at Horsham on November 27 and Geelong on December 12.

The brothers bred three of their mares to Betting Line in that season and must be more than happy with the results – Isthisjustfantasy a winner of four from seven starts, and Didafull Oneeighty with two from six.

“David (who is based at Hamilton, in the Western District) does all of the early education with our young ones, basically he gets them to the point where they are ready to go to the races, then we send them off to the Cravens or Lees for their racing,” Terry said.

“So David’s got a very good idea of what their potential is, and he really liked Didafull Oneeighty. She is a lovely horse to be around and he felt she would be a strong and very honest horse but would take a while to get properly gaited and balanced,” he said.

Didafull Oneeighty is out of the Christian Cullen mare All Perfection, who won six of only 12 starts in her career.

“We bought All Perfection from Sydney.  She was out of a lovely mare that Peter Manning had, Very Chic (a winner of 19 races by Badlands Hanover) and was a nice mare in herself but always had problems with her back. Unfortunately, All Perfection died foaling a couple of years back, so Didafull Oneeighty is her only offspring.”

David and Terry Lewis last month also had success with the two-year-old half-brother of Isthisjustfantasy, Browniesatmidnight (American Ideal).  The colt was victorious in the Bendigo Bank 2yo maiden for Paddy Lee and Glenn Craven on November 20.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink