Great Southern Star arrives on the world stage

The Great Southern Star Final was played out on the world harness racing stage and the global eyes were suitably impressed with what they saw. 

And while Australia’s biggest selling daily newspaper The Herald Sun couldn’t see fit to allocate any column space to the Great Southern Star, the largest racing publication in France, Paris Turf, devoted its front page to Callmethebreeze’s (Trixton) memorable harness racing win. 

The Great Southern Star, where seven of the runners bettered 1:54, also featured on the leading European website Letrot. 

Yabby Dam Farms principal Pat Driscoll, who owns the Italian bred Callmethebreeze, said he has been taken aback by the response to the Great Southern Star from abroad. 

“I’ve had text messages from Philippe Allaire who used to train Callmethebreeze along with others from Italy, Sweden and France,” Driscoll said. 

“I’m surprised and half staggered at the response to the Great Southern Star from other parts of the world,” he said. 

John Bootsman owner of Boko Farms in Holland voiced his approval to Duncan McPherson of Aldebaran Park. 

“It was an unbelievable race and an outstanding event in Victoria,” Bootsman said. 

McPherson said he received notification of a pending new contender for next year’s Great Southern Star. 

“I’ve had a phone call from America to say that they are going to send down a stallion by Chapter Seven who has gone 1:51.,” McPherson said. 

“On Saturday night The Great Southern Star provided significant leap for the world’s perception to trotting here in Australia,” he said. 

McPherson cited three symbolic racing events for trotting in the past 12 months. 

“We had Just Believe contesting the Elitlopp and then Aldebaran Zeus run at Yonkers in the International Trot and now an imported trotter winning the Great Southern Star,” he said. 

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink