If you look in the sales catalogue or those that find fame out on the track in the feature races you’re likely to find that many of the champions of today come from great families of the past. Here we touch on that habit of success – how the great families continue to leave the very best.
Rangiora trials and North Otago trials and workouts are set to be run on 17th of July. Those that really stood out among their respective fields include –
Niamh (Royal Aspirations – Jacinta Franco) It’s nice to see support really ramping up for the sire Royal Aspirations with his progeny proving truly competitive out on the track. Another that could well make the grade going forward is this 3yr-old daughter out of the O’Connor stable who’ll appear in the first heat of the day out of Rangiora. Dam Jacinta Franco was placed from only two race day starts and has since left the race winner in President Flynntin as her first foal.
The wider family includes the impressive Franco Joshiah (7 wins) Jakarta, also a 7-time winner, and the useful Franco Jorik, a son of Muscle Mass who ran 2nd in the Harness Million Mobile Trot behind Outamyway. Niamh is certainly one you could follow in the future.
Five Crowns (Bettor’s Delight – Gladamare) An interesting runner that will go around in the 3rd of the day, this Purdon trained runner can call on some magnificent family history. Dam Gladamare won 4 from some 24 starts and is closely related to the star Shandale, a Gr2 winner on Australian soil while also being talented enough to place 3rd in the Gr1 New Zealand Derby of 2016 when racing against the likes of Lazarus and Classie Brigade.
Five Crowns, appearing in workout action in February, is out of the 4-time winner in Gladamare
Spirit Downunder (Downbytheseaside – Spirit Of Love) A 2yr-old by Downbytheseaside, this Regan Todd trained juvenile may well have a future ahead of him. A full brother to recent winner Spirit Of Anarchy, Spirit Downunder also shares ancestry with the 13-time winner in Gods Spirit (Tintin In America) The damline traces back to Tabella Beth, mother to the star pacer in Spirit Of Zeus (Soky’s Atom)
Spirit Downunder is a full brother to Spirit Of Anarchy who is shown here winning in late June.
Apeg (Pegasus Spur – City Lane) If you look further South to the North Otago trials and workouts you’ll come across this Amber Hoffman trained runner. The 4yr-old is out of a broodmare who has been doing a magnificent job. City Lane, a 7-time winner on Australian soil, has already left the Gr3 placed Saratoga (Muscles Yankee) and the Gr1 winner Renezmae, winner of the breeders Crown for 2yr-old Trotting Fillies when winning that title in 2017.
Apeg won a qualifying trot event at the start of July and had had previous experience when trainer by A Black.
Apeg has plenty of breeding and is out of the strong broodmare in City Lane.