Macca Lodge proud to present ‘best draft yet’ in 2025

Macca Lodge, located in the Riversdale district of Northern Southland, has significantly influenced New Zealand’s harness racing industry as a premier nursery for Standardbred talent in the Deep South.

Since taking over in 2008, Brent and Sheree McIntyre, and later joined by their son Caine have only furthered the reputation of the 600-acre stud farms reputation as a cornerstone of Standardbred breeding in Otago and Southland, contributing to the development and success of harness racing in New Zealand.

They have built upon it’s original foundations by offering comprehensive breeding services, including access to top-tier chilled and frozen semen from leading sires including elite stallions like Six Pack, a three-time world record holder and significant earner in North American trotting, and world champion pacer, Perfect Sting.

Their commitment to excellence is also evident in their meticulous yearling preparation for the NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch, where they have consistently presented well-bred and well-prepared yearlings.

This year, Macca Lodge take a draft of seven high class individuals for which Caine Macintyre and his parents Brent and Sheree are ecstatic about.

“It’s probably the best draft we have ever prepared on paper and we are really excited about getting them to the ring,” said Macintyre.

Let’s take a look at the draft in lot order!

Lot 145: Always B Miki x Kelly Maguire (Christian Cullen) colt

“He’s a big guy, but he’s also in proportion and pretty athletic,” said Macintyre.

“He is quite consistent I’m picking with a lot of Always B Miki’s at this stage. He’s out of a mayor that just keeps on producing with the page telling the story. She just keeps leaving really nice types that can run,” he said.

Kelly Maguire is the dam of seven foals to race for six winners including the G1 winner, Burningaholeinmypocket (Bettor’s Delight), who at three was the winner of the 2015 Nursery Flying Stakes at Albion Park in a sensational 1:52.1 mile rate.

The most recent of her performers at the track is the full brother to the above in the Nathan Williamson trained Miraculous. The lightly tried four-year-old pacer went within a half-head of adding to his already five wins in the Wairio Cup on Sunday, and looks set for a big 2025 as he ascends through the grades.

Lot 172: Downbytheseaside x Niftey Franco (Badlands Hanover) colt

“This guy is at the other end of the spectrum in that he is pretty compact but still very well built,” said Macintyre.

“He’s got a bit of attitude, but he’s good to work with and he’s with you. He’s a good mover who has got a good overstep on him and I think he could be a wee smoky for making a two year old.

“Compared to some of the other progeny she’s probably on the smaller side, to be fair. They’ve all been pretty big. Apart from Born To Boogie, she was probably about the same size,” he said.

Born To Boogie (Rock N Roll Heaven) was the 5th foal from Niftey Franco and was more than competitive in the elite mares grade in Perth, winning the G2 Norms Daughter Classic in 2021 before running second in the G1 Westral Mares Classic a fortnight later.

She was one of four winners from the dam which also includes the multiple Group Race winner, Glenferrie Hood (Christian Cullen), the winner of 47 races including 28 at Albion Park. The big striding son of Cullen was also G1 placed in the West Australian Derby back in 2014 where he beat My Hard Copy but succumb to the late Alta Christiano and Macha in an NZ bred first four.

Lot 196: Lazarus x Real Wings (Badlands Hanover) colt

“This colt is a real nice type,” said Macintyre.

“He’s got a tough head on him. He’s not overly big, just sort of the right size. Pretty athletic looking and obviously he’s a full brother to recent winner, Bad Habits who is doing a great job at the moment.

“He’s a good mover and does everything right, he’s awesome to work with and has a great attitude in everything he does,” he said.

Real Wings is a great granddaughter of a future Hall Of Fame candidate and 2012 NZSBA Broodmare of Excellence Award winner, Maureens Dream.

The Southland family was developed by the legendary Dan Cummings of Tuapeka Lodge and this branch has produced the likes of Real Wings half brother, Ideal Scott (American Ideal), the winner of $842,000 and four Group One races including the Great Northern Derby and Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

Lot 224: Bettor’s Delight x Surprise Party (Christian Cullen) colt

“He’s real nice and obviously he’s a very well-related colt,” said Macintyre.

“He’s probably out of one of the hottest families in the country right now and his mother is a half-sister of Democrat Party.

“The mare has left some bloody good horses too. They probably haven’t had a lot of luck earlier on with injuries and things like that. This guy is well put together and looks like a good Bettor’s Delight should and is getting a fair bit of interest,” he said.

The ‘Party’ family has been one of the best producing maternal families of the last few decades with Stevie Wonder having few troubles reading the black type littered throughout the page.

The above colt is a three-quarter in blood to the recent G1 Auckland and Invercargill Cup winner, Republican Party (Bettor’s Delight) as well as the New Zealand record holder and two time G1 placed Advance Party.

Four of the first five to the races for Surprise Party have been winners and it would be a ‘surprise’ if this guy couldn’t extend that record on breeding alone.

Lot 323: Bettor’s Delight x Evelyn Ashford (Rocknroll Hanover) filly

“She’s actually the pick of the draft actually, we just love her to bits,” said Macintyre.

“She’s and absolute stand out filly. I’m very happy with her actually and she’s probably the nicest yearling we have taken to the sales to date.

“She’s from a good family and I’m picking she could be a future star. She’s just got that X factor about her and has been a pleasure to do anything with from day one,” he said.

This daughter of Bettor’s is a half sister to the stakes performed Tokyo Rose (Captaintreacherous), the winner of five to date with ten placings and $72,000 in the bank.

While Rocknroll Hanover mares are a dime a dozen in this part of the world, this filly is bred on a wonderful cross that has produced the likes of Meadowlands Pacer winner, Best In Show, Canadian 2YO Pacer of the Year, Beyond Delight and Breeders Crown winner, Peaky Sneaky.

Lot 335: Father Patrick x Hill Of Peace (Muscle Hill) filly

“She’s the first foal from a well related Muscle Hill mare and she’s nice too,” said Macintyre.

“I’m very happy with her. She is well built with a tough looking head and has a great walk for a trotter.

“You don’t know what the buyers are looking for, but hopefully with these trotting incentives and all the rest of it we might see a bit of an uptake in this side of the market, particularly with so many opportunities now for the trotting girls to race for nice stakes against their own sex,” he said.

One of the most electric crosses in North America is that of Father Patrick over Muscle Hill mares. The foals to winners ratio is through the roof and one of the best not just in recent times, but in the history of the sport, with over 75% of the foals bred on this cross winning races as juveniles. From limited opportunities in this part of the world, the cross has produced G1 winner and newly minted 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year, Meant To Be.

This family needs little introduction to trotting buffs with the great grand-dam being the 2019 NZ Broodmare of the Year, Della’s Speed, the mother of the great Speeding Spur and 8 winners from 11 to race.

Lot 342: Downbytheseaside x Hot Off The Press (Bettor’s Delight) colt

“He’s a very nice as colt and is right up there with the Evelyn Ashford filly,” said Macintyre.

“He’s a big, powerfully built, strong colt who just looks like a bull and has plenty of presence.

“He’s got a wee bit of attitude, but he’s great to work with and very honest. He was an early foal for these parts being born back in October, and you can tell because he actually looks like a two-year-old,” he said.

The dam of this colt was a three win mare for Ken Barron and is regally bred being a granddaughter of the former NZ 2YO Filly of the Year in Classical, a three time G1 winning juvenile who competed with and beat the best regularly at two and three.

Hot Off The Press added to her mothers legacy when her second foal to date won the G1 West Australian Oaks last year, the seventh of her young career to date.

Classic Nymph, another daughter of Classical produced the talented kiwi-expat, My Kiwi Mate who won over $350,000 and was four times G1 placed.

To view the full list of Macca Lode yearlings catalogued in Christchurch, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink