White ready for Next Gen chapter

Young Clevedon harness racing trainer Matty White was having a few days off in the Hawkes Bay when I called him after his busy time at the recently held NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales.

It’s been a great week for the horseman. He’s purchased three yearlings on his own account and has had some high profile owners place their yearlings in his care.

Leading White’s purchases was a Captaintreacherous colt out of Smiley Sophie bought for $80,000 at the Christchurch sale.

Out of a stake placed Art Major mare, he has top liners Stunin Cullen ($1,015,258) and Its All About Faith (1-49.6) on his pedigree page.

“He’s a nice bodied colt, well put together and I like the family. He looks more like a three year old type. We won’t be pushing him early,” said White, adding that there’s a plan to form a syndicate to race him.

White paid $15,000 for a Captain Crunch colt out of the eight win Bettor’s Delight mare Strata Star.

“I thought he was a racy looking type. He’s not overly big but he’s compact. He’s out of a Bettor’s Delight mare and his brother (Vulcan Star) has gone quite nice. One of my owners was pretty keen on that family. I thought we got him pretty cheaply.”

And White’s third purchase was Churchill, a yearling trotter which cost him $40,000. He’s a Tactical Landing colt out of the Majestic Son mare Astound whose dam is sixteen win mare Habibti.

“I was pretty keen to get him. I saw him down at Davey’s (Davey Butt’s) in November before Tarryn (Jones) prepared him. He’s a big strong lad and an early foal (28th August) so he’s a bit older than most of them. I haven’t trained a Tactical Landing before but I like the way they go. I had a client that bought into him and we got rid of the rest of him pretty quick.”

The Sales have been very positive for White as he’s also been asked to train two well-bred yearlings which were purchased by West Australian trainer Greg Bond. One is a Downbytheseaside – On A Roll filly which Bond paid $100,000 for.

The filly’s second dam Onlyforyou won the Group One Sires Stakes Two Year Old Fillies Championship and the Group One Two Year Old Diamond.

Bond also bought a Bettor’s Delight – Beaudiene Beaut Babe colt from the SBSR Beaudiene Breeding draft for $95,000.

“He caught my eye on the tour (SBSR tour). He’s a typical Bettors. He’s entrusted me to train them over here which is great.”

It’s good to see that Australian buyers of New Zealand yearlings see the advantage of leaving their young stock in this country with non-Group One winning trainers like White. This is what the recently launched Next Gen concept is all about.

But the good news for White doesn’t end there.

Phil and Glenys Kennard along with George Breckon bought a Bettor’s Delight filly out of Gladamare for $60,000. A full sister to the well performed Five Crowns, she has been given to White to train.

“With Next Gen there’s probably a better opportunity to target those races with a filly because there are less of them (fillies).”

Purdon and Phelan will train a Captaintreacherous – Ice Imperial filly which was bought for $40,000 for the Kennards and Breckon’s Syndicate.

“George is definitely an asset to the game. He’s doing it off his own bat, it’s totally him. The industry is in good hands with people like him coming through.”

On the home front White has recently sold Aye Aye Captain who will do his future racing in America.

“He’d reached his mark and was just knocking around. We got offered good money for him just before the Sales.”

Quality trotter Paramount Kiwi who last raced at Addington in early December in the New Zealand Trotting Derby is still in the spelling paddock.

“We thought we’d give him a big long spell so he’ll come back in in May. He’s not really missing out on anything. It’s going to be tough enough when he comes back in (R70 horse).”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink

For more details on Next Gen CLICK HERE