Merlin’s big bro ‘Taffy’ doing the business too

While star million dollar pacer Merlin (Art Major) struts his stuff on the big harness racing stage, his older brother Durrant continues to graft away in the south, shaping his own legacy and closing in on $100,000 in stakes.

Durrant was bred by Todd and Fleur Anderson under the Taffy brand and is out of Imaginary Bet who was named New Zealand Broodmare of the Year last year.

He was purchased by Southland trainer Kirk Larsen at the 2019 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Christchurch for just $18,000.

“I liked his pedigree more than anything, but he was really small so I thought I may have a chance of buying him cheaply because the big boys won’t want him. I’d also seen his older sister Gemma Mac race. Cran (Dalgety) brought her down one day and she won against the maidens at Wyndham, he raced her the following week, then he took her to Auckland. I thought ‘this things pretty good’ and it was probably her that put me onto Durrant,” Larsen said.

Once Larsen had secured the colt he organised a group of owners to race him.

“Rodney Dobson is good mates with Todd. He was with me at the Sales and thought about buying Durrant. Once we got him he rang up Paul Duffy and Lyal Bailey and they went into the horse with him.”

Once in Southland Durrant was broken in, then put into work and given the stable name ‘Taffy’,

“He was quite immature and was always a funny going horse. It was like he had something wrong with his back. We won a race with him and at that stage he didn’t look like he was going to be a star, so the boys said to sell him and move on. He’s gone on to do a bloody good job really.”

Larsen raced Durrant twenty three times for a win.

The Kite family then purchased him with Nathan Williamson as the trainer and he won three races.

Williamson said, “He was purchased by Ollie’s family (junior driver Ollie Kite) so he could have a horse in the stable to drive. From the moment we got him he was a wee gentleman. When it came to wintertime Ollie and his family decided to move him on and we were rapt that Ross (Hope) picked him up. He’s done a great job with him.”  

Ross Hope bought Durrant off Gavelhouse in July 2023 after seeing the gelding  race against his own horse Jabali.

Now, in seventy six starts, Durrant’s record is eight wins, ten seconds and nine thirds, for $94,890.

“He’s earned over eleven times what we paid for him,” Hope said.

On race day when he’s at Ascot Park you’ll always find Durrant, Ross and his wife Dianne in Box 16 right next to the main wash bay.

“We don’t train him much and that’s an act on it’s own. He’s a prolific track worker. When we first got him we tried to jog him in the cart with Jabali on the lead. We ended up going that fast that Jabali was cantering. He does get very keen, so we decided to go the other way (jog him on the lead).”  

Of his eight wins Kite has been the driver three times and Tristan Larsen, Sarah O’Reilly, Blair Orange, Carter Dalgety and Nathan Williamson have each driven him for a win.

“He’s brilliant to drive. Straight forward and always honest. You know when he’s going to run a real good race, when he goes out he has a wee bit of a buck and a squeal,” Williamson said.

Imaginary Bet has gone on to leave some high priced yearlings. Merlin was bought by Dean Shannon for $120,000 at the 2021 Sales. Magician was purchased by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety for $200,000. Captains Mistress was purchased privately by Mick Boots. Cullen Racing Stables has bought her latest yearling Mahomes for a $160,000.

Ross Hope has held a training licence for thirty seven years. His first winner was Midnight Lady (Armbro Raven) at Invercargill in January 1990.

His best winners have been Jabali (9), Identifiable (8), Adiana Lady (6) and Midnight Lady (4).

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink