Bit and Bridles

The Wyndham HRC will make a decision on Monday as to whether they’ll race on their home course or elsewhere on Sunday 16^th November.

Their main grandstand was damaged in the recent high winds in the province, and the Club is expected to announce their decision on Tuesday.

Trees next to the float entrance were also flattened but this won’t affect entry to the stalls and boxes.

The colours of Mason Bloodstock were to the fore last night when Time For Change (Lazarus) won at Alexandra Park.

Trained and driven by Zachary Butcher, the two year old filly was given the perfect trip by her driver and won by a length.

Owned by Trent and Kristie Mason and Butcher’s partner Laura Dalgety, Time For Change is out of Super Change, a daughter of Chaangerr who’s a half-sister to Changeover.

The Masons, from Waitoki north of Auckland, have invested heavily in the standardbred industry and Time For Change is their first winner in their newly minted colours.

Myrtle McCarthy, a sister of the late Jim Dalgety and Auntie of Cran Dalgety passed away in Canterbury recently aged 89.

She bred her first foal in 1976, and her last foal arrived in 2020. Myrtle tended to send her foals to the yearling sales.

Her horses were always considered to be well reared on the rich Kakanui soil and one of her mares Heather Lady, left several handy performers including Lady Loch who produced Mach Three filly Irish Loch.

Although Irish Loch didn’t excel on the racetrack, when she bred in Australia she produced a prolific winning filly called Shez All Rock.

Achieving a feat that few race mares could replicate, Shez All Rock as a 3 year old filly won the Group One New South Wales Oaks, the Group One Victorian Oaks, the Group One New Zealand Oaks and the Group One Three Year Old Diamond and earned close to $450,000.

Another colt out of that breed was Black Loch who was by Holmes Hanover and as a two year old won the Group Two Sapling Stakes and ran second in the Group Two Kindergarten Stakes.

Myrtle would often say the love of horses and breeding was a disease and once people were infected, they were unlikely to shake it.

Myrtle’s daughter Pauline O’Connor is continuing her mother’s legacy with her husband Mark, under the Denario banner.

Wins by Jaccka Ace (Father Patrick) and Julie Jaccka (Father Patrick) at Winton yesterday served to highlight the magnificent job foundation mare Janine Jaccka has done for Northern Southland breeders Charlie and Ailsa Smaill.

The progeny of Janine Jaccka and her daughters have now won sixty five races and earned $761,532.

Her biggest earner has been 2014 Dominion Handicap winner Jaccka Justy with $236,467.

American bred mare I’m In Heaven (Huntsville) has produced her first foal in New Zealand – a filly by Confederate.

North American breeders Diamond Creek Farm sent maiden mares I’m In Heaven and Easter Island (Captain Crunch) to Arden Lodge in West Otago.

John Stiven of Arden Lodge says Easter Island is due to foal any day.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink