Bits and Bridles

Seth Hill drove his first Group winner on Friday when Cath (Sweet Lou) trained by his father Brendon, won the $50,000 ‘Betavet’ Millwood Nike Fillies Classic at Addington.

Hill is in only his third season of driving and has now won forty seven races – thirty five of them  this season.

Last Friday from barrier five, Hill managed to secure the trail behind The Queens Gambit and once he got to the passing lane Cath showed blistering speed to power home to beat a late charging Secret Wish.

“She left really strong. I thought it was the right one to trail and it worked out perfect,” Seth said.

Cath is owned by Tony Hickman and Brendon Hill.

“It’s awesome and I can’t thank Dad and Tony enough.”

Friday night’s Group Three $50,000 Touchdown Car Rentals ‘The Gold Bracelet’ Mobile Trot was won by Petite Armour (What The Hill) trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn and driven by John Dunn.

“She’s had a great campaign this time in and last week she fought all the way up the home straight (when running second to Kyvalley Ray). That race didn’t worry her and she bounced back this week and did it nice,” John said.

The two year old filly, bred and owned by Mark and Melanie Kingsby, is out of the Love You mare Another Love whose best foal to date has been Alderbaran Keepa which won ten races including the Group One Victoria Trotting Oaks.

The win also points to the fine run stallion What The Hill is having at the moment, particularly with his two and three year old fillies with the likes of Mum’s Angel, Queen Kizen, Petite Armour, Ridge, See No Evil, Home Grown Girl and Ya Rite Darl doing well.

His younger brother Gus (Majestic Son) may have grabbed all the headlines in recent weeks, but Son Of Patrick (Father Patrick) notched up another win at Cambridge on Thursday night.

It’s been some journey for the now seven year old squaregaiter. He was bred, prepared and sold by Southland trainer Nathan Williamson and bought out of the 2019 Yearling Sales in Christchurch by Barry Purdon for $45,000.

Purdon and his training partner Scott Phelan initially trained him to win seven races before Michael House took over, winning another two with the gelding. In recent times Derek and Neita Balle have been training the horse and his win at Cambridge was his second for the father and daughter partnership.

Son Of Patrick has now won twelve races and earned $160,313.

I Dream Of Jeannie (Pegasus Spur) cemented her place at the top of the leaderboard for the Harness 5000 for Five Year Old and Older Mares when she comprehensively took out the $60,000 Group Two Continental Event Hire Grand Duchess at Addington on Friday.

Trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn, the eight year old mare was back early, improved coming out of the last bend and ran down pacemaker Walkinonsunshine to win by one and a quarter lengths.

“It worked out great. There was a bit of speed early. I got the right track into it round the bend and she showed her speed at the end. The way she went tonight she’s not finished yet either,” John said.

The win was I Dream Of Jeannie’s fifteenth and third for the Dunns. She was previously trained by Sam Smolenski who won twelve races with her.

Friday’s win was her biggest, she’s previously won two Group Three races.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink