Aldebaran Susanne defies early setbacks

The trotting mare Aldebaran Susanne had a rough start to life, losing her dam only a few days after being born but the now four-year-old has defied all odds to develop into a worthwhile harness racing proposition.

The What The Hill mare put an exclamation mark on her burgeoning career when she led from end-to-end over 1609 metres at Geelong last Friday, hoisting a fresh track record of 1:56.5 – 0.7 seconds inside the previous mark.

It was her fourth success from her last seven attempts and her fifth lifetime.

Aldebaran Susanne was raised by a surrogate mare at Assher Park, an equine agistment farm at Violet Town in the Goulburn Valley and remained there until half-way through her two-year-old year.

She was then sent up to the Sydney stables of David and Colleen Aiken, who bred, broke her in and originally trained her.

“One day the Aiken’s rang me to see if I was interested in taking a half share,” Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson OAM said.

“Being out of the good racemare Cold Sister USA, a four-time Group winner by Like A Prayer, and having such a good pedigree, I accepted their offer.

“She showed a lot of promise but was headstrong in her early days due to her not having much handling as a younger horse.”

After one unplaced start in NSW, Aldebaran Susanne was entrusted to Bolinda couple Chris and Alison Alford as a three-year-old.

“We thought the smaller tracks in Victoria would suit her better than the large track at Menangle,” Duncan said.

“Chris and Alison have shown a lot of patience with her and she is now a much more tractable horse.”

McPherson said the breed improve with age.

“Her older siblings Pesco Pollo and Twixten are still racing and winning. Pesco Pollo has won eight of his nine starts this year,” he said.

Aldebaran Susanne is likely to have a short let-up and will next be aimed at the Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Silver Series with the Final at Melton on February 28.

• The Victorian bred gelding Captain Moore took out the $100,000 MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series Consolation at Yonkers Raceway, New York last Friday. The four-year-old was bred by leading trainer Michael Stanley, who stood his sire Soho Lanikai at stud

• Dance Fighter, the upset winner of the Vicbred Platinum Homegrown for three-year-old trotters at Melton, was bred by well known identity Craig Nott

• Nick Hooper, the former president of Harness Breeders Victoria, brought out a handy three-year-old filly in Emma Rox, who won the pacing division of the Vicbred Platinum Homegrown

by Peter Wharton for Harness Racing Victoria