Australian mare to make a big impact in Sweden

Pegasus Spur mare Maori Time – Australasia’s fastest ever trotting mare with a record of 1:51.5, a five-time Group 1 winner and the winner of $421,700 in stakemoney – is poised to make an even bigger impact as a broodmare in Sweden.

A contestant in the 2018 Elitlopp, the now 12 year-old remained in Sweden after her brilliant harness racing career on track and is currently based at the prestigous Menhammar Stud, 45 minutes from Stockholm.

She is being bred from by her breeder-owner, Melbourne businessman Fred Crews, Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson and Menhammar Stud.

The deal provides for the partners to breed the first three foals out of Maori Time.

Maori Time’s first foal is a magnificent yearling colt by Menhammar resident sire, the dual Swedish Horse of the Year and Prix dÁmerique winner Readly Express, rated one of the hottest young sires in Europe today.

The foal named Generally Speaking (pictured) is being prepared for the Menhammar Stud online auction to be held in early July.

Her second offspring, a Readly Express colt born on May 26, will be retained by the group and is expected to race in Europe.

Maori Time has been served by this year’s Elitlopp contestant Who’s Who, the leading son of the legendary racehorse Maharajah, the premier sire in Sweden for the last two years.

“We’re hoping she’ll produce a filly with her third foal. This would allow the group to retain the Maori Time genetic in Sweden with the intention that we would race her in Sweden and Europe and retain her there for future breeding purposes,” McPherson said.

Once she has foaled, Maori Time will be bred a fourth time to southern hemisphere time to the Readly Express horse Calgary Games – dubbed the new star of Swedish trotting – and shipped to Australia.

Calgary Games has won 16 of his 18 starts to date including the Swedish and European Derbies in 2021.

by Peter Wharton, for HRV