Blueblood breezes in at Bendigo

While the invincible former racemare La Coocaracha was on everyone’s lips leading up to the Melton Trotters Group feature named in her honor last weekend, there was an entrée a few days earlier, further underlining her lasting impact as a super broodmare.

Three-year-old colt Webster Hall (Andover Hall-La Coocaracha (Safely Kept) added another reference point to the champion mare’s CV when he posted a strong win to score at Bendigo on Wednesday.

Prepared at Yabby Dam Farms near Ballarat by co-trainers Anton Golino and Jack MacKinnon, Webster Hall raced away after facing the breeze in closing splits of 29.8 and 28.8—becoming, incredibly, the ninth winner out of the celebrated mare.

“Webster Hall has a great attitude. He’s a nice horse with a big gait and a big motor to go with it,” Golino said.

“I would say mentally, he’s better than his full brother La Grange, who holds a 1.54-2 record in the United States.”

Webster Hall was handled by skilled Western Districts reinsman Jason Lee, who ironically won the Hygain La Coocaracha Trotters G3 FFA at Melton a few days later with Keayang Livana (Imperial Count-Poignant (Sundon), trained by his mother Marg.

Golino said the Yabby Dams team gave Webster Hall plenty of time before producing him at the races.

“Because he’s such a big horse, we gave him heaps of trials. He needed time—and probably still needs more because he really is a big immature fella,” he said.

“But in one of his trials he finished second behind a smart one in Dont Touch The Duco, trained by Chris Svanosio, and we thought maybe our guy isn’t far off. At his debut he got a bit excited and was badly away at the start, but he put it all together at Bendigo.”

La Coocaracha (Safely Kept-Poetry (Kentucky) was bred by the Castle Family Pty Ltd and had a stunning career on the racetrack. From 36 race starts, she had 23 wins, along with two minor placings for over $428,000.

Leading Victorian trainer Andy Gath openly declares that La Coocaracha was the best horse he’s prepared over a long and distinguished career.

And the quality of the 2002 Australian Trotter of the Year continued to shine through in the breeding barn, as evidenced in February when La Coocaracha was named the inaugural winner of the HRA Maori Miss Award (recognising the premier trotting broodmare of the year).

The first five foals of La Coocaracha had some handy performers among them, including La Biscuit (nine wins), but it was her seventh foal that realised the expectations held for her as a broodmare.  Reinna Danzante (Armbro Invasion) was La Coocaracha’s first Group One success.

Yabby Dam Farms principal Pat Driscoll purchased La Coocaracha soon after, and was rewarded the next season with star mare Dance Craze (Muscle Hill), now a winner of 24 races from 50 starts, a two-time winner of the Australian Trotting Mare of the Year, and a three times Group one winner.  Since Dance Craze, La Coocaracha has produced La Grange (six Australian wins), Mataderos (five wins) and Webster Hall.

“Dance Craze will be served by either Love You or Bold Eagle this coming stud season—of course we will be hoping for a filly,” Golino said.

“La Coocaracha is now retired as a broodmare, having missed getting in foal to Volstead this season, but she has daughters and granddaughters now, so hopefully the line will go on.

“She looks an absolute picture and is rugged whenever it gets cool. She’s very happy and living a good life at the farm.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink