Dams double for Hoylakes Firstlady

A handy harness racing mare in her day, Hoylakes Firstlady produced a foaling double this weekend in WA, with Maddy Maddy winning at Wagin on Friday night, followed by Spudmeister the following night at Northam.

Maddy Maddy, a six-year-old by Rock N Roll Heaven has had 111 starts now for 11 wins and 28 placings, with her stakes now exceeding $85,000 for owner and trainer Hayden Reeves.

Driven by country specialist Trent Wheeler, Maddy Maddy settled at the tail of the field in race three at Wagin, and with less than half a lap to go, the pair made their run and although widest on the home turn, they managed to rattle home to win by 5.7m.

Spudmeister couldn’t let his big sister take all the limelight though, with the four-year-old son of Well Said taking honours for Greg Schofield and Hayden Charles, coincidentally, also in the third race on the card at Northam.

Bringing up his third career victory in 35 starts, the $1.45 favourite led all the way from barrier one over the 2190m trip after knocking around in the top five placings for months on end, breaking a 14-start losing sequence.

Hoylakes Firstlady was bred by Mike Howie and purchased as a yearling, with the mare going on to win a total of 20 races and 38 placings from 120 starts, with earnings of $188,178 for her connections, with her biggest win the 2015 Listed $25,000 Lombardo Mares Final when trained and driven by Aiden De Campo.

Starting her career with Greg Schofield, she had a change of scenery on a few occasions during her career, but when the opportunity to purchase her when she officially retired arose, it was one Schofield couldn’t resist.

“I had her at the same time as Sensational Gabby, so she’s the same age and I really liked her a lot and she obviously wasn’t as good as Sensational Gabby, but she was a really tough horse, she got better as she got older.”

“I knew one of the owners, and they were going to sell her and I thought great, and I bought her.”

Hoylakes Firstlady officially retired on the 22nd of February 2016 and although at the time he was toying with the idea of putting her back into work, he ultimately decided against it and in 2017 they welcomed her first foal, Maddy Maddy.

“She was definitely, definitely (A special horse to me), I liked her because, Sensational Gabby was just a good horse, but she (Hoylakes Firstlady) was a tough horse that really tried,

“Maddy Maddy has got better and better, and Spudmeister, I thought he would be a bit better than what he is, but he went good on Saturday night.”

The pair have a two-year-old sister by Heston Blue Chip who is Schofield’s pick of the crop, but her career has been temporarily put on hold due to a suspensory injury.

She will spend some time in the paddock before he tries her again next season, but Schofield has every intention of breeding from her in the near enough future.

Sadly, Hoylakes Firstlady passed away in 2022.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA