Fugle may be the last of a square-gaiting era

For as long as he can remember, Wes Shellie’s family has been involved with harness racing, in particular trotting – but handy mare Fugle (Majestic Son) is likely to be the end of the line.

The family, well known for its loyalty to the square-gaiter, handed over the care of the last of its successful bloodline to Great Western trainer-driver Kerryn Manning and were rewarded almost immediately with a Melton win (Jan 20).

“We breed all our own horses and Fugle is one of many – but it looks like she will be the end of the line,” Shellie, who runs a domestic water supply business at Kyabram, said.

“It’s only a hobby for us and we really just don’t have the time anymore, which is why we decided to send Fugle to Kerryn.

“I was training and driving her, and I’d taken a long time.  She always showed there was some ability there and perhaps if she’d had a better driver, she might have won a few more!” he joked.

It was the lightly raced six-year-old mare’s second career victory, but she’s been a model of consistency, with eight placings as well from just 19 starts.

Fugle is one of two foals from A Bit Amiss (Safely Kept), an unraced mare out of the Shellie Maoris Idol family’s foundation mare Lucky Dinah (Entrepreneur).

Lucky Dinah produced six winners from seven foals to race, including Kimbo (), a winner of 18 races.

In the breeding barn, the progeny of Lucky Dinah also excelled.  She produced Ido (Red Coach Glory) who gave them six winners from eight foals and Howdoyoudo (RCs Dee Jay) who produced winners including Split Image (Yentls Image) 18 wins; Good Thanks (SJs Photo) 10 wins; and Theywannacallmesue (Earl) 13 wins.

“We bred Andyou out of Good Thanks who won the NSW Oaks and she was probably the best of the most recent ones.  Andyou won 13 races (and $135k), including a couple of races at Melton and she was in the Great Southern Star.  She gave me probably my biggest thrills in the sport, I think,” Shellie said.

“Our other good horses like Kimbo, Split Image and Danny Cash (17 wins) were all from the same family.  We’ve been pretty lucky.”

Various members of the Shellie family have been trainers, drivers, breeders and owners in the sport, but 31-year-old Wes is now the last to hold a trainer’s or driver’s licence.

“I’ve been in the sport since I was old enough to have a strapper’s licence and my dad (Peter) has always broken in all of ours.  Dad and my mum Carmel own this one (Fugle),” he said.

“It’s been fun and we’ve been pretty fortunate, but we’re just finding that everything goes up.  All the costs, all the inputs – except the prizemoney at the bottom of the scale.

“It’s been great, but everything comes to an end sometimes, and at the end of the day, we’re finding the industry is too expensive and takes too much time to be competitive.”

For complete Friday race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink