Gorse Bush is Australian Broodmare of the Year

The Rattrays have been producing feature harness race winners by the score for the past two decades with their star pacer Beautide winning the past two Inter Dominions to further enhance the reputation of the family name.

But last week it was one of the Rattray Family Trust's broodmares that was acknowledged for her efforts in producing top class pacers.

Gorse Bush, the mother of Beautide, was named Australian Broodmare of the Year to become the first since the great Liza Storm (dam of Thorate) to receive the honour in 1990.

Barrie Rattray along with his wife Denise and their four children have worked hard to establish what is arguably the best harness racing breeding and training enterprises in Tasmania.

"It is a great honour for the mare to be named Australian Broodmare of the Year and we are very proud of her," Rattray .

Gorse Bush (Ticket To Heaven-Barrington Lass) had two of her progeny win eight races during the 2014-15 season which was enough to earn her the top award.

Beautide was the mainstay winning five races including the a heat and final of the Inter Dominion at Menangle in March which made it success wins for the horse that has enabled, through his prizemoney ($2.02 million), to allow Barrie Rattray and his family to continue their quest to breed Group 1 winners.

Gorse Bush also is the dam of Fuscienne that won three races home soil for Rattray.

Overall Gorse Bush has produced nine foals to race and other than Delmi that had only one win before being retired to stud, all are multiple winners.

Beautide is clearly her best product as he has so far won 45 races and has amassed an incredible $2.2 million in prizemoney.

But many of Gorse Bush's other progeny have been outstanding achievers including Death And Taxes that won a Granny Smith mares classic and was second to Chrissy Grant in both the Evicus (2YO) and bandbox (3YO) finals but ended her career with stake earnings of $125,000.

Gorse Bush's other winners were Acutabovetherest (14 wins), Ashura (7), I Pity The Fool (11), Ashkalini (14) and Chalondra (2).

Unfortunately Gorse Bush has not produced a foal for the past three seasons.

"Gorse Bush has been a brilliant broodmare for us and to get a dual Inter Dominion winner (Beautide) from her is a dream come true," Rattray said.

"The mare missed for two seasons and this winter she slipped a foal by Betters Delight so just when everything was going well for her it all went south but that's what can happen in this breeding business," he said.

While Gorse Bush is making tough work of producing foals these days one of her lightly raced daughters Delmi (x Jeremes Jet) could be the next star broodmare at Karalta Pacing Stables.

Delmi has produced a filly by Grinfromeartoear that is a yearling and she has just given birth to a leggy filly by Betterthancheddar that already is a striking individual.

Ashkalini has already produced a multiple winner in Goggo Gee Gee while Death and Taxes produced a colt last season by Bettors Delight that might make the grade.

Peter Staples