No frills mare in a class of her own

In an era where Australia’s harness racing breeders strive for elite trotting bloodlines, Maryborough horseman Brett Shipway’s bonny square gaiter Black and Gold (Ships Spur – Earls Gold (Earl) will be in a league of her own when she steps out at Melton next week.

The five-year-old trotted faultlessly at Maryborough on Thursday (May 19) to win her way through to the $14,000 Sweetheart Trot final.

And while she’ll be rubbing shoulders with progeny of some of Australia’s and Europe’s elite-league sires, Black and Gold is one of only two foals ever sired by Shipway’s stallion Ships Spur.

“She’s certainly a home-bred – my partner Colleen (Batson) and I bred and raced her dam, and her grand dam, and we actually raced her sire, too.  That’s how we named her Black and Gold, just a home brand!” Shipway laughed.

“She’s been a terrific little horse for us. Her mum won 10 for us, and she’s won seven races now, and she’s always very honest,” he said.

“We won five with the stallion, Ships Spur, but he’s such a ripper of a horse that after he retired, we still had him here on the property as a pacemaker for the others and to go in the jinker when we had visitors.  One year we decided to put him over a couple of mares as well. One of the mares was Earls Gold and Black and Gold was the result.”

The record of Ships Spur’s short foray into the breeding barn in season 2015-16 was two services for two live foals – with Black and Gold (seven wins, 18 placings) so far, and the other, Azalea Mae (out of Earlee Bonus) yet to race.

Driven by concession reinsman Luke Dunne, Black and Gold settled in the one-one position in the first of the Sweetheart heats at Maryborough, running home strongly from the 500-metre mark to score comfortably in a time of 2:03.6 for the 2190 metre journey.

To watch the race replay, click here.

“I’m so pleased for Luke and I just hope he can get a permit to drive her in the final.  It’ll be his first drive at Melton, and he did a fantastic job on her in the heat,” Shipway said.

“He’s a great young fellow and a good friend. He’s only 16, but he’s got a great head on his shoulders and he’s been prepared to do the hard yards, coming to the trials and driving for anyone who needed someone,” he said.

“Black and Gold ran beautifully for him, and hopefully with a nice draw under the handicap conditions (preferential draw on National Rating), he might be able to get a nice trip.”

Interestingly, while the first of the Sweetheart heats for trotting mares was for mares up to NR 51, the second heat was for rating 52-66 mares.

Heat two was taken out by Imamaorijet (Quaker Jet – Sumtingaboutmaori (Pine Chip) for Terang trainer Paddy Lee and driven by Glen Craven. To watch the race replay, click here.

The $14,000 final will be decided at Melton on May 28. For a race program, click here.

As for Ships Spur, his return to the breeding barn has been ruled out, so to speak.

“He is a beautifully natured stallion, but with so many young ones here we just decided it was for the best to geld him. He’s still here, and he’s still our pacemaker, though – there’s none better!” he said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink