Prices buy into Leap To Fame breed

Winton’s (NZ) Price Bloodstock have bought into one of harness racing hottest families.

At the recently held APG Mixed National Sales in Australia at a cost of $90,000, John and Katrina Price purchased For Us All, a two win Bettor’s Delight mare.

She’s out of Left For Me (Fake Left) who is the dam of For A Reason (Art Major) which won $1,111,470 including the New South Wales Derby, the Queensland Derby, the Victoria Cup and the Queensland Pacing Championship.

Left For Me is also the dam of Lettucereason, (Art Major) the mother of two of the sports latest stars, Leap To Fame and Swayzee.

“You look at Leap To Fame and he’s going to have to go down as one of the best ever,” Katrina said.

Leap To Fame (Bettor’s Delight) has won forty one of his fifty two starts including eleven Group Ones. His feature wins include the Blacks Are Fake, the Sunshine Sprint, the Miracle Mile, the Interdominion Final and the Rising Sun. He’s banked $1,397,303.

His older half-brother Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) recently became a millionaire pacer too. He’s won Two Group One races and twenty one of his fifty four starts.

Both horses have been earmarked to race in this year’s IRT New Zealand Cup.

 “You go through the list and there’s hardly a race in Australia that that family hasn’t won. Even the third dam (Del’s Dream) won fourteen races and got fifth in a New Zealand Cup. The other thing I like is that you’ve got Bettor’s Delight, Fake Left and Lordship for broodmare sires.”

For Us All last raced in December and will be served in the spring. To whom?

“Probably Captaintreacherous. The family has an affinity with Art Major but if you look at the second dam that was who she went to nearly every time.”

The Prices have also “acquired” Captaintreacherous mare Amore Infida.

The four year old last started at Menangle in July and has now been retired from racing. She won once for Robert and Jenna Dunn in New Zealand and three times in Australia, posting a mile rate of 1-51.9.

“She’s back here at Woodlands and she’ll be sent to Bettor’s Delight. That cross between Captaintreacherous and Bettor’s Delight seems to be pretty good. While Bettor’s Delight is still here we’d like to use him as much as we can. It’ll be a good cross for her because she’s got a lot of speed sires – Captaintreacherous, McArdle and In The Pocket.”

The addition of two quality mares will not only strengthen the Prices band of broodmares but will help the Southern Bred Southern Reared brand.

“One of our philosophies is that we want to be producing the best top quality horses and if you look at those families, they’re more than capable of doing that. The other thing is to have a diverse product. It’s an ongoing process because every year your existing mares get a year older. It’s one of those things that we’ve aways looked at to keep pushing ahead so you don’t go backwards. If we can try and keep it around that ten mark that’s the ideal number for us. Presidential Reign has had her last foal and we’re conscious that Chicago Blues is struggling to hold her foals.”

After experiencing a golden run at the Yearling Sales, Katrina and John will be entering just one yearling in February NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales – a Bettor’s Delight colt out of Democrat Party.

“There are five fillies that for various reasons we’re going to retain. It’s one of those years. We’ve got fillies that we kind of want to keep.”

On the racing front, the Price stable has Advance Party resuming her racing career on Thursday when she lines up at Ascot Park.

“She hasn’t been anywhere but has been working well at home. With her, Ruby Roe and a galloping pacemaker worked at Winton on Saturday. Nathan (Williamson) came up and drove Ruby Roe. They both worked really nice. She’ll benefit from the run but I think she’s well enough forward to be there.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink