Queen Elida relinquishes reign

Last month’s Rowe Cup in which Queen Elida (Love You) finished third, proved to be her last race. The champion trotting mare has now quietly slipped out of the racing spotlight.

The New Zealand bred mare carved out a great career in Australia, competing at the highest level.  This season Queen Elida became the richest stakes earning trotting mare in Australasia and only the second mare to win more than a million dollars.

“I remember when I sent her over there thinking that if she could win $100,000 it would be bloody good. You never ever dream of what she’s done,” said Tony Barron who co-owned Queen Elida with members of the McKenzie family.

Under Barron’s guidance Queen Elida had five starts in New Zealand as a two year old before heading to Australia.

“It was just before Covid or right on it. Lil (trainer Brent Lilley) said they were going to be carrying on racing in Victoria. She was paid up for the Breeders Crown so that was a big incentive to send her over there. She got crook as a two year old and probably would have won it. As it panned out she ended up staying there after Covid and we just left her there.”

It was in Australia she really made her mark and as a measure of her class, forty four of her eighty eight starts across both countries were in Group races.

For four seasons she was the best trotting filly or mare in Australia and when she wasn’t racing against her own sex she was competing against the very best male trotters.

“She was Three Year Old Trotting Filly of the Year and for the next three years she was Aged Trotting Mare of the Year. She’s averaged over $200,000 a season in her five seasons of racing. It’s a hell of an effort.”

Queen Elida’s Group One wins the Need For Speed Princess Final, Victoria Trotters Oaks, Three Year Old Fillies Breeders Crown, Sumthingaboutmaori, La Coocaracha, MacArthur Mile and the Bill Collins Mile.

She also raced in three Interdominion Finals, finishing third in 2022 and 2023 and fifth in 2024.

Her best mile rate of 1-53.0 was recorded in the MacArthur Mile at Menangle which she won by seventeen and a half lengths.

“We were there for all her Group Ones after Covid. Her best win which made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, was the MacArthur Mile. That was a huge buzz. Then there was the Breeders Crown. That was a big effort.”

Twenty of her thirty seven wins were at Melton and Chris Alford drove her for all but two of her races. Her longest winning streak was eight, between June 2023 and October 2023.

She returned to New Zealand in April last year and ran second in the Waikato Flying Mile before finishing third in the $600,000 The TAB Mobile Trot at Cambridge.

This year she was back again on her farewell tour finishing second in The TAB Trot, second in the Group Two Lyell Creek, fourth in the G1 Anzac Cup and third in the G1 Rowe Cup.

Her second in this year’s The TAB Mobile Trot earned her $84,500 and was her biggest lifetime payday.

Queen Elida is owned by Southland farmer Gordon McKenzie (Boof) with his sons Graeme, Blair and Brad along with Tony and Cheryl Barron. The group will now breed from the millionaire.

“We’re just going to toss a coin to see who breeds from her first. We haven’t done that yet. We’re just going to go foal about.”

When pressed about which stallion he would choose, Barron was unsure.

“Everyone keeps asking me that. I just don’t know. I’ve got the other two mares Queen Kenny (Queen Elida’s mother) and Queen Bea (a full sister to Queen Elida) and they’re in foal to Volstead.”

Queen Elida is currently letting down at Mana Park run by George and Maryanne Simon.

“If I win the toss I think I’ll be bringing her home. Donna Williamson who’s a very good vet, is just five minutes up the road.”

Although Lilley is losing the services of Queen Elida, her half-sister Queen Kizen (What The Hill) will now be trained out of his barn.

She was also developed by Barron and won her first two starts as a two year old before running third in both the New Zealand Trotting Stakes and the Aldebaran Eagle Two Year Old Classic.

“I’ve got three mares to breed off so I didn’t really need another one. Boof was keen to race her over there. Duncan McPherson (Aldebaran Park) wanted some of that breed in Australia so he bought my half. It’s all worked out well.”

So as one chapter closes on the Queen Elida story another one opens.

“It’s been a great five year ride but now it’s time for the next stage of her life. I’d love to get a filly out of her. That’ll be some sort of retirement fund (laughter).”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink