South Australian snippets

Loucasso Brings SA Pride to Group 1 Protostar

Loucasso, a leading contender in the $500,000 Group 1 Protostar for 2-year-olds at Albion Park, carries strong South Australian connections. Owned by Arron Bain Racing, the colt is out of Our Little Artist (by Art Major), a former SA race mare bred and raced by Mark Billinger and Richard Miller—Vice President of the South Australian Harness Racing Club.

Loucasso’s pedigree is rich: his second dam Saved A Corka won an Oaks and produced 10 winners, including three who earned over $100,000. His third dam is the Matriarch of the Breed Uncock.

Despite drawing wide on the front line, Loucasso remains firmly in the market and with a touch of racing luck, he could bring the prestigious Group 1 title home to Adelaide.

Page Preps for Australasian Young Drivers Series

South Australia’s Bernadette Page is set to represent her state in the upcoming Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Queensland, kicking off Tuesday, July 16. The 10-race series will be staged at both Albion Park and Redcliffe, with the final heat taking place on Inter Dominion Grand Final night, July 19.

Before flying out, Page will drive at Globe Derby on Saturday night. One of her key drives is short-priced favourite Lizzie Shelby, drawn ideally in barrier one for trainer Peter Bain. The former Kiwi mare looks well placed against her five rivals.

Page, the state’s leading young driver last season with 63 wins, has already chalked up 22 victories in 2025. Her other drives on the night include Night Spirits for Reece Moore and My Bad Habits in the final event—both with winning hopes if things go their way.

$1,000 Winter Trotting Bonus Up for Grabs

Thanks to the South Australian Square Trotters Association (STA), a $1,000 cash bonus will be awarded to one lucky SA trainer via a draw at the end of July. The initiative is designed to encourage participation in winter trotting races.

Each time a trainer’s trotter competes in a South Australian race during July, they earn one entry into the draw. Multiple entries are allowed—if a trainer has multiple trotters in one race, they’ll receive a ticket for each horse that starts.

The draw is open to all licensed and domiciled South Australian trainers, regardless of STA membership status, with the winner announced after July’s racing concludes.

Bellmoure Park Adds New Stallions to their Roster

Bellmoure Park Stud, operated by Mario Borg, has expanded its stallion lineup with the addition of trotting sire Peak and the promising pacing sire My General Lee.

Peak, the sire of top local trotter Doff Your Cap, boasts an impressive record—24 winners from just 27 starters. Meanwhile, My General Lee, a blueblood son of Art Major, has only nine foals of racing age, four of which have started—all winners.

SA Holding Strong, Victoria Facing Cuts

While South Australian harness racing appears to be on steady footing, troubling signs are emerging across the border in Victoria. Rumours suggest that Harness Racing Victoria may slash 40 meetings from next season’s calendar, with a further 40 likely to be cut the following year if conditions don’t improve.

If true, that’s a staggering 80 fewer meetings over two years—a significant reduction that will impact industry participants across the state.

by Gary Newton