Stringer has faith in the Tapu Family 

Hobby breeder Dave Stringer was introduced to harness racing more than 30 years ago by respected Greenbushes trainer Ray Jones and he has ridden the highs and lows of the sport even since. 

Stringer said Jones talked him into buying a share in a pacer called Strike A Blow in the early 1990s and the horse turned out to be a handy type. 

Strike A Blow won his first two races as a 2YO and two more as an early 3YO. He went on to win 12 races and $75,000 in stakes and Stringer was hooked. 

Five years later, Stringer bred a filly by Troublemaker from Group 1 placegetter Kiwaussie Girl, who was named Tapu Lady and would turn out to be a broodmare gem. 

She won three races but excelled in the breeding barn, where her five winners earnt almost $500,000 between them. 

And her top earner, Justlikechocolate (1.57.9, $188K), has also proved to be a top broodmare, producing Alta Rhett (1.55.8, $227K) and Dontbesillychilli (1.55.8, $160K). 

But it has not been all plain sailing for Stringer, who breeds and raises his youngsters on 36 acres between Bridgetown and Boyup Brook, two and a half hours south-east of Perth. 

After a bad run, when Justlikechocolate slipped a foal in 2016 and Tapu Lady died while in foal to Sunshine Beach in 2017, Stringer decided to get out of the game. 

“I have known Ray Jones (trainer of star pacer Lavra Joe) for 40 years and he got me into Strike A Blow,” Stringer said. 

“Later we bought yearlings from the sales and I decided to breed a few when they stopped racing. 

“When I lost Tapu Lady, it hit me hard and I decided to sell the horses. 

“I sold Justlikechocolate to Sarah Wall and she bred and raced Dontbesillychilli. 

“She always kept in touch and let me know how the horses were doing. She was the one who got me interested in breeding again. 

“Sarah does an amazing job. She is a wife and mother, a trainer and now she is secretary of the Bunbury trotting club. She will prepare my yearlings for the sale.” 

Stringer has built his broodmare band back up to eight but he will offer two yearlings in the 2025 APG Perth Yearling Sale on March 2. 

“They are very athletic youngsters. They have plenty of room to run and they are happy and well fed,” Stringer said. 

He has Lot 435, a colt by exciting NZ-bred sire Raging Bull from Cammie, an unraced daughter of Justlikechocolate who has produced two winners from her first two foals. 

It is a family that produces smart youngsters. Alta Rhett won the South West Derby, Justlikechocolate was runner-up in the WA Oaks and Dontbesillychilli finished second in the WA Gold Bracelet as a 2YO. 

Her fourth dam Kiwaussie Girl won the 2YO fillies sales classic and was runner-up in the 1995 Golden Slipper. 

Stringer will also offer a filly, Lot 339, from boom sire Poster Boy out of winning Sportswriter mare Brook Parks Last, who is a half sister to Dardy Delight (1.58.2, $119K). 

The filly’s grandam Spring Carnival is a full sister to top free-for-all pacer Winter Retreat (1.52.8, $416K), who won seven races as a 2YO and 3YO. 

Spring Carnival is a half sister to WA Golden Girls Mile winner Parisian Partygirl (1.53.6, $205K) and Western Crown placegetter Kissed Flush (1.54.7, $159K). 

Poster Boy sired a record 23 2YO winners from his first crop last season. Splash Of Paynt (1.56.2, $28K), his fourth highest earner, is out of a Sportwriter mare. 

For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Perth Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today! 

From APG Ltd