Anna’s Boy caps off great day for owners

Anna’s Boy (Majestic Son) came with a late charge up the inside to win the Caltex Durban Chief Westport Trotters Cup at Patterson Park harness racing track today (Dec. 28).

The five year old trained by Greg and Nina Hope and driven by their son Ben, got up to beat Tu Tangata by a neck with a head back to Boyz Invasion in third.

Anna’s Boy was bred by the estate of John Ashby and his wife Betty who races the gelding with Dennis Bennett and his partner Linda Joyce. The Ashbys purchased Annabelle Lindenny – the mother of Anna’s Boy from Bennett and Joyce and raced her with a syndicate. She won three races; two for Phil Williamson and one for Colin and Julie DeFilippi.

“Once she finished racing, the syndicate didn’t want to keep a broodmare so John approached me to take her back and breed from her in partnership. John passed away about two years ago but Betty and (ourselves) have carried on,” Bennett who now lives in Nelson, said.

Bennett trained Anna’s Boy to win his first race at this meeting two years ago.

“He’s got flat feet and up at Nelson we don’t have a sand track. With just having a grit track to train him on I felt he just wasn’t doing his best for me, so I gave him to Greg and Nina because beach training was probably what he needs.”

Bennett did all the pre-training with Anna’s Boy before taking him south to the Hopes.

“I was allowed two horses to potter around with when we moved here and he’s one of them.”

Today’s win was the gelding’s sixth, and third at Patterson Park. All of his wins have been on the grass.

“He likes Westport. He’s only had about four starts here for three wins and a third. There’s no jarring on the surface because of the lovely sandy base. He’s always had a good motor. He can sprint a bit and can really stretch out on this surface. Today’s win was great.”

The younger sister of Anna’s Boy – Bella Lindenny, (What The Hill) broke maiden ranks earlier in the day, winning for trainer Rodger Austin and driver Blair Orange. She’s owned by the same partnership.

“It’s been a great day. We’re looking after her here. Rodger broke her in for us and has carried on with her. She’s just learning the trade and is improving with each run.”

Bennett also trained Annabelle Lindenny’s first foal BJ Lindenny and won four races with the gelding before handing him over to Austin who won a further three races.

“The highlight for me was running second (to Majestic Man) in the New Zealand Sires Stakes at Addington when I was training him.”

The race Anna’s Boy won today carries the name of Durban Chief, a product of the West Coast who won two Dominion Handicaps in 1957 and 1958 as well as the 1958 New Zealand Trotting FFA.

His win in the 1958 Dominion was by nine lengths and the Trotting FFA seven days later by three lengths.

He won fourteen races for Bert Woodcock of Westport and Bill Walsh drove him in all of his wins.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink