Babe makes for an easy Reid

The Steve Reid trained Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) looked like a real harness racing star when in just her third start she impressively won the Group One Caduceus Club Two Year Old Fillies Classic at Alexandra Park in Auckland last night.

In the hands of Matty White she lead all the way and the winning margin was two lengths, with Ultimate Racey Girl (Ultimate Machete) finishing second.

“I’ve been training for over thirty years and it doesn’t get any better than this,” Reid told Trackside viewers.

The winning time of 2-39.5 (1-56.6 mile rate) was a new race record erasing Better Twists (Bettor’s Delight) 2020 time of 2-39.6. Coastal Babe’s time also equalled True Fantasy’s (Bettor’s Delight) 2021 New Zealand record.

“I’m absolutely stoked that in her third start she’s gone that good.”

The race had plenty of depth to it and lots of exposed form, and punters made Coastal Babe the fourth favourite.

“Matty White said to me she looks very underwhelming and that sums her up. To me she’s a lot stronger than she was six months ago but she still looks like she hasn’t furnished out yet, but she gets out onto the track and delivers a performance like that. That makes me sit up and notice.”

COASTAL BABE REPLAY

The rise of Coastal Babe has been a rapid one since she only qualified in May.

“It was out of the blue. She qualified last time in but she wasn’t exceptional. I probably could have raced her but I said to Jamie Durnberger from Summit Bloodstock who race her, ‘why don’t we just put her aside.’ That was the making of her.”

Reid jokingly said he’s now taking her home and wrapping her in cotton wool.

“She’s got the Sires Stakes Finals in Christchurch in November. I’ll have a talk to Jamie and the other owners and pick a path for her. I don’t want to over tax her.”

Coastal Babe come from a good female family. Her grandam Jessies Cullen (Christian Cullen) won eight races for Peter Ferguson and one for Gareth Dixon. Jessies Cullen’s grandam Ollie’s Chance (Colonel Kenton) won seven. It’s also the family of Pacing Major (Art Major) and American Dealer (American Ideal).

Coastal Babe was bred by Woodlands Stud and was bought unnamed at the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Auckland by Matt Anderson for $65,000.

Reid’s first Group winner was Fella’s Pride (Smooth Fella) at Rotorua in 1990. His last Group One win was with Utmost Delight (Bettor’s Delight) in the Four Year Old Diamond at Cambridge in 2018.

This was Reid’s second win in the filly’s feature. He trained Flying Pocketlands (Badlands Hanover) in partnership with Graeme Rogerson to win in 2009.

Reid has trained over 1,000 winners either in his own right or in partnership. His best G1 winners have been Gold Ace, Bailey’s Dream and Monkey King and now he can rightly add Coastal Babe to the list.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink