Bits and Bridles

When Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) won the $150,000 Group One Victoria Oaks at Melton last Saturday, she extended the great record New Zealand trained horses have in the feature.

Previous New Zealand winners have been Pullover Brown 2003, Copper Beach 2004, Bettor Cover Lover 2011, Piccadilly Princess 2016, Belle Of Montana 2019 and Dr Susan 2020.

Evergreen New Zealand bred pacer Northview Hustler (Bettor’s Delight) won his twenty ninth race at Albion Park on Saturday.

Bred by Southland lawyer Cleland Murdoch, Northview Hustler was sold at the 2015 Sale of the Stars and he won eight races for Ray Green before he was shipped to Australia.

At start number 193 the 10 year old is closing in on $500,000 in stakes money. Twenty of his twenty one Australian wins have been at Albion Park.

Multiple Group One winning mare Amazing Dream (Bettor’s Delight) is being served by Captaintreacherous.

She won twenty of her thirty six starts across Australasia. Ten were Group One level and she banked $951,665.

Bred by Vin and the late Daphne Devery, Amazing Dream is now owned by Kountry Lane Standardbreds who reportedly purchased her for $500,000 US as a broodmare.

When Bet N Win (Muscle Hill) takes his place in the Renwick Farms Dominion Handicap next month he’ll be looking at becoming the first four year old to win the iconic trotting feature in modern times.

Not a lot of four year olds have started in the Group One with Bolt For Brilliance finishing third in 2021, Five Wise Men third in 2022 and Aardiebythehill fourth in the same year.

Quality trotting filly High Step (Father Patrick) has been transferred from Mark and Nathan Purdon’s establishment to Bob Butt’s Woodend Beach barn.

All four of her wins including the Alderbaran Park Redwood, have been as a two year old and in Australia.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink