Bits and Bridles

Woodlands Stud stallion Lather Up, is on a bit of roll with two of his harness racing progeny, Atalanta and Party Up Denario, running first and second at Gore on Friday.

Atalanta is very well bred, out of a granddaughter of Scuse Me while Party Up Denario is part of the famous Party family.

Lather Up doesn’t have a lot of stock on the ground yet, his oldest crop are rising three year olds.

So far eight have qualified and six have raced. Tact Teva, Debbie Lincoln, Selsey Anne and Atalanta have won races while Party Up Denario and Cobra Charged have been placed in their limited career starts.

One of the stock of Lather Up, one to watch for is the second foal and first colt of the unbeaten mare Shut Up N Dance. He’s currently being broken in by Bob Butt.

Gore winner Built For Glory (Bettor’s Delight) has a half-brother by Downbytheseaside entered in February’s NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch.

The colt is being prepared by White Stables at Winton and is Lot 322.

Duke Of Scotland (Sweet Lou) is being touted as a Miracle Mile prospect after he impressively won by 15.8 metres at Albion Park last night.

Driven by Pete McMullen, his time smashed the track record previously held by Blacks A Dance by 0.2 seconds and he recorded a mile rate of 1.49.1 for the 1660 metre trip.

The four year old won one race for Winton trainer Lauren Pearson before being sold to Australian owner Craig Whiteoak and placed in the hands of Chantal Turpin.

Of his eleven starts in Australia he’s now won eight.

The result further highlights the great record his dam Galleon’s Honour has achieved, leaving the winners of sixty three races, with Duke Of Cornwall (14) and Venice Beach (11) the best two.

All of her foals were bred and qualified by the late Lester Smith.

The mare’s last foal, two year old filly Duchess Of Kent (Art Major) has had three starts for Pearson.

Meanwhile Duke Of Cornwall has had a stable change. A full-brother to Duke Of Scotland, he looked good, winning multiple times for American trainer Tahnee Camillari. The horse’s career was halted when he broke a coffin bone last year and he’s been in the care of Camillari on his long road to recovery.

As racing shuts down in some states for Winter, Duke Of Cornwall was transferred last week to Annette Lorenzson’s stable in Paris Kentucky, to race over the winter. According to Camillari he should be ready to qualify in a couple of weeks.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink