Bits and Bridles

Last night’s Hunter Cup result was close to perfect result for Winton breeders John and Katrina Price.

Although they would dearly have loved Republican Party (Bettor’s Delight) (whom they bred) to win, his third place behind super stars Swayzee and Leap To Fame was full of merit.

Last year the couple bought into the Swayzee – Leap To Fame family, paying $90,000 for For Us All, a two win Bettor’s Delight mare.

She’s out of Left For Me (Fake Left) who is also the dam of Lettucereason (Art Major), the mother of Leap To Fame and Swayzee.

Hawera’s two day meeting on the grass was dominated by junior drivers, and they won eighteen of the twenty races over the two days.

Crystal Hackett led the junior charge with five wins, Harrison Orange followed with four, Wilson House three, Zev Meredith two and Emily Johnson, Alicia Harrison and Neita Balle achieved one win each.

The SBSR Yearling Tour will be held on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th Feb.

On Monday the tour commences at Shard Farm at 2pm, and concludes at Beaudiene Breeding at 6pm.

On Tuesday it’s an early start at Ascot Park Raceway at 7.15am where yearlings from Kirstin Green, Steve Baucke and Macandrew Farm’s drafts can be viewed. The final viewing will be at Tuapeka Lodge in Lawrence from 12.20pm.

SBSR yearlings have been sales toppers in three of the last four years and the breeding group has forty four yearlings up for offer.

For the breeding buffs, Caviar Noire’s win for trainer Owen Gillies at Hawera on Friday carried plenty of intrigue.

The five year old trotting mare is the only foal in New Zealand by Centurion ATM, a grandson of SJ’s Photo.

Centurion ATM won nine races and $728,894 and stands at Sugar Valley Farm in Delaware for $2,500.

Caviar Noire is the only progeny out of the Skyvalley mare Valle De La Luna who had nine starts for Todd MacFarlane for two seconds and a third.

Caviar Noire’s pedigree runs deep, going back to Sound Of Chiola, the dam of Martina H (18) and Lleyton H (17).

Caviar Noire also provided Gillies with his first win as a trainer since December 2022 when Ohoka Achilles won at Alexandra Park. And it was his first driving win since the same horse won in December 2021.

Two richly bred Captaintreacherous colts will go head to head in a North v South clash in the upcoming NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales. Both have the pedigree page to be sales toppers.

Woodlands Stud will offer the first colt out of Adore Me, a $1.4 million earner, at the Karaka Sale and at the Christchurch sale Todd and Fleur Anderson will put their Imaginary Bet colt up for bidding. Both colts are by boom sire Captaintreacherous.

Adore Me and Imaginary Bet share similar pedigree pages, being out of the famed Scuse Me line. They have excellent records as broodmares and have proven results when crossed with Captaintreacherous.

As always it’ll come down to type, who’s keen to buy and who lasts the distance.

The Karaka Sale will be held on Saturday 15th February from 1pm. The Christchurch Sale is to be held on Tuesday 18th February starting at 11am.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink