Bits and Bridles

The progeny of trotting stallion Father Patrick are enjoying a golden run at the moment.

His stock has won 33 races so far this season with Meant To Be and Duchess Maria leading the way.

Meant To Be has won a Listed and two Group One races while Duchess Maria’s three wins have been at Group Three level.

Paddy McDaddy, (another son of Father Patrick) bred by Lew Driver and purchased by Diamond Racing for just $31,000 at the 2023 sales impressed when he won the Anne Thompson Graduation Trotters Final at Rangiora.

Father Patrick with 71 starters, currently sits in second place on the New Zealand All Age Trotters list, 13 winners behind Majestic Son who’s had 109 starters this season.

When you break the trotters list down into specific age groups, Father Patrick is the leading sire in New Zealand of two, three and four year olds. So the best is yet to come for the Diamond Creek Farm stallion.

Louies Girl (Lord Forbes) has been sold and will do her future racing in America.

She won seven of her twenty four starts – six for Wyndham trainer Craig Ferguson and one for her breeder/owner Gavin Forbes.

Her biggest win was in a heat of the Nevele R Fillies Series at Ashburton where she paced the 1700 metres in 2-00.0 – a mile rate of 1-53.5.

As a three year old she raced in the best company, finishing third in the Group One Ace Of Diamonds won by Duchess Megxit and third in the Group Three Macca Lodge/Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks won by Flying Ellie.

Southern harness racing nursery Macca Lodge has twelve weanlings earmarked for next month’s National Standardbred Weanling Sale at Karaka.

Five are by Always B Miki stallion Perfect Sting whose yearlings sold extremely well at the Lexington Select Sale in America. Baalbek, a colt by Perfect Sting was the top seller. He was purchased for $460,000 for trainer Joe Holloway, who also trained Perfect Sting.

Perfect Sting won seventeen races including two Breeders Crowns. By the end of his racing career he’d won $1.7 million and recorded a best mile time of 1-48.2.

There’s been a bit of shuffling of horses in the Southern region.

Massive Merc (Muscle Mass) has been bought off Alan Clark by The Broke Boys Syndicate and Daryl Olphert and will do his future racing from Craig Ferguson’s Wyndham barn.

The three year old gelding won one race for Clark.

The Broke Boys Syndicate have had success with Ah Dinnae Ken from the Ferguson stable.

And two horses owned by Brendan Fahy have been transferred to new stables.

Rakamurph (Captaintreacherous) who won four races for Nathan Williamson is now with Gore trainer Tony Stratford, while Raknruin (Sweet Lou) which is also a four win horse has moved from Clark Barron’s barn to John Morrison in Ashburton.

Netherton Franco (Always B Miki) has transferred from Ferguson’s stable to Amber Hoffman at Waikouaiti.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink