Bits and Bridles

Group One winning filly Our Shangri Lana (Art Major) is close to starting her three year old season and is due at the trails on Wednesday.

“She had a minor throat operation and bounced back. I’m really really happy with her. She seems a million dollars,” trainer Steve Dolan said.

Our Shangri Lana will have a couple of trials before racing in mid July.

In November last year she won the Group One Sires’ Stakes Series Final for Two Year Old Fillies.

“I think she’s capable on her day to get another Group One. I’ve got a lot of respect for Duchess Megxit, but I don’t think we’re that inferior to her. But I stand to be corrected.”

Magic Sign (Terror To Love) has won the Invercargill Harness Racing Club Ascot Park Iron Horse competition.

Points were awarded to horses that started on the track between 15^Th September and 15^th June with a total of $27,500 in bonuses up for grabs.

Trained by Jeremy Douglas and owned by Setarip Syndicated Magic Sign started on all thirteen days, accumulated 10 points and won for his owners a $5,000 bonus.

The next nine horses in the competition – Durrant, Jenny Gump, Joanie Magic, American Mac, Sherwood Maggie, Superfast, Franco Huntington, Sagwitch and Magnetic Becker each won $2,500.

Southland owners Paul and Mandy Pierce will send their Group One winning mare Braeview Kelly (Bettor’s Delight) to Captaintreacherous this spring.

She began her career with Gore trainer Tony Stratford before racing in Canterbury under the care of Mark Jones.

“She was going pretty average at the end and it was Mark that recommended we send her to Australia. It was a big call but she just adapted to the mile racing so well,” Paul Pearce said.

In all, from sixty five starts Braeview Kelly won eighteen races, was second thirteen times and ran third seven times. She banked $459,030.

Trained in Australia by Jack Trainor, she won the G3 Norms Daughter Ladyship Stakes, G3 Frith Stakes (twice), G3 Sibelia Stakes. He won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile in 1-49.5 which stands as her best mile mark. She also finished third in the G1 Queen Of The Pacific.

“Mark Jones told me the other day that she went 1-50.0 or better either winning or being placed, 5 times. Not many horses down here do that.”

The stock of Washington VC continue to win races and his last crop of three year olds have been doing the business at either end of the country.

Matai Phil bred by one of the stallion’s shareholders – Alex and Karen Milne – won at Alexandra Park for trainers Peter and Vaughan Blanchard on 6^th June. Another three year old Pacific Arc, won for Nathan Williamson on Saturday at Ascot Park.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink