Captaintreacherous filly is something special

At Addington last night (Oct. 6), Southland owned Treacherous Gall (Captaintreacherous) did what others couldn’t and came with a barnstorming run from the back to win the Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires Stakes Heat.

Trained by former Southlander Regan Todd, the leggy two year old harness racing filly is owned by Dave Kennedy and Cleland Murdoch and last night was piloted by Robbie Close.

“I didn’t think she could win at the top of the straight. Then she started motoring over that last 100 metres. Dawn (wife) just about jumped into the TV she was yelling so much,” Kennedy said.

Afterwards there was plenty of mobile phone traffic across the network.

“I text him (Regan) and said WOW what a run!! He text back and said great run – she’s something special. I replied and said thank Robbie for a great drive – it bloody near gave me a heart attack! He text back and said he’s (Robbie) too scared to knock her around because he knows I’d kill him if he did (laughter). I thought that wasn’t bad.”

TREACHEROUS GALL REPLAY

Kennedy reported that Treacherous Gall will target the Group One $150,000 Sires Stakes Fillies Championship at Addington on Show Day, then the Group One $100,000 Diamond at Addington on Grand Prix Day December 2^nd.

“Regan said whatever she does this year is a bonus. He’s not going to start her too many times. He wants to look after her that’s for sure.”

Kennedy offered Treacherous Gall at the 2021 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales but she didn’t reach her reserve.

“She’s always been a nice type. We took her to the yearlings sales, and I said to Cleland that I want a $100,000 for her. We got offer $37,000 so I bought her home. We made a good decision there.”

The pair have since had two big offers for the filly including one from America, but both have been turned down.

“As Cleland said the amount of money is not going to change his life. I said I didn’t want to sell her anyway.”

In recent years Kennedy has had a bit to do with this family, racing Treacherous Gall’s dam Galleons Pleasure with Gary Allen and Brian Wasney.

“I saw her as a weanling at Tall Tree and she was magnificent, so I bought a quarter share in her. She hurt her shoulder and she was boxed for a few months. We got her broken in and got reports back that she was a real nasty horrible thing. She ended up with Brett Gray and he said she had speed and could win one or two, but she kept losing condition.”

So, when she was retired from racing Kennedy bought Allen’s half share and was gifted Wasney’s quarter share.

“We’d booked her into Captaintreacherous and the only stipulation with the deal was that Cleland Murdoch (a friend of Allen and Kennedy’s) was to take a share in the foal.”

Even as a broodmare Galleons Pleasure still struggles to keep condition on.

“Unfortunately, she’s got bad teeth and we might have to get them x-rayed and take some out. The grass gets between her teeth all the time.”

Kennedy also owns Galleons Pleasure’s dam Galleons Cheer which he bought in 2019. Her best foal was Cheer The Lady which won eleven races. She’s also the dam of Galleon Honour who’s left Duke Of Wellington and Duke Of Cornwall. It’s a family with plenty of high end winners.

Ray Green bought a Bettors Delight colt out of Galleons Cheer at the 2021 Yearling Sales for $190,000 so the family has been good to the Kennedy’s on a commercial level.

Galleons Pleasure is in foal to Downbytheseaside and is booked in to Captaintreacherous.

Dave and Dawn Kennedy have seven yearlings entered in the February yearling sales and there are three colts that Dave particularly likes: a Captaintreacherous out of Christian Cullen mare Schnucki Putzi – this is the family of Changeover (29 wins including 2008 New Zealand Cup), an Always B Miki colt out of Beaudiene Delightful, and a Stay Hungry (Somebeachsomewhere) colt out of Beaudiene Blinkz (a full-sister to Beaudiene Bad Babe) which he describes as a smokey.

Kennedy says the Stay Hungry colt is not big but is powerful, and nice to work with.

“A Bettors Delight – Beaudiene Beaut Babe, is the pick of the fillies,” he added.

The Kennedys are breeding from ten mares with the latest addition a Love You mare out of Niamey (Waitingforyou). She’s a half-sister to Pocaro (13), Springbank Sam (20) and Daenerys Targaryen (15).

Dave and Dawn who converted their home farm to dairy a number of years ago have recently bought 174 acres from their neighbour.

“I’ve taken all the horses over to that block and set it up nicely. I’ve got seven colt paddocks, some nice big broodmare paddocks and paddocks for fillies.”

Long term they might build a barn and perhaps a house but short term there’s a horse that requires a fair amount of their attention.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink