Century Farroh heading Down Under

A strapping bay colt by Mach Three from the Real Desire mare, Beachy Girl was foaled at harness racing’s Century Farms in the south west region of Ontario, Canada on March 28, 2016.

Sanford and Jan Zimmerman, the owners of Century Farms name all their foals with the Century moniker and in that year 2016, the second names to their foals began with the letter F.

The previous year the Thoroughbred world in North America was exhilarated and stunned with the performances of the colt American Pharoah who not only won the Triple Crown for three-year-olds but also the Breeders Crown.   He became the first horse in North American Thoroughbred racing to take the Grand Slam for three-year-olds.

So the Zimmerman’s chose the name of a champion for their impressive colt but used the spelling of Farroh to incorporate the letter F.

The colt was offered at the 2017 Forest City Yearling Sale and purchased by Mr Dave Ratchford from Nova Scotia on the far East Coast of Canada.

Doctor Ian Moore, who is one of the leading trainers in Canada – he trained Shadow Play amongst many other stars – grew up and graduated from Vet School on Prince Edward Island, a province adjoining Nova Scotia, so when Dave Ratchford had broken in and prepared Century Farroh to race, he asked his Maritimes associate Doctor Ian Moore to train him in Ontario.

Century Farroh was a big growthy colt as a two-year-old and so Doc Moore gave him some easy racing, where he dominated the grassroots racing of the Ontario Sires Stakes.

At three, Farroh was ready for the big time. He did most of his racing in the very competitive Ontario Sires Stakes programme which he pretty much dominated.   He also won his division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk, defeating the 2018 USTA Two-YearOld of the Year Captain Crunch.

His career blossomed even further as a four-year-old taking on the best aged pacers in North America. Victories came in both the Dan Patch Stakes and Breeders Crown Final, defeating in both those races the $2million earners Bettor’s Wish 1.47.6 and This Is The Plan 1:47.6.

Century Farroh’s race resume reads – 59 starts for 22 wins, 21 placings and prizemoney of $1,557,016.

He was voted Canadian Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year in 2019 and Canadian Aged Pacer and Horse of the Year in 2020.

He took winning records of 1:49.1 as a three-year-old and 1:49 as a four-year-old and as a four and five-year-old was racetimed in better than 1:50 on 20 occasions.

“Century Farroh is a horse who loves to work, loves his business and is a very, very determined animal on the racetrack ,” said his trainer Doc Ian Moore recently.

Bred with the Rasmussen Factor in his Pedigree.

Century Farroh has a superb pedigree to back up his highly successful racing career. His sire Mach Three needs very little introduction as his ability and his influence as a sire has been profound. He sired the winners of over $140 million in North America including the immortal Somebeachsomewhere.   It is this sireline that is now changing the face of harness racing around the world.

Mach Three has enjoyed amazing success as a sire in Australia and New Zealand – siring millionaires, five Australian Two-Year-Olds of the Year and now one of the greatest females to grace our racetracks over the past 30 years in Ladies In Red.

In fact in comparing the statistics of the leading five stallions to have bred mares in Australia this century, Mach Three on average earnings per starter is at the top of that list that includes American Ideal, Art Major, Bettors Delight and Somebeachsomewhere.

The female line of Century Farroh is full of speed and winners. His dam Beachy Girl 1:51, by the $3million earner Real Desire, has produced seven winners – all in 1:55 – that have collectively won over $2.45 million.   Beachy Girl herself won $384,486 in a two-season career, whilst her dam Color Me Beachy 2, 1:53.6 won $225,880 and then produced 8 in 1:55.

This is where the similarity of Farroh’s breeding to the great Somebeachsomewhere comes in. Color Me Beachy is by Jennas Beach Boy, who was a son of Beach Towel whilst Somebeachsomewhere’s dam is also by Beach Towel.

Now to further enhance the pedigree of Century Farroh, he is in fact a Rasmussen bred horse. This occurs when there is a duplication of the blood of an influential mare and in this case the mare is Darling Wave. She is the dam of two daughters, one of which is the third dam of Century Farroh whilst the other is the third Dam of Mach Three.

Many purists of Breeding in both Codes of Equines believe this Rasmussen Factor can lead to “Champion“ status  so it has worked in the case of Farroh’s own ability. Can it influence his ability as a sire . . . time will answer that question.

Century Farroh is currently in quarantine in Kentucky USA and will arrive at Llowalong Farms around August 15.

He will be available to breeders in both Australia and New Zealand at a Service Fee of $5,000 plus GST.

Bookings and enquiries to Llowalong Farms [ 03 ] 5852 2845  or Dr Kath McIntosh 0427 497 429 / John Coffey 0429 278 279.

by John Coffey