Clearing maidens – Wave Runner continues her magic run

In our weekly Clearing Maidens article we look through those breaking through for their first victories.

It could be a long-time maiden who has finally mastered race rivals or a progressive star of the track in the future – they all got one thing in common now – they’re race winners!

Oamaru 6th March

Moment Of What (What The Hill – Moment Of Sun) A debut winner after some improving performances, Moment Of What overcame a limited field in terms of numbers to salute in the 2^nd of the day at Oamaru. Making the most of early gallops from a number of race rivals Moment Of What and Blair Orange led through most of the race, fighting off a late bid from the Tomlinson trained Judy J – the nature of the win suggesting that there’s a nice future in store for the son of What The Hill. Dam Moment Of Sun needs little introduction, the winner of 6 from 58 starts is now a broodmare with a winner to her name…

My Friend Louie (Sweet Lou – Nicky’s Delight) A strong win after a debut third. The White stable certainly knows how to prepare a winner and they’ve found another one in My Friend Louie. Having placed at Ashburton behind Indiana Arden My Friend Louie found another gear to bring up a winning 2.28.7 effort in the 3^rd of the day at Oamaru. A late 3 wide cart into things meant My Friend Louie, in the hands of Kimberly Butt, had too much for the field, taking the win by a little less than a length. My Friend Louie is well bred and can count the 5-time winner Crackapaca (Christian Cullen) and the 6-time winner in Crackared (Christian Cullen) among its siblings.

The nicely bred My Friend Louie scores

Cambridge 7^th March

Lovemeagain (Father Patrick – Love Ya Doosie) Royalty arrived at Cambridge on Thursday night and duly delivered. The beautifully bred daughter of Father Patrick made every stride a winning one to score by some 2 lengths in the first of the night after coming out from a peg-line sit to mount an effort over the final 600m.  The win continued a strong run of form for trainer Tony Herlihy. Lovemeagain became the second winner out of Love Ya Doosie, a two-time winner who had already produced the impressive Lovemeto (What The Hill) Granddam Shezadoosie, a 7-time winner herself, proved herself a wonderful broodmare counting both I Can Doosit and Sno’s Big Boy among her foals.

Shez The One (Sweet Lou-Styxler)  Shez The One indeed. Making the most of the #1 draw, Shez The One brought up her maiden victory at race start #6. Having threatened to win a race at the track before, Shez The One scored at odds of 7/1, beating out race favourite Lincoln Cove in the process. Dam Styxler has left the Australian performer in My Ultimate Billy NZ, a son of Sweet Lou who has now won 11 times on Australian soil.

Westport 8th March

Moa Mojito (Bacardi Lindy-Moa Bones) From the unruly and into the winning photo. It’s always been about the manners for the daughter of Bacardi Lindy and, with those playing ball,Moa Mojito proved herself a more than capable maiden, taking out the first on the card in a tight finish from Bevron and Signal Hill. The maiden win came up at race start number #12. Moa Mojito has enough winning blood to call on for inspiration to go on with things – her mother, Moa Bones (Monkey Bones) won 4 herself.

The Finisher (American Ideal-Pacing Delight) While the career had been fruitless previously The Finisher did that better than the rest to score his maiden victory at start #15 in the second of the day at Westport. A mid-race sit behind the speed set by the Morrison trained Spectator meant The Finisher had more to give than any other race rival with a comfortable win being clocked in 2.44.10 over the 2000m stand.

The Finisher will need to do a whole lot more winning is he’s to capture the form of some of his class siblings – Virgil (Sweet Lou) a Gr1 placed performer, and Aladdin (Sweet Lou) the winner of the Harness Million feature for 3YO Colts and Geldings, are both from dam Pacing Delight along with the well-performed Watermelon Sugar (Sweet Lou)

The Finisher finishes better than them all at Westport

Mouton Cadet (Sir Lincoln-Belles Babe) Blasting them out to score at huge odds for a memorable maiden win, Mouton Cadet pierced through to win the 4^th of day in fine style. Having previously impressed getting home behind Queen Of Swords at Nelson, a poor draw put punters off the Stuart trained runner – the 54/1 nice for those that liked what they saw in the son of Sir Lincoln. Mouton Cadet is the second winner out of the Live Or Die mare in Belles Babe after Jackhammer Joe., foaled in 2013, won a brace from some 36 appearances.

Alexandra Park 8^th March

Lincoln Lou (Sweet Lou – Sea Of Gold) Continuing a strong week for Sweet Lou as far as maiden winners go, Lincoln Lou impressed in the 2^nd of the night, sweeping to the front of the field with a lap to go and holding off late challenges to post his win in 2.09.1 over the 1700m mobile distance. The second-start winner is out of the two-time winner in Sea Of Gold (Bettor’s Delight) The wider family is one fans will be very familiar with – superstar pacer Gold Ace (Bettor’s Delight) and Strike The Gold (Bettor’s Delight) are both progeny of granddam Hill Of Gold.

Confederate (Art Major – Agree With Me) He’s not quite the Confederate from the USA yet but he could turn out to be nearly as good if this win is anything to go by! A confident win in 2.04 over the 1700m, Confederate brings plenty of breeding to the track, his dam, Hartofdixie, won 6 of her 25 starts and has already left the 12-time winner in Ezana, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight who captured the Gr3 The Im Themightyquinn Pace in June of 2022. It’s the family of Adore Me (Bettor’s Delight) Have Faith In Me (Bettor’s Delight) and Imagine Me (Dream Away) among a plethora of other big names of the New Zealand harness racing scene.

Confederate looks destined for bigger things after a fine maiden victory. 

Aye Aye Captain (Captaintreacherous– Priscilla Shard) Snaring a maiden win at race day start #6, Aye Aye Captain put pay to a small field in the 5^th of the night at Alexandra Park. After running a fading last when last seen Aye Aye Captain upset favoured runners at 10/1.

The family is a good one with two winners by Bettor’s Delight (Romeo Shard and Juliette Shard) both out of dam Priscilla Shard while granddam. She’s Mighty. didn’t know how to leave a bad horse, mothering the likes of Likmesiah (13 wins) Mighty Cullen, an 8-time winner on NZ soil, and the impressive Mister Presley, a Gr2 & 3 winner on Australian soil after claiming the Iraklis Final and Kevin Robinson Cup features in the year 2013.

Invercargill 9^th March

Bettor Be Watching (He’s Watching – Leander Lily) Longtime maiden Better Be Watching is a maiden no longer after a winning turn in the 2^nd of the day at Invercargill. Blair Orange pressed forward on the daughter of He’s Watching early – it turned out to be a decisive decision with a  58.7 last 800m enough to see off challenges throughout the run home.  Better Be Watching had placed on 6 previous occasions and is the first winner out of the Art Major mare in Leander Lily.

Hezaweetie (Sweet Lou – Whitershadeofpale) Hezasweetie called on all of the family blood to score at short odds in the 5^th of the day. The win following on from a strong debut effort at Wyndham when running 2^nd to Terra Sancta. Hezasweetie is the second winner out of the Changeover mare in Whitershadeofpale, a 9-time winner.

Reefton 10^th March 

Real Moonshine (Volstead – Rae Galleon) A final, decisive burst was enough for this son of Volstead to bring up the maiden victory at start #3. After manners issues in the first couple of starts Real Moonshine proved the best of the maidens on Sunday, impressing with a last-to-first effort over the final 400m to score at odds of 12/1. The maiden victory should come as no surprise to those interested in well bred types, Real Moonshine is out of the smart Rae Galleon, a 4-time winner and mother to the 9-time winner in Daenerys Stormborn (Love You) .Majestic Son, and Father Patrick have also serviced the mare in years gone by with limited success.

Mikra Wave (Always B Miki – Wave Runner) Arguably the best bred maiden winner of the week, Mikra Wave, a fast finisher at Westport, put a tick in the win column at Reefton. The race favourite proved a little too slick over the concluding stages, taking the win by a short margin over Bromac Times and Spectator.

Dam Wave Runner needs little introduction, having placed in the Gr2 Premier Mares Championship of 2009 behind the classy Kiwi Ingenuity. As a mother Wave Runner has proven a revelation, leaving the likes of Bonnie Joan (Somebeachsomewhere)  the Southland Oaks and Southern Mares Classic winner of 2017, and Sand Wave (Somebeachsomewhere) a 6-time winner as a three-year-old alongside his Gr1 placed effort in the New Zealand Derby of 2022 behind Akuta.

Mikra Wave scores and extends a great run for broodmare Wave Runner 

Samvasa  (Bettor’s Delight – Samskara) It was a case of dismissing the Westport form and trusting the improved draw for followers of Samvasa at Reefton. The Hutton trained runner clearing out from race rivals after a mid-race move to the front of the race. The 3 1/2 length win coming over Itz All Fired Up and Destiny’s Dream. Samvasa had threatened to win before the Sunday win with placings at Methven and Waikouaiti previously. Dam Samskara was a sound performer, winning 8 herself. The wider family includes the daughter of Bettor’s Delight in Samhara (1.50.1 USA) and the Listed placed Sucitra (Bettor’s Delight)

by Harnesslink Media