Clearing maidens – Winners out of Carabella and High Gait shine

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!

Addington 18^th April

Follow Your Dream (Bettor’s Delight – Just A Dream) Maiden success at start #11. Follow Your Dream impressed in a competitive field in the 2^nd of the night at Addington, driven by Tim Williams the daughter of Bettor’s Delight made the most of a trailing position throughout, bursting through to catch the leader Remission in the run home to score in 2.25.40 over the 1980m mobile trip. Follow Your Dream does have the breeding to continue to improve too, both Heisenberg, a toughened 11-time winner by Art Major, and Crusader, a 5-time winner by the same sire, are among her siblings.

Follow Your Dream passes maidens while racing at Addington. 

Ashburton 19^th April

Sweet Maggie Mae (Sweet Lou – Molly Fever) Sweet Maggie Mae became Sweet Maggie Winner at Ashburton, accounting for her race rivals in the first of the day at the track. With some strong workout and trial form behind Katys Shadow and Caught The Eye recently Sweet Maggie Mae was sent out a hot favourite and duly delivered a classy debut victory over the 1700m mobile trip.

Dam Molly Fever was unraced but has already left the 3-time winner Molly Belwin (Art Major). Grandam Molly Darling set Australasian racing alight with a fantastic racing career which included a Gr1 Nevele R Fillies Series Final win over Mainland Banner in 2005.

Sweet Maggie Mae brings up a strong 2YO winning effort at Ashburton

Osmium (Creatine – Galleons Royale) After throwing in some poor manners recently Osmium took her best manners to Ashburton on Friday, leading the maiden trotters around throughout the running of the 2^nd race on the card to score a sound victory at start #6. The win should have come as no surprise to trotting enthusiasts given the breeding behind the 4yr-old mare, her dam Galleons Royale won 5 herself, with her first foal being the well-performed Galleons Ambassador (Love You), a 5-time winner from some 30 race day starts.

Sister Love (Terror To Love – Mother Teresa) A value option home in the third of the day at Ashburton. The manners once again prove vital in winning maiden races. Finding the lead and then enjoying a trailing trip through the last lap, Sister Love, locally trained by Oliver Adlam, lasted to see off the late challenges of Biggles and Karaki Delight to secure the maiden win at race day start #4. Sister Love was the first foal born out of the Mach Three mare Mother Teresa.

Father Time (Father Patrick – Firenze) Father Patrick keeps on leaving the impressive winners. Driven confidently over the last 600m, Tim Williams and Father Time pounced on the race leader in My Royal Break at the top of the straight, clearing out with after the late break of Saxon Reigns to secure a strong victory at race day start #10 . The prior form behind Judy J and Florence The Machine trumped with the win.

Father Time comes from a strong trotting breed, one that includes the likes of Sheemon (Monarchy), a Great Southern Star heat winner, and his brother Fratellino, winner of 9 races, the majority being on Australian soil.

Father Time shows both speed and stamina in winning his maiden at Ashburton 

Double Quick (Captaintreacherous – Dreamy Delight) She had to be double quick on Friday over the 1700m mobile event, the Dunn trained filly proving herself a nice horse in winning after some bad luck in the initial stages. After an early check Blair Orange drove Double Quick to the front of affairs down the back straight, giving up the lead with some 800m to go to enjoy a brief trail and then using the passing lane to secure a tight victory over Jazzy Upstart and Take A Selfie.

The win coming after a sound 2^nd on debut behind Harrison John and a fighting 4^th behind Millwood Goddess. Double Quick is out of Dreamy Delight, mother to the impressive types in Aha Reaction (20 wins) and Double Delight, a full sister to Double Quick who secured a memorable 2YO Ruby Harness Jewels trotting feature win in 2021 when beating out Mystic Max and Mr Love.

Alexandra Park 19^th April

Higher Power (Father Patrick – High Gait) Adding to the haul of wins from those by Father Patrick this week, Higher Power showed too much of it for race rivals at Alexandra Park on Friday night, clearing out to win a Young Guns 2YO Trotting series heat by some 2 lengths.  The 2YO, trained by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, was untroubled from the front of the field as a number of his race rivals struggled to keep their manners about them.

There looks to be an exciting career ahead for Higher Power, dam High Gait was a class act winning numerous feature titles including the New Zealand Trotting Stakes, the Sires Stakes 2YO Trotting Championship, and the Breeders Crown 2YO Trotting Fillies – her career earnings an impressive $320’000 from 34 starts. Full sisters High Step (4 wins) and High Energy (8 wins) are also accomplished performers. A bright future ahead!

Higher Power continues a sparkling run for dam High Gait. 

Dominus (Sweet Lou – Significant Anvil) Saluting at great each-way odds in the 4^th of the night at Aleandra Park, Dominus, trained by Peter Miller, brought up his maiden win at start #3, the strong effort coming after an improving 4^th at Cambridge earlier in the month. The win seeing Miller post his first win as a trainer in some 14 years with his last win coming when scoring with Maheer Magic in 2010.

Bertha’s Pride (Majestic Son – Ginger Bertha) Being off the unruly didn’t stop Bertha’s Pride from bringing her maiden victory on Friday night. The Hollis & Robertson trained runner impressing with a strong burst from the rear of the field to claim the race by 1/2 a length from the leading Barsukov. Bertha’s Pride paid $13 to win with the victory meaning dam Ginger Bertha is now a winning broodmare.

Invercargill 21^st April

Secret Agent Man (Sweet Lou – Carabella) He might be a secret agent but there’s little secret about his ability to run. The Williamson trained 3yr-old impressing on debut when clearing out to win the first of the day at Invercargill by 2 lengths after sitting parked for much of the last lap of the 2200m mobile event. The breeding suggests there’s plenty of wins left in him too, his dam Carabella was a star of the track, sweeping all before her, amassing 17 wins from her 19 starts.

The holder of a number of NZ record times, Carabella has also proven herself a successful mother, her progeny including the 12-time winner in Johnny Mac (Mach Three) and the 3-time winner in Olivia Rachel (Mach Three) .Most probably the best breed maiden winner of the week.

Secret Agent Man is out of the star performer Carabella 

By Harnesslink Media