Elton’s win appropriate for Blue September

Elton J’s (Always B Miki) win at Oamaru was fitting for the Blue September harness racing campaign and a great thrill for the horse’s breeder Lester Paisley.

Elton J was driven by Blue September driver Sam Thornley, one of eleven drivers wearing Blue September colours to raise funds for and increase awareness of prostate cancer.

Elton J is named after singer Elton John who actually had prostate cancer in 2017, which he successfully treated with surgery. However he experienced a major infection following the operation that left him in intensive care.

In yesterday’s race, Elton J trained by Blenheim horseman Tony Thomas led all the way and won by five and a half lengths.

ELTON J REPLAY

“He’s a nice horse and he’s got speed. He’s not a standing start horse at this stage because he gets a wee bit nervy and up on his toes. But he’ll get there. He’s got a bit of gas out of the gate. He’s a horse with instant speed. When you hook him out he doesn’t wind up, he just goes whoosh,” Thomas said. 

Elton J is out of the five win Christian Cullen mare Zingara. He was bred by the Yardley family and raced for Braeden and Caroline Whitelock, winning five races including two Nevele R Fillies Series heats.

“Two friends of mine had horses in stables in Christchurch and they happened to mention Zingara might be for sale. At the time I wasn’t really looking for a broodmare. Initially he (Braeden) wasn’t keen to sell because he didn’t know me. Then we got talking and I told him I used to run the Harness Cadets in Dunedin and I used Father Dan Cummings to do the breeding side for me,” Paisley said.

Consequently the pair eventually came to an arrangement and Zingara was sold.

At that time (2019) Zingara was at Woodland Stud and Paisley arranged for Alabar’s Graeme Henley to transport her over to her new home.

“By this time I’d done a bit of research as to what to put her to. I saw Freddiesam (a half-brother by Bettor’s Delight) who was trained by Kirstin (Green) and Tank Ellis, and he was a wee horse. At the time I liked Always B Miki. I read an article about his trainer (Jimmy Takter). He said he was the only horse he went down to the stable after tea to give a pat to.”

In October 2020 Zingara foaled an Always B Miki colt which Paisley named Elton J.

He was offered by SBSR preparer Julie Baynes at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sale and was bought by Kirk Larsen for $40,000.

“He’s had a few trainers. He had feet problems which I got fixed and qualified him about six weeks ago. I’ve got a stable hand who’s a retired equine vet, David Sims. He made up a couple of solutions for the soles. It’s good having a stable hand like that I and I don’t have to pay any vet bills (laughter),” Thomas said.

Elton J is owned by Dave McHugh and Paul ‘Tank’ Ellis who also had shares in Freddiesam.

The mare’s next foal The Captains Lady which is owned by Paisley, recently qualified for Michael House, whilst a full-sister to Elton J (named Blondie) was sold to Southand trainer Alister Black for $18,000.

“If Elton can keep going and Blondie gets going, it might start to look better for this old fella,” the seventy five year old breeder said.

Zingara’s last foal named Yadreaminjonsey after the Mitre 10 commercial, will also be heading to the sales as part of Baynes 2026 SBSR draft.

Black borrowed the mare last season and she’s in foal to Bettor’s Wish.

“Blackie and I have been mates for a long time. When I had the cadets in Dunedin I used to work in with Southland and I remember Alister as a young fella.”  

These days Paisley lives on a five acre block at Gore with his wife Jenni and it’s not the first good horse Lester has bred.

He bred Washakie which won 53 races including five Treuer Memorials, a West Australian Pacing Cup, Australian Pacing Championship and a Queensland Pacing Championship. The Southern Bred Southern Reared gelding earned over $1.8 million.

“I got to see the fourth Treuer Memorial. I got in contact with the Bankstown Club and told them I’d bred Washakie and could I get members tickets. The lady I was dealing with said ‘No sir, you’ll be going to the Presidents Lounge.’ They treated me like royalty that night.”

In return for the great hospitality Paisley insisted he sponsor a race at Bankstown later in the season.

“I came home from work one Monday night, turned on the tele and there was my race sponsored by Big Stone Lodge Limited.”

So harness racing has been good to Lester Paisley and there should be some more good stories still to come.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink