Emotional win for Prices

Always B Royal’s (Always B Miki) win today at the Winton Harness Racing Club meeting at Central Southland Raceway was a special one.

Always B Royal was bred and is raced by Roger, Helen, John and Katrina Price and is out of ten win Presidential Ball mare Presidential Reign.

“This is his (Roger’s) original breed,” Roger’s daughter-in-law Katrina who trains the mare with her husband John, said. “Unfortunately Roger is not very well so it’s a pretty special win.”

The race was the four year old mare’s debut and she achieved favourite status due to some good trial and workouts form.

Asked if they went into the race today with confidence, Katrina said “If you based it on her work at home, not very. But to be fair whenever she’s come out in public she’s performed well. Her grandmother Fuel Queen was notorious for that. She was a terrible track worker but always stepped up on race day.”

ALWAYS B ROYAL REPLAY

Always B Royal has also taken time to develop.

“As a young horse she showed no ability. She actually got hurt, cut a tendon and spent a year in the paddock which in hindsight was a blessing. When she came back she was a lot stronger.”

Outside of Always B Royal and Machrie (4 wins) Presidential Reign hasn’t had a lot of luck at stud.

“She been disappointing to be completely honest. She had such high speed and was beautifully gaited. A lot of her progeny have struggled with speed and have been rough gaited. This mare (Always B Royal) at least is nicely gaited. That’s breeding, isn’t it.”

Presidential Reign has two other unraced foals; a two year old colt by Lazarus and a Downbytheseaside yearling filly that’s due to be broken in.

The win today was Roger’s 143rd as a breeder and his 90th as an owner.

His first winner as a breeder was Bella Supreme trained by Allan Beck at Ascot Park in February 1987 while the first winner he owned was Bella Kent which won at Balfour in February 1976 for trainer/driver Henry Skinner.

Meanwhile Katrina and John qualified their first trotter at Ascot Park yesterday, when their two year old Father Patrick filly Duchess Maria got her ticket.

“She was originally bound for the yearling sales but developed a big splint and got withdrawn. Hence she’s here. Her mother (Maria Tsarina) is a Muscle Hill mare which we bought from David and Catherine Butt. We raced her with Paul Nairn and this is the only foal out of her so far.”

Duchess Maria qualified from behind the mobile and Katrina said there’s a race for her on Diamonds Day at Ascot Park ($50,000 Group Three Entain Two Year Old Mobile Trot).

They also qualified a well-bred Downbytheseaside pacing filly Indulge Me who’s out of Sweet On Me.

Sweet On Me, which won six of her seven starts including the G1 Two Year Old Diamond and G1 NZ Sires’ Stakes Two Year Old Fillies Classic, is a daughter of Adore Me.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink