Father Patrick stock dominate early G1 features

The harness racing progeny of Father Patrick dominated their season finales tonight at Addington Raceway when Meant To Be and Habibti Pat won their respective ‘Aces’ races.

In the Group One $100,000 IRT Ace Of Clubs, driver Zachary Butcher played the patient game with Meant To Be, letting him find his feet and avoiding the hustle and bustle that comes with race night.

Turning in, the race looked to be between Tarragindi and Meant To Be. But when Tarragindi rolled into a gallop inside the last 50 metres, Meant To Be was left in front and went on to win by seventeen and a half lengths.
Tarragindi was subsequently disqualified.

“He was a little bit more on the job today, so I had to go with him for a wee bit. We were lucky enough to get onto the back of Matty’s one (Tarragindi). Matty’s one had a wee break in the straight and if that hadn’t happened I think it would have been quite close,” Butcher told Nigel Armstrong from Harness Racing Unhinged.

MEANT TO BE REPLAY

The winning time was 2-28.3 – well outside the race and New Zealand record of 2-25.5 held by Confessional.

Trained by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, Meant To Be is the first foal out of Luby Lou which won four of her five starts including the G1 New Zealand Trotting Derby and the Group Two New Zealand Trotting Oaks.

Bred by Breckon Farms, Meant To Be was sold at the 2023 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Auckland and was purchased by his trainers for $140,000.

Raced by Barry’s wife Katrina and the Clear View Racing No 6 Syndicate, the win was the two year old’s fifth in eight starts and it clearly places him in line for the Two Year Old Trotter of The Year title.

Meanwhile in the Group One $100,000 TAB Ace Of Hearts for two year old trotting fillys, driver Blair Orange took the best filly in the race Habibti Pat to the lead and dominated from the front, winning by a length from a game Frazzled.

“Right from her first start to this one she’s been very professional. Today was the right day to get it right. She did it again and did that pretty comfortably really. She’s pretty green still and only jumped on the bridle once when Riley (Riley Harrison driving Frazzled) came alongside. When it came to the business end she concentrated and was very good,” Orange told FNL viewers.

The winning time was 2-30.1.

HABIBTI PAT REPLAY

The win was Habibti Pat’s fifth in six starts. It takes her stakes to over $100,000 and she now has a Group One in her CV.

The filly is raced by Julie and Sasha Maghzal and is out of the Love You mare Habibti Ivy which won the Group One Anzac Cup, the Group Two New Zealand Trotting Oaks and the Group Three Four and Five Year Old Trotting Championship as well as six other races. Orange drove her in all of her wins.

The wins by both Meant To Be and Habibti Pat extended Father Patrick’s dominance in the two year old trotting siring statistics, with his progeny now having earned over $400,000 in the season, well ahead of What The Hill And Majestic Son.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink