Kickupyaheels from good family

Wyndham winner Kickupyaheels is from a harness racing family that’s produced a host of winners over the past twenty years.

The Rocknroll Dance mare trained by Robin Swain has shown a fair amount of ability in her first season of racing but she’s also shown some wayward tendencies.

“She’s a stroppy damn thing but she’s got a lot of speed. I think she’ll win a few races and develop into quite a nice mare,” Swain said.

In yesterday’s race she settled back before improving inside the last 300 metres when Swain brought her five wide just before the home straight. She let down nicely to beat Airwaves by a length and three quarters. The win was her second from eight starts.

“We could have sold her a few times but Peter Neil the guy that raced Roman Gladiator with me decided to race her.”

Swain plans to push on with the racing for Kickupyaheels and will start her in the fourth heat of the Southern Belle Speed Series at Wairio this Saturday.

“She’s probably the sort of mare that needs the right run.  Some races just won’t suit her so you just have to wait for the next time.”

Kickupyaheels is the twelfth foal out of Direct Deal mare Little Egypt which was originally owned by Swain’s sister Denice.

Little Egypt showed a lot of ability as a young horse, winning a 1609 metre trial at Ashburton for Denise in January 1999 by five lengths, running the distance in 1-58.4.

“At that time not many two year olds would run that time. Mark Purdon and John Seaton were keen to buy her but on the Friday night before they were to come down there was a storm with thunder and lightning and the horse got out, went over the fence and cut it’s leg.”

As a broodmare she’s left Montecrengle (14 wins) and Pelusiac (11 wins and $97,961).

This is the family of Ann Other Porsche the winner of thirty seven races. Her Badlands Hanover daughter Lady Antebellum has left Billy Badger and Stars Tonight, both the winners of eight races and Need You Now which has won four.

Another of her daughters, Christian Cullen mare Summer Ale, qualified and raced once. She left a couple of winners – Summertime Lizzie (Santana Blue Chip) which won twice and Argyle Beach (Somebeachsomewhere) which won two in New Zealand and another eighteen races in Australia. She’s paced a mile in 1-52.1.

Meanwhile Buck provided a welcome change of luck for Ascot Park trainer Brent Shirley.

Buck (1) and Nathan Williamson winning at Wyndham        –Bruce Stewart photo

It was the trainer’s second winner this season – the first being Onesmartfella in October.

Buck, having his third start got up to beat Glenledi Captain by half a neck in the Neville Cronin Memorial Mobile Pace.

The Courage Under Fire four year old was lead back to the birdcage by Clerk of the Course Sally McKay riding Bucks uncle Vi Et Animo.

Vi Et Animo and Buck’s dam Dyed Blonde are both out of Blondies Pocket.

Bruce Stewart