Southern Snippets

South of the Waitaki

2023 Cup Week will see the nineth running of the Macca Lodge ‘South of the Waitaki’.

Run on Show Day, the race is exclusively for horses trained south of the Waitaki River – essentially Oamaru south.

The inaugural race held in 2015 was won by the Nathan Williamson trained and driven Stathem (Bettor’s Delight).

Last year’s winner was Teddy Baker (Somebeachsomewhere) trained by Tyler Dewe and driven by Rory McIIwrick.

Over the years sponsor Brett McIntyre has had two starters in the race; Pantastic (Panspacificflight) in 2017 and Tairlaw Toll (Somebeachsomewhere) in 2019.

McIntyre who would dearly love to win his own race has Coaster (Downbytheseaside) eligible for this year’s running.

Teddy on a break

Teddy Baker (Somebeachsomewhere) won’t be seen back at the races until Winter. The talented gelding won four starts in a row for Ascot Park trainer Tyler Dewe after he was purchased from Ryal Bush trainer Hamish Hunter. His last win was a year ago in the South of the Waitaki.

“He was ready to go and then he got a virus and a few other issues, so we had to turn him out again. We’ll bring him back in this month and start again and see how we go,” Dewe said.

Dewe is currently in a rebuilding phase and has just acquired South Seas Rock, (A Rocknroll Dance) a four win R56 gelding formerly trained by Geoff and James Dunn.

He’s also got an unqualified pacer called Northview Ocean (Downbytheseaside) that’s impressively won both of her trials but she’s done things wrong both times and hasn’t got her qualifying ticket.

Williamson has gallopers

Southland harness racing trainer Nathan Williamson has a selective group of broodmares including a well-bred thoroughbred.

Sunalta (Rock Of Gibraltar) was born in Australia and is out of Sunline (Desert Sun). Sunline won thirty two of her forty eight starts, banking her connections just over $14 million.

As a racehorse Sunalta had four trials but never raced. Williamson purchased her from Gavelhouse in foal for $1,000.

Sunline’s dam Songline (Western Symphony) was out of McAngus (Alvaro) who was bred by Robin and Muriel Archer of Gore and won two for Gore trainer Alan Borthwick.

Nathan’s filly is by Embellish (Savabeel) which won three of it’s ten starts including the NZ 2000 Guineas. He ran second in the Karaka Million Three Year Old Classic and banked a half a million.

Williamson already races a galloper with his brother Matthew and Fred Donovan. Sacred Rose (Sacred Falls) has had six starts for two seconds. The seconds have been for Winton trainer Sophie Price. Sacred Rose commenced her career in the North Island.

Another Wildwest?

Winton trainer Lauren Pearson produced an impressive qualifier Wild Bull, (Raging Bull) on her home track yesterday.

Driven by Nathan Williamson, Wild Bull came home wide on the track to beat stablemate The Janitor (Always B Miki) by three quarters of a length running the 1609 metres in 1-58.7.

The two year old is a full brother to Wildwest which won on debut for Pearson before being sold to West Australian interests.

He’s won another thirteen races and was an upset winner of the G1 WA Cup. He’s won more than half a million dollars.

Both horses were bred by the late Kevin Strong and Wild Bull races for his estate.

Their dam Bay Jet (Jereme’s Jet) has been a good producer, also leaving Leer, (American Ideal) the winner of two of her four starts for Bruce Wallace before heading offshore.

Macca Lodge now owns Bay Jet and sold an Always B Miki yearling colt to Lester Smith at February’s NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch.

The Northern Southland breeding establishment will be offering a Downbytheseaside colt out of Bay Jet at the upcoming Christchurch Sales.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink