Speed In The Breed – Ohoka Nico attempts to follow Millwood Nike

Welcome into our Speed In The Breed article. A look into the successful families represented at the trials and workouts.

If you look into the sales catalogue or those that find fame out on the track in the features races you’re likely to find that many of the champions of today come from great families of the past. Here we touch on that habit of success- how the greats of yesteryear continue to leave the very best.

A look at the Rangiora workouts on Wednesday the 31^st of January sees a number of animals with royal bloodlines behind them.

Spotlight (Father Patrick – Focus On Me) Attempting to qualify in the first heat of the day, this daughter of Father Patrick is from one of the more relevant trotting families in the game. Indeed Spotlight is a 1/2 sister to the classy Highgrove (Love You) winner of the Northern Trotting Derby, Harness Million 3YO Trotter Final, and Harness Million 2YO.

Other siblings include Trip’s On me (Dream Vacation) herself a 5-time winner, and My Sky (Skyvalley) a winner of 4 race day starts. Running Free (Angus Hall) has also been Gr3 placed in Australia.  Spotlight, who is trained by Kevin Townley, comes into the heat having dead heated last week in a workout.

Spotlight workout win 

Ohoka Nico (Sweet Lou – Albuquerque) Lining up to qualify in the 2^nd  on the day is this son of Sweet Lou. Trained by Darren Keast, Ohoka Nico has plenty to live up to – His 1/2 sister is none other than the peerless Millwood Nike, a filly who is currently unbeaten from 17 starts, including wins in the Nevele R Final, the Sires Stakes 3YO Fillies Championship, and the Ace Of Diamonds, all of those victories coming at Gr1 level.  The sibling racetrack prowess doesn’t stop there though, Millwood Tilly (Terror To Love) the first foal out of dam Alburqueque (8 wins) has also impressed, winning seven races on Australian soil.

Granddam Princess Alberta also knew how to leave a winner, leaving the likes of Alberto Contador, a multiple Gr2 winner on Australian soil, and Duke Of Albany, who pressed on to win some 12 races, the majority being in the state of Victoria.  If there’s an interest factor in this trial meeting then Ohoka Nico qualifies as the best there is.

MILLWOOD NIKE NEVELE R FINAL REPLAY

Queen Kizen (What The Hill-Queen Kenny) Scheduled to go around in a workout towards the end of the card is Queen Kizen. The What The Hill 2YO filly is a 1/2 sister to the star trotter in Queen Elida, a trotter with a current record of 31 wins from just 56 starts – included in those triumphs are victories in the Victoria Trotters Oaks, Breeders Crown 3YO Trotting Fillies Final, and Bill Collins Trotters Sprint, alongside brave 3^rds in the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Finals of 2022 and 2023 behind Just Believe. Dam Queen Kenny won 9 starts herself. It’s certainly a family stacked with trotting talent.

Three great breeds and major prospects worth following.

Fields for the trials can be found here 

by Harnesslink Media