This afternoon (31 Jan) at Addington Raceway, harness racing fans will be treated to the first juvenile race of the new season when half a dozen two-year-old pacers greet the starters gate to open their careers in the SBSR White Stables 2yo Mobile Pace.
The six horse field in the sixth race on the programme falls under the umbrella of just two trainers with Swannnanoa trainer, Ross Houghton, and West Melton trainer, Ken Barron lining up three runners apiece.
For Barron, the prospect of having three to the first juvenile event of the season was a little surprising, not that he’s complaining of course.
“I only had six of them and five of them got to the trials which is pretty uncommon. I said to the owners that we will keep them up and going until Christmas and the ones that are going to make juveniles we will keep going with and turn the others out. They are all by different sires which is incredible really,” he said.
It’s been a while between drinks for Barron having juveniles at the races and despite the obvious desire for most horseman to have up and going early types, he was typically humble about how it has come about.
“You would have to go back to Chancellor Cullen, Franco Hemmingway and Mattnamaras Band and some of those ones when I last had juveniles at the Jewels which is a while ago now. It’s circumstantial the way I see it, they just landed in my lap. It wasn’t like I really targeted getting them and it’s still early days,” he said.
Houghton hasn’t had a juvenile to the races since Executive Banner (Rock N Roll Heaven), who ironically was also seen in the first juvenile race of his crop (which he won), and like Barron, that has been somewhat circumstantial also.
While he may not be a household name with the general public, you only need to ask guys like John Dunn and owner Colin Hair about the influence Houghton had on the career trajectory of Sundees Son to understand the reputation Houghton has in the industry as a talented educator of horses.
āA lot of people were just assuming that I was breaking them in and then going off to the trainers. People have started asking the question and the team has filled up from there which has been pretty cool. You donāt really get recognised the same just breaking them in so it is quite nice to have a race team like I have begun to build around me,” said Houghton.
āThe numbers have gone up a bit, I have these three that are racing and have another four who have just come back in and will be the next lot at the trials and quite a few race ones that are on the books with me now that have qualified and in my name,ā he said.
The change of birthdates and restructuring of the feature race programme in New Zealand has negated the necessity to have up and going early juveniles remembering it wasn’t that long ago we would have already had numerous heats of the Young Guns Series in Auckland.
The Entain 2YO Bonus has certainly played it’s part in seeing a bunch of youngsters at the trials and workouts in both Islands, with $12,000 ($8000 to the owner(s), $4000 to the breeder(s))on top of the winning stake
“There will be a lot more coming out from this crop in due course with 11 months left in the season, but someone is going to win $20,000 tomorrow when you factor in the bonus’ on offer on top of the winning stake, and we are keen to go out there and get it,” said Barron.
One of Barron’s leading chances comes in the form of the Hazel Van Opzeeland bred and owned filly, B B Crunch (Captain Crunch). Unbeaten at the trials in two public appearances, she has the aid of the pole (pref draw for fillies) and the countries leading reinsman for her debut race day assignment.
“She was at the sales and didn’t get a bid I believe. She was just a nice handy filly among the four that we had, and they were all as good as each other. She has just kept coming forward since Christmas time and both her runs off the property have been good,” he said.
To date, B B Crunch has only beaten her own sex but as alluded to by Barron, has been impressive in her public appearances and is rated a $5.50 chance with the bookies.
Drawn alongside her is Ringleader with Johnny Morrison in the cart. The son of Always B Miki was a $50,000 yearling sales purchase who has also impressed in his public appearances and exceeded expectations at the Toliman Lodge operation thus far.
“He’s a full to Rubira and on type probably the least likely to make a juvenile. He was a little bit overgrown and weak but his class has just got him there. You would swear he needs to be three, but he is just such a lovely horse and beautifully balanced,” said Barron.
“His brother was more like a Bettor’s Delight (out of a Bettor’s Delight dam), a real small and nuggety fella, whereas this guy is a proper Miki, rangey and taller. But he has just been a beautifully gaited horse right the way through and I’ve been a bit surprised he hasn’t weakened off, he just kept coming forward,” he said.
Rounding out Barron’s chances is Nikolia Ray (Art Major), another homebred who has some juvenile pedigree to him through his dam, Longview Lady.
“His full sister was Longview Tui and Chris McDowell had him early on and he said he was better then she was at the same stage. When he came to me I agreed with him and thought he had to be better. He is much the same, a little bit surprising really. His mother was very nice, she won a Sires Stakes two-year-old race,” he said.
The best drawn of the Houghton trio comes in the form of Burt (Bettor’s Wish), the first to the races for his blue blooded champion sire, with a few more in tow by the looks of the workout and trial results.
“Heās a Bettorās Wish and I have found them to be almost easier to gait than the Bettorās Delightās, I have probably worked about four of them now and they have all been lovely mannered and good pacers,” said Houghton.
āHe was really good and has always been a lovely horse from day one, he was a beautiful pacer and a wee strong looking horse who is not overly big, but he is beautifully gaited. I threw him in the deep end because he was just going to go to the trials because they didnāt have a workout, but everyone was in the same boat and he went really nice. Everything I have asked of him he has done within himself and he has a bit of toughness about him.
āI had the half-sister, Ultimate Seisation (Ultimate Machete) and qualified her before she went off to Benny Hill. I was thinking it would be the same with this guy but they told me I had done all the work so I might as well carry on. At home he just does what he has too and feels like a nice horse, but once he got off the place he sharpened up a lot at the trials,” he said.
Houghton’s other pair were bred on the property in which he works at Dancingonmoonlight at West Eyreton in North Canterbury.
The powerful yet boutique breeding operation of Robert Famularo’s has undergone a lot of change in recent seasons in a growing quest to meet the ever changing needs of the yearling sales market. That has seen them also offering quality frozen semen options such as the aforementioned Bettor’s Wish whilst also utilising Houghton’s prowess for young stock in educating some of their young racing team.
āThe two from Dancingonmoonlight were in the sales and never met their reserves so we just put them through the programme to get them up for sale, but whether the buyers are out there at the moment, I donāt know,ā said Houghton.
Incentivise (Bettor’s Delight) was bred by Dancingonmoonlight’s Estate Manager, Sam Langrope. The 38 year-old breeder rolled the dice after selling an Always B Miki yearling for $60,000 to reinvest and breed a Bettor’s Delight for the sales. The exercise didn’t quite go to plan when he ended up taking the colt home, however it may well end up working in his favour with the colt showing well above average ability at this early stage.
āSam is getting a massive thrill out of it. Nobody wanted him at the sales and here is in the first juvenile race of the season and like Burt, he has looked real sharp at the trials and everything they have done, they have done really easy. He is a really strong two-year-old and I wouldnāt be surprised if he canāt win tomorrow night either,” said Houghton.
Incentivise will start from barrier four and will be partnered by the in form Tim Williams.
Rounding out the Houghton trio is the $2.10 favourite for this afternoon’s juvenile event is Showmethetanlines, a big strapping son of Downbytheseaside.
He was an impressive winner of his qualifying trial some 10 days ago in a slick 1:58.3 mile rate and the well related homebred is likely to only get better as the season goes on.
āHe was quite weak earlier on, but he has just got better and better and strengthening up and he will be even better in six monthās time but he has no bottom to him,” said Houghton.
So how will they measure up? The babies have a bit of a bonus in the fact the programme has been brought forward due to an issue with the Addington lights meaning they will do battle under the early evening sunshine (hopefully).
āI wouldnāt be surprised if any of my three won tomorrow night,” said Houghton.
“They have all done it so easy and never really been asked and all we have been doing at the trials I guess is running up the straight and race conditions might be a bit different,” he said.
Barron was loathe to label one and gave a good insight into the foray of taking a juvenile to the races for the first time under race conditions.
“BB Crunch has run the times and looked good doing it. Nikolia Rey couldn’t have got home better at last week’s trial if you watch the way he came out of the pack and worked home and Ringleader is probably the unknown.
“Going to the races we are going to learn a lot about them. As I tell everyone, we haven’t looked under the bonnet yet and we get our first glimpse of that when they get a wee flick on the bum and see whats at home,” he said.
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byĀ Brad Reid, for Harnesslink