Two-year-old beats warriors in Manawatu classic

Age was no barrier when Doo You Want Me (Captain Crunch) won last Tuesday night’s Café Jacko Palmerstonian at the Manawatu Raceway for local harness racing trainer Stephen Doody.

The two year old was up against some well travelled warriors in the sport – like Warloch, the winner of seventeen races and more than a quarter of a million dollars and Rough And Ready which has won sixteen.

On a slushy track driver Andre Poutama didn’t push the two year old off the gate, settling him third last. When Gotta Elect Bill took off, Poutama got a drag into the race. Down the back straight Doo You Want Me was four wide with cover and as Gotta Elect Bill started to run out of steam, Poutama was forced to make his run five wide. Turning in he was last in a tightly bunched field, but he powered home down the outside to beat Rough And Ready by and length with Cracker Rock a half a length back in third.

“I said to Andre not to dare go sit parked or send him out of the gate. I told him to drop him in behind and let him do his own thing and if he’s good enough he’ll still outsprint those horses. That’s what he did,” Doody said.

DO YOU WANT ME REPLAY

The Palmerstonian is a Manawatu classic dating back to 1992 when Clever Clogs (Clever Innocence) won for Sean McCaffery.

When Blossom Lady won the 1993 edition for trainer Derek Jones, the race was run over 3000 and she started off 90 metres.

Prior to the win Doody has twice won the race before, with River Field in 2011 and Te Kawau in 2015.

Doo You Want Me was bred by John and Marsha McKenzie of Kelvin Homes Holdings Limited and is out of their Bettor’s Delight mare Delightful Lana which won seven races for Cran Dalgety. She ran third in the Group One Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Championship and second in the Listed New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Championship Final.

At stud Delightful Lana has left Our Shangri Lana (Art Major) which won three, including the Group One Sires Stakes Series Final for two year old fillies. Also on her pedigree page is Rock N Roll Doo.

Doo You Want Me was passed in at the 2023 NZB Standardbred Sales for $47,500 and was purchased privately after the sale. He stayed in the south and was broken in by Doody’s good friend Jimmy Curtin.

“We brought him back here and did a bit with him. Then we took him up to Puke (Pukekohe) and he had a couple of trials. We brought him back home and just mucked around with him.”

Prior to going on a three win winning streak, Doo You Want Me raced at Cambridge where he ran a credible second to Mike Ross when driven by Crystal Hackett.

“She’s done a good job in driving him and has done everything I’ve told her. That night he was parked the whole way and he stuck in there. It was quite incredible really.”

Doody said the gelding will have one more start as a two year old before heading to the paddock for a short spell.

“Then get him ready for the Harness Million in March in Auckland. I think there’s a couple of races for him there and after that he can go out.”

He says the Auckland way round shouldn’t faze Doo You Want Me.

“He’s had a bit of experience at Puke. He does lug out that way round but he’s not too bad.”

After that, Addington could be on the radar.

“I’ll head down for the Cup meeting if he carries on the way he is and I hope he may be a Derby horse. I’m pretty excited about him because he’s a big powerful horse who can only get better. The best thing we did was to geld him. He was big and gross.”

The gelding’s primary owners are Matt Hickey and Des Webb.

“The other owners have just got a one percent share because they’re mates of theirs. Ray Dempsey is in the group and he’s about 93 I think.”

And if you’re keen to buy into this family Kelvin Homes Holding Limited are offering an Art Major filly out of Delightful Lana at February’s NZB Standardbred Christchurch Sale.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink