by Mac Henry
Bettor Ops, Dark Horse and Seaswift Joy have been short-listed for the title of Southland Horse of the Year for the 2016-17 season.
The 30th anniversary annual awards dinner will be held at the Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill on Sunday 13 August and the connections of one of the three will be handed the major gong.
With a win in the $40,000 Uncut Gems Trotters Classic and third at the Jewels, Dark Horse is favourite for the award.
The half sister by Bacardi Lindy to Carla Bruni, Sarah Palin, Monty Python and Father Christmas won six of her ten starts and set a 2400 metre mobile Southland record and 2700 stand start mare’s Southland record.
Trained in the province by Nathan Williamson, Dark Horse is raced by the Griffins and Seafield Trotting Syndicates, head-quartered in Christchurch with members in the south.
Southern Country Cups final winner Bettor Ops is trained in the south by Kirk Larsen, but owned by Sydneysiders Reg Turner and his son David.
A sales purchase in New Zealand, the now six-year-old son of Cup class pacer Special Ops won three of his 12 starts, including the $30,000 South of the Waitaki Classic on Free-For-All day at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Bettor Ops moved on to Australia last month.
The Canterbury-owned Seaswift Joy had 11 of her 17 starts, from the Wyndham stable of Gordon and Colin Lee, won six of them and added a second and two thirds. Her best wins came in a Nevele R heat at Methven, and twice at the Young Quinn Raceway when setting a mile and 2400 metre mobile records for three-year-old fillies. On Wairio Mile day she paced 1:52 when second to Delightful Memphis and was third in the Group Two Southland Oaks.
Finalists for the Washington VC / Bryleigh Stud Broodmare of the Year are Chicago Blues, Especial Franco, Rakarach and Sly Shard.
Roger and Helen, John and Katrina Price own Chicago Blues whose first foal Chicago Bull won three Group Ones last season. In the August to July period he raced 18 times, solely in Western Australia, won 13 with his other five starts resulting in three seconds and two thirds. Chicago Bull’s biggest wins came in the Fremantle and Western Australian Cups.
Debbie and Mark Smith bred Mach Shard from their good mare Sly Shard and he won three at Alexandra Park. Best of the wins was in the Group One Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes. Older half brothers, Jamieson Shard and Linton Shard were also winners last season.
Jamieson Shard debuted this year and won his first two while Linton Shard and Dexter Dunn won at Addington in September.
Especial Franco was acquired by Kenny and Joelle Baynes about five years ago, after she had been advertised for sale in the ‘Harness Weekly’. Her first two foals for them, Envious by Changeover and Especial by Christian Cullen both raced in the season under review.
Envious was trained by Joelle to win three of her nine starts while Especial scored twice from five for trainer Tony Stratford. An older son, Expressionist, won seven in Australia, all but one at Menangle.
Brendan Fahy is the owner of Rakarach who left Rakarazor, winner of one at Alexandra Park this season then nine in Australia. Eight were at Menangle and included the Group Three Tailamade Lombo Stakes.
After qualifying as a juvenile at Ascot Park in April, half-brother Rakasinc went to Australia and has raced twice for second at Menangle last month, and a win at Bathurst earlier this month. Rakarach’s first foal, 13-year-old Rakarebel, won a couple at Albion Park in September.
Another feature on the night will acknowledge the contribution to harness racing of George Youngman of the Gore Club, Doug Stewart of Wyndham and Winton’s Peter Drummond. Presentations will recognise their long associations with the cubs and work behind the scene.
Also being presented is the PGG Wrightson Southland Achievement of the Year award.
After being associated with the awards for more than 15 years, Cullen Breeding has stepped aside this year and the sponsorship has been taken up by Southern Harness Inc.
Doors will open for the dinner at 5.00pm and formalities will begin at 6.00pm.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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