by John Coffey

“Though the Carnival is over, I will love you till I die”. These are the hauntingly beautiful words that flowed from the lips of Judith Durham as she performed the ever popular Seekers song – THE CARNIVAL IS OVER.

Well the 2017 edition of the Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival is now over and it will leave lifelong memories in the minds of those owners who were fortunate enough to taste Group One or Group Two Glory.

Finals night on 25th March produced two Track Records – one for Cyclone Kate, when she won the Kriden Park Bathurst Mayor’s Cup and the second when the sensational two year old filly My SWEETCHILLIPHILLY displayed rare and previously unseen talent in demolishing her opponents in the $100,000 Gold Tiara Final.

Now Bathurst is also the home for one of Australia’s leading Harness Racing nurseries in Brooklyn Lodge. Doug and Janet Moore together with daughter and son-in-law Melanie and Ben Settree have churned out many outstanding horses from the picturesque property on the outskirts of Bathurst.

The tally was added to on Saturday night with the victories of ATOMIC RED in the Gold Chalice Final and CASTALONG SHADOW in the Gold Crown Final.

ATOMIC RED, a 3 year old colt, was bred by Brooklyn Lodge from the ARMBRO OPERATIVE mare SHOUTALOUD. He is the ninth foal of the mare and is sired by the now deceased champion Sire ROCKNROLL HANOVER.

ATOMIC RED was purchased at the 2015 APG Sydney sales for $47,000 by well-known identity Rob Davis (trading as R.E.D. Harness Racing).

The victory in the Gold Chalice Final elevated his earnings to $135,000 in just 15 starts, so he is going to be a bargain buy for Rob.

The Gold Crown Final was also a popular victory with the local (Lithgow) trainer/driver Geoff Simpson claiming a debut Group One win with his impressive colt CASTALONG SHADOW. Geoff also owned the Shadow Play lad along with his wife Betty. CASTALONG SHADOW was bred by Sydney based breeders Len Favier and David Lewis, but was raised at Brooklyn Lodge, where he did impress Melanie and Ben Settree.

The colt was offered to Geoff Simpson as a late weanling by David Lewis.

Although Geoff hadn’t seen the colt, the price was right and Ben Settree at Brooklyn gave him a tick of approval, so the journey was commenced.

The ride for Geoff and Betty is going to be fun as the colt has already returned his purchase price many, many times over with the promise of more memorable days to come for the good looking son of Shadow Play.

This colt is the first foal of the GRINFROMEARTOEAR mare LESLIE JAY. LESLIE JAY is a daughter of the excellent race mare REGGAE MISS, who was owned by North Richmond (NSW) breeder Peter Lewis. Peter leased her to his brother David and Len Favier in 2008 to breed a foal from and LESLIE JAY is the result.

Now apart from REGGAE MISS being pretty smart on the racetrack, earning $123,000 she is an even better performer in the breeding barn. She has now produced six winners including the champion daughter of ART MAJOR in LADY EUTHENIA 1.53.3 $461,285 (dam of the $245,000 Yearling at 2017 Sydney APG Yearling Sales) plus the smart performers in REGGAE COWBOY $76,185 and SAN DOMINO $55,430.

This cross of SHADOW PLAY over a GRINFROMEARTOEAR mare (5.6.6 cross to BREATH O SPRING) might just be worth following as it had already produced a budding champion in ELLAS PUPPETEER 1.52.8 – 6 wins from 9 starts for the Ian and Michael Stanley combination before going amiss.

This Philly is a Class Act

One of the most amazing wins in the 30 year history of the Gold Crown Carnival arrived in race five, the Gold Tiara Final for the two year old girls.

The Shane and Lauren Tritten trained MY SWEETCHILLIPHILLY smashed the track record with a 20 metre victory and this after sitting parked outside the hotshot Kiwi filly LADY CHATTO.

The grand-dam of MY SWEETCHILLIPHILLY is called CLASS ACT and a better or classier act has rarely been seen on racetracks in Australia. MY SWEETCHILLIPHILLY looks like a class act, she has a gait that is all class and at the moment she is at the top of the class for juvenile females in Australia.

She was bred in New Zealand by Melissa Tapp, the former partner of well-known horse educator Greg Payne. After passing through her early schooling with Greg, she found her way to the Tritton barn via agent Darrell Kidd.

Her dam is the IN THE POCKET mare TACT PHILLY and SWEETCHILLI is the eighth foal of that mare and the first by the new kid on the block BETTERTHANCHEDDAR – a winner of over $1.6 million in North America from just 33 starts.

TACT PHILLY is in turn a half-sister to CLASSICAL 1.57.7, the NZ two year old filly of the Year in 2001/2, whilst CLASSICAL is the grand-dam of the smart Victorian pacer MY KIWI MATE 1.52.2 $276,810.

The SWEETCHILLIPHILLY girl is yet to set foot in a race on her home track at Menangle. Some red hot action could occur when she does.

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to think twice

Back in the spring of 2012, four owners of a broodmare based at Young, NSW asked Sue Smith at Mimosa Banks Stud for advice on who to breed their mare NIKALONGBOULEVARD to. Sue’s suggestion was the proven son of CAM FELLA in ARMBRO OPERATIVE.

Well the owners didn’t think twice about the advice and so NIKALONGBOULEVARD was bred to ARMBRO OPERATIVE to produce a healthy filly on on 30th September 2013,

Those owners, Garry Cummins, Gerard Anderson, Andrew Rashleigh and Danny Hardy are now riding the crest of a wave with the filly DON’T THINK TWICE

The Jason Grimson trained and reined filly added to her impressive resume with a brilliant win in the Yirribee Stud Gold Bracelet Final. She was posted three wide for the first 600 metres of the race before settling in the breeze position outside the leader ROCKNROLL EMMA.

The race looked all over as the field turned for home and DON’T THINK TWICE surged to the lead … the look turned into reality and DON’T THINK TWICE became just the fifth filly to complete the Gold Tiara/Gold Bracelet double in the 30 year history of the event.

DON’T THINK TWICE has elevated herself into elite company as those other four fillies are:

FRITH                                     $1,180,345

AUSSIE MADE LOMBO        $ 578,456

LADY EUTHENIA                  $ 461,285

NEMEESHAR                                    $ 331,230

There is not a shadow of doubt though that DON’T THINK TWICE is overloaded with talent – a record to date of 16 starts for 9 wins and $139,445 is ample proof of that.

Garry Cummins is the Licensee of the Young Hotel, so you can’t help thinking that there will be a few more celebrations at that establishment over the next year or two.

Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com

Driving The Future Of Harness Racing