24 January 2024 | APGold
Brittany Graham has one of the most recognisable faces in harness racing but she is never more passionate than when she is in the stables working with the horses at grassroots level.
The hardworking 28-year-old has come to national prominence with her work as a Sky Racing presenter, but she is also a harness trainer, driver and breeder – a schedule she described as a little bit crazy.
Graham has stepped back a little from the racing side of the sport as her broadcasting commitments grew but she still has the impressive figures of 307 wins ($1.7mil in stakes) as a driver and 41 winners as a trainer.
Graham is preparing three youngsters at the AGP Gold Coast Yearling Sale on January 28 and like everything she does, it will be with professionalism and style.
“It is certainly a crazy life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am super passionate about the industry and feel privileged to be a part of it,” she said.
“I still have a real passion for being hands on with horses and love doing the yearlings, working with the race horses day to day and driving in the odd race here and there. I’m a third generation horsewoman on both sides. I was never pushed into being involved in the sport but when you spend as much time around it as I have, I was bound to play a part.
“I have always enjoyed doing yearling preparations and after being involved in equestrian as a youngster, I learnt how to really ‘spruce’ a horse up. I’ve found breeding is a tough game but after the first colt I bred topped a sale last year, it’s certainly fuelled a fire to continue to try and better my product.”
Graham said Lot 80, by Bettors Delight from Sophie Stening should attract plenty of attention. Her dam is a half sister to million dollar filly Frith and $350,000 earner Molly Kelly.
“I’m still pinching myself I have a filly of this quality to offer,” she said. “Being by the greatest sire of all time, out of one of the best female families in Australia, she has a serious broodmare career awaiting after the track already. Typical of the Bettors progeny, she is a great doer and loves her work.”
Lot 48, a Sweet Lou colt out of Lets Go One Better (Bettors Delight) is bred on a golden cross. Ten of Sweet Lou’s top 20 Australian earners are out of Bettors Delight mares. The colt’s granddam, One Dream, won $899,000 and was NZ two and three-year-old filly of the year.
“This colt is just an athlete and is by one of the hottest sires in the game right now – add to that the cross of a Bettors Delight mare,” Graham said. “His two-year-old brother is already at the trials, while his three and four year old siblings are both building super records in NZ.”
The third yearling prepared by Graham, (Lot 12) by Capt Midnight from outstanding race mare Bridget Blue Chip (1.51.4, $177k), is owned by John and Lachie Manzelmann. The filly’s third dam Kate’s First is a half sister to superstar stallion Christian Cullen ($1.2mil) and earnt $620,000.
Kate’s First won 14 races as a two and three-year-old, including the NZ Oaks and the Queensland Oaks.
“My parents have known John Manzelmann for a very long time, while Lachie worked for us as a youngster,” Graham said. “They were keen to present this filly for genuine sale, and I think she will be quite popular”.
“She is a strong girl, with really good length. She has a fair bit of ‘Captain’ about her and her mother was super quick.”
For full details and catalogued yearlings in the 2024 Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales please visit our Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer now.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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