27 January 2020 | John Coffey
The standard of yearlings presented at the various APG Yearling Sales around Australia is as good as a buyer will find anywhere in the Harness Racing world.
However that presentation doesn’t happen with the wave of a magic wand or the press of a button on a computer.
The polish , the poise and the development of the Yearlings comes from hard work by the dedicated horse handlers on the various farms around Australia.
The presentation of Yearlings at this years Melbourne Sale on 2nd February is once again outstanding.
In line with the focus in February on the female drivers in their Teal coloured pants , we shall now take a closer look at the dedicated girls who are putting the polish on their beloved Colts and Fillies for the Melbourne Sale.
In a three or four part series of articles , we shall also ask the girls for some tips on their favourite pupils. At the completion of the 2020 /21 racing season the girl whose Tip wins the most prizemoney will also collect a nice prize , courtesy of APG.
So lets make a start with a Kiwi born but now dedicated Aussie horsewoman.
SUSAN HUNTER – ALABAR BLOODSTOCK
Susan first came to Australia in 1995 as a strapper for a 2 year old Thoroughbred colt called Our Maizcay ; his mission being the 1995 Golden Slipper at Rosehill.
Well he didn’t win the Golden Slipper [ he finished 4th ] , but Susan liked what she saw of Australia and soon had employment at the Warwick Farm Equine Vet Practise.
One of the Vet Practise’s clients was a Harness Racing trainer so Susan’s first foray into Standardbreds came with jogging and driving a pacer on weekends. This coupled with a retired Standardbred to ride [ ex Colin McDowell’s stable ] provided Susan with the taste and desire to work in the Harness Racing Industry.
The new Century saw employment with the Sloys Company in Sydney and eventually Susan became head Trainer , with the mighty Safely Kept mare , Kept For Pleasure , providing her with her first Group One winner.
Of course Kept For Pleasure is now the dam of the resident Alabar Stallion Vincent 1.50.2 , whose first foals have just arrived to rave reviews.
Susan commenced her employment at Alabar in 2017 , initially doing the night watch foaling duties . That has now progressed to Stud work and handling the weanlings and Yearlings.
“This is my favourite time of the year working with and preparing the Yearlings for the Sales. I’m really pleased with the draft this year which includes 6 Colts and 9 Fillies . “ said Susan last week.
When pressed to name some favourites she did mention amongst the Colts – LOT 84 by Art Major from Birds Can Sing and LOT 231 by Mach Three from Shesa Killer Queen.
To the girls “ I do like a couple of the Always B Miki fillies and also the tall and athletic Filly by Betting Line from Blissful Hall [ LOT 117 ]. “
Susan’s Selections
Colt – LOT 231 Mach Three – Shesa Killer Queen “ He has some X factor about him “
Filly – LOT 136 Always B Miki – Im Living The Dream “She’s the consummate professional in everything she does. “
RACHAEL BENNS – HOMESTEAD FARM
She says she doesn’t drink , but Rachael does get intoxicated every day just working with her passion of 25 years – horses.
Rachael Benns grew up in suburban Lalor , Victoria with no contact with horses in her earlier years. Her Library teacher in Secondary school introduced her to horse riding and from then on the only vocation in life for the effervescent lady was in the Equine Industry.
The journey commenced in Racing stables at Caulfield , took in a stint at Cornwall Park Thoroughbred Stud and then to the Melbourne stables of the The Legend himself – Bart Cummings.
“ I was based at the Cummings stable in the era of Lets Elope and actually strapped a horse called London Bridge on Melbourne Cup Day in the early 1990’s. “ said Rachael last week.
“I have now been working for John and Christine Yeomans at their glorious Doreen property for the past 22 years and love every part of the daily grind including foaling down mares and then watching those foals grow into athletes .”
This year Rachael has five Colts to take to Oaklands Junction sales complex on 2nd February as well as overseeing the preparation of two Trotting Yearlings for Peter Goudie.
Homestead Farm have developed a reputation over many years of producing well grown and quality yearlings. They do sell all their Colts but retain fillies from time to time.
On 25th January , the only two fillies they retained from the 2016 crop of foals raced in the $150,000 Victoria Oaks Final – they being Its Ebonynivory and Its Beaujolais.
Now that is some sort of achievement which John and Christine Yeomans as breeders will be very proud of.
The Homestead draft are quite spectacular and Rachael does have a couple of favourites including LOT 208 , a Roll With Joe colt but her tip goes to
LOT 157 – Art Major – Life Inthefastlane “ simply a standout individual “.
JANE HEARN – DUNROAMIN STANDARDBREDS
As with many of the girls who are preparing Yearlings for the Melbourne Sale on 2nd February , Jane Hearn isn’t a new kid on the block. In fact she has been putting the polish on the youngsters for a good bit of this Century.
Jane grew up on a farm near Corryong , Victoria and her mother taught her to ride ponies at an early age , so horses became an instant love.
Her Mum and Dad are still farming in that area and so have been surrounded by the terrible fires that have ravaged that North East region of Victoria in recent weeks. Fortunately for Jane’s parents the farm and its stock are untouched but evacuation plans have been on their minds a number of times.
So with a farming background Jane headed off to the University of Melbourne after school was finished and completed a Bachelor of Science degree , majoring in Zoology.
The love of horses drew Jane to a range of positions post Uni including Riding Instructor , riding Polo Cross horses and vet Nursing at Goulburn Valley Hospital.
Then in the late 1990’s Jane took up a position at Alabar Bloodstock and whilst working there met her now partner John Nalder. John was breaking in and educating the Alabar yearlings , which were then sold as going horses.
In 2000 they relocated to the Hunter Valley to manage a Farm that Alabar had leased from high flying French breeder and horseman Jean Pierre Dubois.
Their foray into Yearling preparation came in 2007 at Manna Lodge near Shepparton and one of the yearlings they prepped that year was Garnet River , who capped a wonderful career by winning $555,820.
These days Jane and John conduct a horse breeding operation at Congupna , Victoria. Jane , who is a Licensed AI Technician handles up to 80 mares in the breeding season and then commences Yearling preparation at about the same time as the last mare foals down.
This year Dunroamin is preparing four Colts and one Filly for two separate clients for the Melbourne Sales . Those five yearlings are by an arrangement of sires including Always B Miki , A Rocknroll Dance , Somebeachsomewhere , Sunshine Beach and a Trotter by Peak.
The Filly [ LOT 173 ] is by Always B Miki and is a granddaughter of the Broodmare gem Mistron.
“ She is a lovely natured filly and looks a ready made 2 year old type “ said Jane last week.
“Of the Colts I do fancy LOT 226 , a Sunshine Beach lad as an early running type. Then there is the standout LOT 244 , a mighty handsome colt by Somebeachsomewhere which we have named Hoff – after the actor David Haselhoff who starred as a hulking dude in the TV series Baywatch “.
Jane’s favourites ;
Colt – LOT 244 Somebeachsomewhere – Trebla Trebla “ a colt who is smart , has lots of personality and is oh so handsome. “
Filly – LOT 173 Always B Miki – Misty Forever “kind natured filly who looks an early running type. “
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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