By Mac Henry
Southland’s not a small place but you can drive from Diane Cournane’s property at Grove Bush to Brendan Fahy’s at Rakauhauka in about five minutes.
Fahy is the breeder and owner of Raksdeal who about 13 months ago finished third in the three year old fillies Diamond at the Cambridge Jewels and then ventured across the Tasman for a tilt at the Gold Coast and Queensland Oaks. Unfortunately for Fahy, injury intervened and Raksdeal returned home without racing.
Cournane is the breeder of Fight For Glory and after a mishap at the yearling sales, she took in a group of friends to race the filly with her.
About a month ago, Fight for Glory finished second in the three year old fillies Diamond at the Ashburton Jewels and then ventured across the Tasman for a tilt at the Gold Coast and Queensland Oaks.
At Albion Park on 20 June, she took out the group three Gold Coast Oaks and last night (Saturday 11 July) at the same venue, was an emphatic winner of the group one Queensland Oaks.
It was Fight For For Glory’s third group one of the season and took her earnings past the half million dollar mark, further enhancing the record of a family established by Cournane’s father Don McRae nearly 50 years ago.
In the way, she was finishing the business Raksdeal set out to accomplish a year earlier.
Raksdeal, also from a long established southern family, is trained by Fahy’s neighbour Clark Barron.
She suffered damage to a suspensory ligament and after 12 months in the paddock has just resumed work.
“She’s been jogging on the lead for two to three weeks, she’ll have a long slow build up,” Barron said.
Soon to be a five year old, Raksdeal was twice second in group ones, second when Ideal Belle set a national 1700 metre record 2:00.4 for three year olds at Alexandra Park on 20 December, and second when Willow set a national 2200 metre record 2:39.1 for three year olds at Alexandra Park on31 December.
She is the first foal of Raksplace whose second foal Rakarolla is also on the sideline.
A gelding, he debuted over a mile at Central Southland raceway on 20 December last year and clocked 1:57.9.
Second home was Mainland Banner’s daughter Rocker Band, also on debut.
Rakarolla was given a short break afterwards but never got back to the races.
“He was fracture lame in a hind leg but nothing showed up in scans or x-rays,” Barron said.
Rakarolla will have another couple of months out before he returns to work and Barron is looking forward to that.
“He is a lot bigger and stronger now,” he said.
In a ‘things happen in threes’ scenario, Barron also produced two year old filly Rakaporcshe to win for Fahy this season.
She is a half-sister to Raksplace and not long after the win, fractured a hind-leg pastern.
Four screws were inserted and Rakaporcshe will also be out for another couple of months.
The three injuries and the fact that last year Raksdeal was unable to collect the same winter crowns as Fight For Glory could be described as bad luck, but Fahy never saw it that way.
He said last year that people often made that comment to him to and his response was:
“I’ve had a lot of horses over the years and just to get one good enough to compete in those big races, I’ve been very lucky.”
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