Premier Babe (Friday 19th February 2010)
It was Beaudiene Bad Babe's turn to fly the Southland flag at Addington.
Winton mare Tact Lizzie caused an upset win last week in the Breeders Crown but this week it was the Babes turn to prove she was right up there with the best mares in the country.
The two barrier draw was perfect for the Badlands Hanover mare. She was well placed early by driver Dexter Dunn before being left parked for most of the 1950 metre journey. But that didn't worry her trainer Murray Brown.
"She's done that before. It doesn't worry her as she drops the bit and relaxes," he said.
Dunn looked confident turning for home and although he had to hurry her up over the last 50 metres she won with plenty of determination.
Her winning margin was three quarters of a length. The winning time of 2-23.8 was a good effort on a rain affected track.
The win places Beaudiene Bad Babe in second position in the Harness Diamond for four year old pacing mares and elevates her lifetime stake earning to $207,752. - nearly seven thousand dollars from each of her thirty starts.
It was a remarkable turn around for the mare after a below par seventh in last weeks Breeder Stakes.
"She blew after the race like she had an infection. We got her blood done and she'd picked up a wee bug on the trip up," said Brown.
The Badlands Hanover mare also raced in pull down blinds to help her run straight in the home stretch.
Brown is keen once again to take the mare north to Cambridge for the end of season Harness Jewels. She finished third on the track behind Lauraella and Twist And Shout in the 2008 Kumeu Trotting Club Two Year Old Diamond.
The win was the mare's second Group Two success. Last season she won the Macca Lodge/Nevele R Southland Oaks Final. The winning purse for the Oaks win was $30,000. Larger than the winning stake of $23,108. for last nights feature at Addington.
But it's a Group One race that Brown would dearly love to win. As he points out there are only two Group One races for mares in the country this season. Last Fridays Breeders Stakes and the end of season Harness Jewels.
Beaudiene Bad Babe will return to Southland and get a short break in the special paddock reserved by her trainer. Brown then plans to either start her in the $50,000. Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup on March 20th or in the $20,000. final of the Southern Belle Speed Series at Winton eight days later.
Although some consider Beaudiene Bad Babe a short distance horse Brown has no problems lining her up over longer distances.
"She'll go 2700 metres alright. She drops the bit and relaxes - that's the good thing about her," he said.
Southland breeder Dave Kennedy and wife Dawn were also part of the Addington celebrations. They had just finished a busy two days at the Christchurch yearling sales, selling two colts and a filly.
Kennedy, like Murray Brown would dearly like to see Beaudiene Bad Babe win a group one race.
If she does, it'll be a first for her trainer but not for Kennedy. He bred Auckland Cup winner Happy Asset with Wayne Pierce and also bred The Mighty Quinn, winner of the Group One 2009 Fremantle Cup and the 2008 McInerney Ford Four Year Old Classic.
Kennedy has an Art Major half sister to Beaudiene Bad Babe at home which won't be put through the sales ring. The dam, Beaudiene Babe is safely in foal again to Art Major.
Beaudiene Bad Babe has kept the Beaudiene name to the fore in the last three seasons. The Beaudiene name actually stems from the black and white television series The Beverley Hillbillies.
One of the key characters in the long running series was Jethro Bodine who is the son of Jed Clampetts cousin, Pearl Bodine.
Jethro drove the Clampetts to their new home in California and stayed on.
"Thats where we got the name. It's spelt differently but I'd like to think we could find our fortune with horses not oil," said Kennedy.
When I talked to him about the win he was waiting on wife Dawn who was spending some of the family fortune at Ballantynes in Christchurch.
"It's the four letter red word (SALE). I might have to pump up the tyres or hire a trailer to get the stuff home," he said.
The win was also special for long time minder of Beaudiene Bad Babe, Hayley Croft.
Croft, who was overlooked by the local netball franchise The Southern Steel, recently moved to move to Canterbury and picked up a contract with the Canterbury Flames.
She was on course to reunite with the Babe, enjoyed seeing the win and holding on to her halter for a birdcage photo.
The Babe in the birdcage at Winton - Envious Photography
Dizzie Lizzie (Sunday 14th February 2010)
"We're just over the moon. We knew she was at the top of her game - her work had been good," said an elated Trevor Proctor after his mare Tact Lizzie stunned many, by winning the Group One PGG Wrightson Breeders Stakes at Addington.
The time of 3-09.4 was a new New Zealand record erasing Mainland Banner's previous record of 3-09.7 recorded in the great mares last race in November 2006.
Many Southlanders were surprised at her winning dividend of $64.30 because her form leading up to the feature had been very good. She won in track record time at Ascot Park then finished well for third behind Auditor General and Raglan at Addington last week.
Southland reinsman Jonny Cox was supposed to drive the Christian Cullen mare but was unable to get a flight to Christchurch after driving at Winton. The catch drive was taken by Stephen McNally.
"He drove her perfectly. The only instructions I gave him was to put her into the race at some stage," said Proctor.
Tact Lizzie ran tenth in last years Breeders Stakes won by Kiwi Ingenuity.
The win extends a good record Southland owned horses have in this feature. It's Ella won in 2007 while Shorty's Girl won the feature in 2002 and 2003.
Procter says the five year old has eaten up well and he plans to run her in the 1950 metre Caduceus Club of Canterbury Premier Mares Championship on Thursday.
"It's not her best distance but she's well so we might as well start."
During the breeding season Tact Lizzie was served by McArdle. Although the vets thinks she is not in foal Ashburton trainer Laurence Hanrahan, who looks after her when she is in Canterbury, thinks that she may be. Time will tell.
Proctor has only been training for three seasons. Tact Aunty was his first winner at Ascot Park in January 2008. Tact Lizzie also won her first race that day.
A half brother to Tact Lizzie, Change of Tact qualified impressively at Ascot Park in September and has since been sold to Australia.
Larsen Wins Three (Friday 12th February 2010)
Three year old Deal On The Day is very luck to be alive.
The Julius Caesar filly, which won the first race at Winton today survived Colitis X - similar to what class four year old Fiery Falcon died of last year.
"It dehydrates them and they can't hold anything. It attacks the red blood cells and they lose their immunity. She was on a drip full time at the vets," said trainer Kirk Larsen. And it wasn't the only issue for the filly this preparation.
"We got her back to the workouts. She didn't go that well and we found she had a lung infection."
Today's win was helped by a confident drive by Larsen who reached the lead from barrier seven after 400 metres of the 1609 metre trip.
"She did a bit of work but had a wee break down the back. She was attacked by Pennyana."
The Julius Caesar filly won easily by a length and three quarter beating Donna's X Factor running the mile in 1-58.2 .
"She's eaten up and her heart rate is 85-86 so she's not stressed. She's a nice filly and we won't rush her," said Larsen.
It was the filly's second win - the first coming at Wyndham in her first start as a two year old. She is owned by Winton Plumber Marty Fairbairn.
Deal On The Day after her two year old win at Wyndham
Larsen's second winner of the day was with the Mattuity gelding Levi Lowe in the Sollers Hope Strawberry Farm Mobile Pace.
The four year old was parked early before getting into the one one. Larsen took him to the lead at the 1100 metres and won easily by a length and a half in 3-00.8 for the 2400 metre mobile event.
"He's a big horse that brushes a knee. He hasn't got high speed but he's half tough," he said.
Levi Lowe is raced by Brendon and Paul Duffy, farmers from Seaward Downs.
Mossdale Scoty capped off a good day for the stable when he won the last.
The Armbro Operative five year old qualified as a three year old and this was only his tenth start.
"He's a big horse He can come off rolling speed when they run even quarters."
Larsen heads to Auckland tomorrow to prepare for the Australasian Classic Yearling Sales. The catalogue will be on parade on Sunday with the sale on Monday.
"We've been pretty busy and I still have some homework to do."
Meanwhile quality Live Or Die gelding Runnin Outa Excuses has completed his second week of jogging after stem cell treatment and twelve months in the spelling paddock.
"We're going to give him long slow work. He'll be fat inside and we'll work him for two months then turn him out for a month. Ricky (Larsen - his part owner) is working him on the Winton track. It's big and flat with a hard surface.He'll come over here for some swimming. He won't race until next season."
Clo Saz (Thursday 11th February 2010)
It wasn 't exactly a star qualifier with a stunning pedigree but Clo Saz is typical of a few horses that find their way to the racetrack - concieved by accident.
When her dam, Vivo Per Lei was spelling, a gelding was put in the paddock for company. Trouble was the gelding wasn't. He was in fact an Ermis entire called Closer Than That - well named I thought. So Clos Saz was born out of wedlock.
Her dam Miles McCool mare Vivo Per Lei qualified for Gordon and Colin Lee at Young Quinn Raceway in September 2004.
She had one start for the brothers before transferring to the Phillippa Wakelin and Stephen Noble stable; eventually ending up at Jeff Whittakers barn.
From nine career starts she ran two thirds. She actually won a race at Addington in 2006 but was later disqualified.
Vivo Per Lei at Addington - Photo Image
Clos Saz's trainer is Mataura freezing worker Samantha Pearson who leases Dale Cameron's Battlers Lodge at Wyndham. The mare is the only horse on her books.
She says Clos Saz is no champion but once she gets organised could provide her owners with a bit of fun.
"She has shoeing issues. She can go a bit rough in the straight and touches a knee slightly. She's pretty sensible. She's learnt to stand at the Give Way sign going to the track and there's plenty of trucks and diggers around at the moment - a bird would worry her more," she said.
Pearson got her grounding in the industry with Ray Souness in the early eighties when he trained at Otatara and in the nineties she worked for George Parker before he moved to Christchurch.
La Soiree Too Tough (Tuesday 9th February 2010)
It was a surprise to all including young junior driver Brett Cusdin.
It's rare for a horse trained by Mark Purdon and Grant Payne to pay $68.60 and according to Cusdin Le Soiree, winner of the Southland Standardbred Breeders 2 year old Fillies Mobile Pace hadn't shown any indication of being an early winner at home.
"She'd run her last mile in 1-02 and quarter in 30. She was on a par with the other filly (Hint Of A Scandal)", he said.
Both horses qualified at Addington on the thirteeth of January.
"They have only just qualified and are mates so Mark decided to send them both south for a run round. The plan was to turn them out after the run."
The stable would have liked to have put blinds on both La Soiree and Hint Of Scandal but left it too late to submit the gear changes to stewards so both raced in open bridles.
"Blair (Orange) and I joked that we were going to be eighteen lengths instead of the eight lengths behind the winner."
La Soiree draw the outside of the front line and was taken back early but soon got into the three wide line.
"I saw Blair go forward so I thought I'd go as well. So I followed Robert Dunn's horse (Pashana). Tim (driver of Pashana) wouldn't hand up the parked position so I stayed outside. She relaxed. If I'd pushed on both Tim and my horse would have stopped."
The Dream Away filly beat Pashana by a nose with a half a length back to Flashonbye.
"She's a lovely filly. She didn't feel like she sprinted up but she just outstayed them."
Brett Cusdin and Le Soiree
Cusdin has been with the Purdon/Payne stable for nearly nine years and is in his fourth season of driving. From limited opportunities he's driven eight winners.
His father Dennis trained gallopers at Riccarton and young Cusdin was about to start riding track work when Mark Purdon moved to Canterbury from Auckland so he left school and began working at the Yaldhurst stable.
The Moth Dances (Sunday 7th February 2010)
Dunedin trainer Kerry Dance says today's Southern Vet Centre Southern Belle Speed Series was taylor made for his mare The Moth.
"It's a buzz.The harder they go the better she goes. She needs the speed on - that suits her," he said.
The seven year old Caprock mare got back early before latching onto the three wide train at the 1000 metres. She came four wide at the 300 metres and stormed home to win by a length and a quarter from a late finishing Bubba Ho Tep. It was a confident drive by the in form Brent Barclay.
Her winning time of 1-56.6 was one second outside the four year old and older mares record of 1-55.6 held by Supreme Belle.
Dance races The Moth on lease from Balcutha owner Neville Humphries. There is no right of purchase and the lease runs for another season. He's had the Caprock mare for seven months.
"The only thing I do different is she hardly ever does fast work. Ninety per cent of her work is done on the jogging machine or on the lead. I generally give her solid work over two miles in 4-35 last 800 metres in 60," he said.
The Moth winning easily
Although Dance took great satisfaction out of the win he still rates his biggest thrill came with trotter Perfect Trust.
"I had a half share in him. Ken Robertson and I bought him as a maiden off Doug McCormick. He'd had thirty odd starts without winning. We ended up winning six races with him."
John Hay won three races with the Robert Evander gelding before Robertson trained him to win a further three.
The Moth is out of The Galdiator mare Black And Gold and is related to The Princess which won three races for Winton trainer Allan Beck.
She started her career in the North Island. Over her thirty seven start career she has been trained by Jim Breed, Tony Grayling, Doug and Susan Breed, Brendon McLellan and now Dance.
She won her first race on the grass at Gate Pa in 2008 when trained by Grayling.
Dance now plans to start her in the Waikouaiti Cup on Sunday.
"She's on the unruly. But in her stand starts at the Cromwell trials and at Forbury she began okay. Apparently she used to be good at the standing starts but something happened one day in the North Island - I don't know what."
New To The Game - Introducing Stephen Baucke (Friday 7th February 2010)
Beck and Barron are names synonomous with harness racing in the south but Baucke? - well not yet.
50 year old Dunearn dairy farmer Stephen Baucke in his first season of training qualified two year olds Citylight and Asignforbrownie at Wyndham last month. On Sunday on the same course both line up in the Southland Standardbred Breeders 2 year old Fillies Mobile Pace.
Although new to the training ranks Baucke does have some pedigree in the sport.
His second cousin George Worner raced Alfriston. The World Skipper gelding, trained by Roy and Barry Purdon, won five of it's first six starts.
Worner's partner Barbara Holmes raced the smart juvenile Openup And Sayah.
As a two year old Openup And Sayah - by Smooth Fella colt out of Hurrania - won the 1991 New Zealand Futurity Stakes at Gate Pa in Tauranga beating Shaka Zulu, Mark Roy and Tricky Bachelor.
Baucke's father Bruce also trained standardbreds including Haughty Milne.
The Haughty Romeo gelding bred in Southland by Grant Sim won three races between 1989 and 1991 including the 1991 Matamata Cup when driven by Michael Langdon.
Baucke shifted south from the Waikato in June 2000 and his interest in the industry was rekindled when he took up residence opposite Southland breeders Dave and Dawn Kennedy.
In 2006 he bought the unraced Armbro Operative mare Operative Asset off Kennedy and Wayne Pierce.
Although she qualified for Makarewa trainer Ron Barron she never raced. This half sister to Happy Asset and Mighty Khan was sent to Christian Cullen and the following year produced Citylight .
Baucke actually offered Citylight in the 2009 National Yearling Sale but bought her back for $16,000 because at the time Christian Cullen's service fee was $20,000.
In her qualifying trial Citylight got back early and ran home nicely for third behind Le Sol and Crime Of Passion. Her time for the mile was a smart 1-59.8.
"She still had the brakes on," said Baucke about the run. "She doesn't like to do too much at home but when it's business time she does switch on. She's a good winded horse and very deceptive. She just floats over the ground."
Baucke also has a Mach Three colt out of Operative Asset which he plans to present at the yearling sales.
His second qualifier at Wyndham was the Life Sign filly Asignforbrownie.
She was bred by Clelland Murdoch, Murray Brown and Athol Elliot and was bought by Baucke as a foal.
Out of Browngate Steady, Asignforbrownie is from the same family that the late Gordon Davidson developed in the 70's and 80's. She's related to Speedy Girl, Rollicking Dean, Steady Lady and Gate Pa.
He also has Browngate Steady's next foal by Jereme's Jet.
"She's a stunner. She picks her feet up and is very quick on her feet. Very precocious just like her mother."
On the training front Stephen Baucke doesn't have a conventional track.The horses are trained in two paddocks on the 506 acre farm. In the winter particularly June and July the horses are brought to the Winton track.
They are normally worked between 9.30am and 10.00am after their 600 cows are milked.
Locals Dave Kennedy and John Earl have been close at hand to offer advice to Baucke while his eighteen year old son Brendan helps with driving.
On Sunday, win loss or draw, Stephen Baucke is in the game to stay and Citylight could be the first headline act.
