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2010 STALLION STATION NZ WELCOME STAKES

Week after week, Mark Purdon gets to sit behind some serious horseflesh. And for that reason, the uneducated amongst us might think it's 'easy' for him to drive as many winners as he does - and that he doesn't have to bring much to the table himself. But even the harshest armchair critic couldn't help but be impressed by the role Purdon played in winning the $80,000 Stallion Station NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington last Friday night, because it was a display of sheer split-second brilliance.

Purdon was on the hot favourite Major Mark, and after drawing the inside of the second row in the Group 1 feature he could forsee two things happening...firstly that the horse he followed out, Amazing Art, would lead; and secondly, his driver Robbie Holmes would more than likely take a trail behind something soon afterwards, leaving Major Mark three-deep and needing luck. It's what any rival would have done in the same situation, and it is exactly how things went over the early stages - Amazing Art handed up to Night Of The Stars as the field turned into the straight the first time, and Purdon was suddenly in a precarious position, his chances of winning the 1950m left in fate's hands.

Unbeknown to most though, Purdon was actually more concerned about holding his position on the back of Amazing Art. "On two previous occasions when I'd asked him to run early he'd gone rocky. I didn't want us to be any further back," he said. Safely through that hurdle, Purdon had no choice but to sit and play the waiting game as the race unfolded; 400 metres from home, he knew he was in trouble. "Everything else around me was flat," he said. But my fella was still in third gear. even as far back as that I didn't think we'd get a run."

Sticking to 'Plan A' and following Amazing Art into the passing lane, Purdon's one remaining hope was that his talented rival might ease out just enough to allow him and Major Mark through. That he did, inside the final 100 metres, but no sooner had Purdon pushed the accelerator on his Art Major colt in tight quarters when the unthinkable happened - Art Major's sulky wheel jammed inside Amazing Art's. It should have been enough to give the latter a well-constructed victory in the Welcome Stakes, but somehow Purdon managed to drag the horse back, unhook the sulky wheels and then extract one last-ditch lunge to snatch victory right on the line.

In his typically reserved manner, Purdon opted to praise his horse rather than pat himself on the back. "Amazing," he said, adding that he thought the winning post was coming up too soon. "I've never driven one that's been able to pick himself up and dive like that. Even as far as four hundred metres out, if you lock wheels or lose momentum for any reason, normally that's it."

If anything, Major Mark's performance on Friday was an indication that he had turned the corner again and reclaimed his title as the season's top 2-year-old. After all, this is the same horse that trailled in the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton on February 13 yet couldn't get near the eventual winner Terror To Love, finishing nearly three lengths away in third place. "He obviously just wasn't a hundred percent on the day," Purdon said, not being able to put it down to anything else. "One of his owners said to me at the time that he didn't seem to have his usual shine in his coat or that sparkle in his eye. And I see him every day, so I suppose it was a bit harder for me to notice any difference."

"Tonight was his most tradesman-like performance so far though, because he just didn't do a thing wrong out there. Obviously he's one of the best 2-year-olds we've had. There's just an 'X-factor' about him. He's got a brilliant turn of foot, but is also a really great stayer. He's got the all-round game."

Purdon's and Grant Payne's stable has been in sparkling form over the last couple of weeks. On the first night of the Easter Cup Carnival they won races with Russley Rascal, I Can Doosit and Sleepy Tripp, the last Friday they won five more - Addington wins by Major Mark, Emma Hamilton and Pocaro being matched by further victories at Alexandra Park with Lancome and Joyfuljoy.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 14Apr10

2011 SOUTHERN DEMOLITION & SALVAGE NZ DERBY

Steven Reid has never thought of himself as superstitious. But when it comes to his horse Gold Ace, all the signs suggest he's wrong.

Take an occasion back in early February for example. reid was across the Tasman compaigning Gold Ace in the Victorian Derby Series at Melton's Tabcorp Park. On the day of the Final, he and his wife Wendy entered one of the malls in Melbourne looking for a spot to stop for lunch when all of a sudden they came across a big, bold billboard advertising the 'Sushi Sushi' chain of food outlets. Reid says it stood out like a beacon, and right then and there he got the premonition that a horse with the same name would triumph that night. His hunch came true.

Fast forward to last Saturday, and Reid awoke from an early afternoon snooze on the couch of his Addington motel to hear the last few seconds of a galloping event at Riverton beaming from the television. "...and Hill Of Gold is going to run away and score..." went the dulcet tones of commentator Dave McDonald. 'Hey', he thought at the time, 'that's the same name as the mother of our bloke - that has to be an omen for tonight'. Not wanting to tempt fate before the race, Reid only told a select few about what he hoped would be an uncanny coincidence.

As the field for the $200,000 Southern Demolition & Salvage NZ Derby took their positions behind the mobile, Reid glanced across the track at the semaphore board to see Gold Ace had closed at $5.80 on the tote. Knowing that the Bettor's Delight colt was over a respiratory infection that caused him to run a below-par sixth in Sushi Sushi's Victorian Derby Final - the same health scare that saw him also struggle into sixth a month later in the Northern Derby Prelude once back home, forcing his withdrawal from the Alexandra Park Final - the Pukekohe trainer regretted not opening his wallet, if only for a split second.

"I was very confident," he said. "But I only said it privately to a couple of people. I've never backed him yet, not once - not even when he won at Cambridge and paid thirteens. So I didn't want to start changing things now." Superstition or not, Reid got the result he longed for when Gold Ace won his home stretch battle with the favourite Terror To Love and edged clear near the line. The latter had gotten to the lead early from a similar second-row draw, while Gold Ace and driver Peter Ferguson dodged trouble at the start and joined the three-wide train starting the last lap, ranging up outside him before the 800m pole.

"The first part of the race definitely panned out well for us," Reid said, referring to the early gallop of Empyrean which checked Major Mark and saw the Purdon/Payne runner stuck wide without cover for the last half. Had that not happened, it definitely would've been a three-way slog up the home straight."

Prior to this season, Reid had never trained the winner of a 3YO Sires' Stakes Final or NZ Deby; now Gold Ace has given him both. "I've run second in the race twice," he said, remembering Monkey King's nose defeat to Pay Me Christian in 2006 and Bailey's Dream going under by a length to Badlands Bute a year earlier. What makes it more special is having my wife and our kids Matthew (18) and Isabella (13) here tonight, because they haven't all been down since I ran second with Monkey in the NZ Cup. But just having this horse right again is a big buzz as well. When we arrived tonight h was pushing Simon (McMullan) all over the place and half-pie trying to take off, yet when we put him in his stall he went to sleep."

Following the $40,000 Group 2 Flying Stakes and the Harness Jewels Emerald in early June, Reid says he'll more than likely take Gold Ace across the Tasman for the Breeders' Crown and then give him a "massive break" - leaving his 4-year-old resumption as late as 2012. "This horse's improvement between two and three has been immense. At two he was a notch below the good ones but at three he's lifted to what is possibly the best. Don't get me wrong, I think Terror To Love is a great horse - and because the two remaining races they'll meet in are sprints, it's going to come down to the draws. If Terror To Love draws well and we don't, we probably can't beat him. And Vice Versa if it's the other way round. What would make it interesting is if we both draw bad."

Another hunch? Only time will tell...

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 28Apr2011

2011 VERO 3YO FLYING STAKES

There was a bonus of dramatic proportions for those lucky enough to be at Addington on the loveliest of Autumn days last Saturday.

They saw the wickedly talented Carabella wave goodbye to 12 others in the Nevele R Fillies Final, they again watched Flying Isa dominate the trotting 2-year-olds and record his fourth successive win, but none came with the back-of-the-bunch brilliance that catapulted Western Cullen to a dashing win in the PGG Wrightson Sales Series Open Division Final. But in reality that was no more than a stunning sideshow.

The main act came from two 3-year-olds in the Group 2 Vero Flying Stakes, usually the warm-up to the New Zealand Derby. It was a surprise to get a finish this good, but Gold Ace and Terror To Love made the race an unforgettable exhibition of spirited comptition.

They started the home run with Gold Ace moving powerfully past the others, the hunting Terror To Love clearing his back to challenge on the right. They ran past the empty public grandstand where 20 years ago young and old would have paid for the privilege of seeing a fascinating tussle between the pair. The bay horse, closer to black than brown, soon narrowed the gap and levelled.

Gold Ace was ready for him, rallied, and fought him long and hard. That was just when it seemed Terror To Love had managed to get the better of him. By now the heat of the battle had less than a second to run. Gold Ace had it...then he might've. And soon doubt. Terror To Love had pushed right on the line. Close? This was a measure in millimetres.

No-one knew it moreso than Mark McNamara, who in the commentary box gamely went for a dead-heat. These are cheeky calls, but heroic when they come off. This one did. Unseperable. Two truly great horses sharing the triumph. Peter Ferguson, the driver of Gold Ace, used a comfortable cliché when he said it was "great for racing". And that was the truth of it.

Jim Curtin eased Terror To Love in the early rush to find the back of Gold Ace. Ferguson was out well and tracked along with the trail on the outer. Curtin was poised to pounce. Gold Ace had the advantage of being in front, Terror To Love the challenge of getting past. "The race was always set up by what they did in the Derby," said Ferguson. He agreed that Terror To Love headed Gold Ace. "I always knew he was there, right behind us. And when he went past, I thought we would run a nice second. Then, inside the last fifty metres, I felt him lift. It was going to be close. And even when it's very close you usually have half an idea who has won, but this time I had none, and neither did Jimmy." Curtin thought the same. "I hope I'd got past him, and I thought I was going to beat him, but horses like that are just so hard to get past."

The pair will meet again in the Harness Jewels at Ashburton where both want front line draws and will run smart time if they do.

Gold Ace, another siring triumph for Bettor's Delight, had missed at least five days work with a leg injury after his NZ Derby win. Trainer Steven Reid was concerned that any longer would have made him worried, but the recovery happened in good time.

The result was one of those occasions that made an Autumn day at Addington one to treasure. Thanks to Terror To Love and Gold Ace, there's no doubt about that.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 18 May 2011

Young harness racing star Terror To Love stepped onto the track at Addington Raceway tonight considered by many as a boy in a man's world. But for those who ever doubted the talented four year old was deserved of his place at the elite level just yet, they were given a true heads-up with a stunning performance to win tonight's Group 3 Glenferrie Farm Canterbury Classic.

Left three wide without cover for the last 600m, the son of Western Terror collared a parked Smiling Shard at the top of the straight before holding all at bay to book himself a place in November's Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup. Trained at West Melton by the father and son partnership of Graham and Paul Court and driven by Jimmy Curtin, Terror To Love looks every-bit deserved of his place in the big league, co-trainer Paul Court glowing in his praise for his stable star.

"He's just getting better and better all the time, he's improved so much from last season and seems to back-up so well from his races. It's real exciting times for all the connections and just so satisfying for us all. When you have one of your horses perform like that at the highest level it's very rewarding, and in particular for all the staff who put the hard yards in everyday," Court enthused.

The win came as little surprise to those who knew the horse best, but as Paul Court explains, they're under no illusions as to the task ahead. "At that level you really need a little bit of luck, and he got none last week. I timed him to run his last 800 in 55.1 and 400 in 26.6, and he got no money. He's got the most speed of any horse I've sat behind, it's instant, and he's tough as well. Yes we're definitely going for the NZ Cup, it's just a matter of how we get there," Court says.

The win was just reward for long time stable client Terry McDonald who has invested so much in harness racing over the years. There would be no one that would deserve the win more than Terry in our most famous race on that second Tuesday in November.

There were few excuses for the beaten brigade, although Smiling Shard was a brave second, just a length in arrears of the winner after being parked from the mile. He continues to improve with every run. Highview Tommy was an improvers third while Power Of Tara stuck gamely for fourth after trying to lead over the final lap. The winner’s time was 3.12.7, home in 56.5 and 26.6. Terror To Love has now won 11 races from just 24 starts and over $214,000 in stake earnings.


Credit: Ged Mooar 17 Oct 2011

2012 RESOURCE RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES SUPERSTARS CHAMPIONSHIP

Gold Ace might have struggled a tad against the open class pacers in recent starts but the gifted son of Bettor's Delight proved yet again that he is one of New Zealand's best 4yo pacers when winning the Group Two $40,000 Superstars Championship

He had to be good tonight and he was downing favourite and New Zealand Cup winner and arch-rival Terror To Love by a neck.

Peter Ferguson situated him in the one-one down the back straight the first time. They were three-back on the outside at the bell and were followed ever step of the way by Terror Tor Love and Jim Curtin.

But the Steven Reid (Pukekohe) trained black entire, despite being several lengths back at the quarter, and then the widest on the turn still had too much sprint for Terror To Love and Franco Ledger (Hamish Hunter).

Winner's time for the 2600m standing start event - 3:12.8 (mile rate: 1:59.3) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 56.7 and 28.1 seconds.

Tonight's victory was Gold Ace's 14th from 30th starts and brought up the $750,000 in career stakes. His Group One victories came at Addington on November 9, 2010 in the $165,596 Sires Stakes 3yo Final and the $175,000 Golden Nugget 4yo Championship .at Gloucester Park in Perth on November 25, 2011.

He is owned by Ms Wendy Reid, D. G. Moore, M. Ng, and the D D Syndicate. Moore also did the breeding.


Credit: Duane Ranger writing in HarnessLink 23 Mar 2012

2012 BRECKON FARMS & ALL STARS RACING EASTER CUP

Hands Christian well and truly announced his arrival on to the big stage with a thrilling win in a grand finish to Saturday night's Easter Cup at Addington.

Not that the Christian Cullen gelding hasn't been in the limelight since he began his career in earnest as a spring 3-year-old, when it took Gold Ace to narrowly down him in the Sires Stakes, but the more recent version is proving a much more mature model and this was his first G1 win when he has looked fallible at times in the past. "He has been a bit of a late developer, both physically and mentally, but he has shown glimpses of genuine ability at times," said Mark Purdon. "We've had some very big offers along the way, but I'm quite pleased we kept him now," he added.

One of those glimpses was at the Jewels last year when Hands Christian split Gold Ace and Terror To Love in a similarily nose and head grandstand finish, but he has sort of been living in their shadow for much of the time. Gold Ace and Terror To Love have seemingly been waging a private war, with the recent Superstars being just a return to their epic encounters as late 3-year-olds, but Hands Christian has always been lurking and on this occasion he beat them both fairly and squarely and on their merits.

After bobbling away and missing the start by 10-12 lengths, Hands Christian bided his time towards the tail of the field and he still had only Franco Ledger behind behind him at the 600m. Purdon began his charge soon after and flushed Terror To Love for a drag into the race, but coming wide from so far back hardly seemed a recipe for success at the time. But this had been a solidly run affair on a cool and windy night and the race would be one of quickly changing complexions as class became the biggest factor.

Just as the doughty Mah Sish had put Franco Emirate away early in the run home, Gold Ace and Terror To Love loomed alongside and seemed all set to go at it again. For once Terror To Love was obviously going to get the better of Gold Ace, off the back of a kinder trip for a change, only for Hands Christian to bomb them both right on the line. A time of 4:04 was more than respectable in the conditions and Hands Christian had come home in 56 and 27 and change to get around them.

"I sort of set him for this when we decided against a start in the Auckland Cup. He was very unlucky in the Superstars when I decided to try for an inside run on the home turn and he never really got clear. I thought we'd wait for Easter when he might have got a bit of a head start on the good ones. Things didn't work out that way, but he still got the job done."

This was just another outstanding Premier carnival performance from the all conquering Purdon & Payne stable, a G1 double on Saturday night being complemented by three supporting acts by Trilby, Harrison Maguire and Southwing Arden, and following on from Escapee's Trotting Oaks and Derby double and the quinella in the NZ Derby. The All Stars Stable won 14 races and well over $300,000 in stakes over the three nights, taking their seasonal tallies to 101 wins and $1.85m, the latter figure easily more than twice any other stable. And just to cap things off, the Easter Cup was a race the stable co-sponsored.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 12Apr2012

2012 MAURICE HOLMES VASE

Franco Ledger secured his place in the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup with a barnstorming finish to cut Franco Emirate out of first in the Group 3 Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington last week.

Considering the competitive lead-up opportunities in Southland compared to those available in Canterbury, this was a cracking training effort by Hamish Hunter. The last horse to achieve a similar result for the province at this time of year was probably Giavanetto, for the late Murray Gray and driven by Jack Smolenski.
Franco Ledger had not raced since beating seven others at Invercargill on April 22, and his best effort from six previous starts at Addington was a third behind Gold Ace and Terror To Love in March over 2600m.

Hunter's previous Cup hope was Malaz, who ran fourth in 1986, 26 years ago. Like Franco Ledger, Malaz started his campaign by winning fresh-up at Addington in August, and followed that with three unplaced starts before the Cup. Hunter's brother Henderson was 27 when he won the Cup with Trusty Scot in 1978.

Standing starts have been Franco Emirate's achilles heel, but he was safe enough and looked the winner when he loomed up wide on the turn and hit the front soon after. Rangataua Ray was honest again, edging past the pacemaker Ohoka Texus who ran with his usual freedom in front until being swamped late. Stunin Cullen was in the bunch and fifth, leaving the impression that he will improve with every start.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 12Sep12

2011 CHRISTCHURCH CASINO NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP

Greatness has come early for Terror To Love - and for Paul Court as well. As the partner with his father Graham, Court has prepared the winner of the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup in just his fourth season as a trainer. And Terror To Love has won the jewel in the harness racing crown at just his 26th start.

In the euphoria of the occasion, Paul still the feet of his long legs on the ground. "Dad has had a lifetime in the game and has done the hard yards. He's had a lot of nice horses, but you're fortunate to get one like this, with so much speed and the stamina to go with it. I'm a bit of a passenger, but I really appreciate the hard work that goes into it," said the 32-year-old, who plans to return and set up a stable in Canada next year. Paul did the hard yards of his own, usheredup by his father to follow the Prime Minister John Key, address th huge crowd and accept the trophy that went to the winning trainers.

Terror To Love, a Western Terror 4-year-old bred by Terry McDonald from the Live Or Die mare Love To Live, was recognised as a young talent as an early 2-year-old and confirmed it by winning the Sapling Stakes in that season. He could have been the best of his age at three, and possibly was, but he had dreadful luck in some of thne classics especially the Northern Derby. When the curtain came down on his 3-year-old campaign, Graham considered his immediate future and aimed high. "He always had this high speed, and he could stay as well. It seemed to me that there were really no standouts as far as the Cup was concerned, and some of them had been in that class for a while. I'd had some nice horses, bu nothing like this, and nine out of ten of the good ones I'd had, had been sold."

Court told owner McDonald of his plan. McDonald was pleased to hear it, but he'd heard them before. Only a year ago, he was sitting pretty with one of the race favourites, Stunin Cullen, only to be disappointed. He'd been in the game long enough to know more failures than success. McDonald had met Court through a cousin while he was in Dunedin, and he's lost count of the horses he's had in the stable. He says dozens and dozens, but that could be on the very light side.

In any event, Terror To Love is the special horse that has taken them from endless hope to a pinnacle few make. Court gave McDonald words of confidence the day before the race, pleasing McDonald with the odds he'd got when the market opened. They were probably on the same page when they saw the horse track Smiling Shard up in the middle stage, only to see him slide back as others made hopeful runs. "It was lovely for a while, but I thought we might be in a bit of a bother when he started getting back," said Court.

On the track, Curtin was thinking much the same. "I'd had a good run, and then we were back to where we came from, and I could see going down the back they were a wee way ahead of me. It's not too often I come that wide on the corner, but he was up to it."

Smoken Up was a fading second, again finding 3200m a journey too far after leading Rangataua Ray for two laps, and only held second by a nose from Highview Tommy who was equal last with Smiling Shard at the 600m.

McDonald, who also bred Michael's Magic, the grandam of Terror To Love by Michael Jonathan, has younger half-sisters to Terror To Love by Artsplace, Christian Cullen and Mach Three and the mare is due to foal to Somebeachsomewhere.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11

RICKY MAY - TERROR TO LOVE 2013

This is just one of many outstanding May up drives but the third Cup of Terror To Love was a typical blend of his patience and aggression.

After the early break he caught the back of the field and they lobbed along before launching on the familiar three wide train from the bell. Then two things happened which won the race. Her pressed on for the lead at the 800m rather than take available cover. The odds of Mark Purdon conceding at that stage of a major race would normally be 100/1.

Others trying had found it a learning experience. But Mark knew and Ricky must have realised that Fly Like An Eagle was starting to pull too hard and a trail was his only hope. Besides, it would put arch rival Christen Me three back. Ricky landed the front without a fight. Then he pinched a breather around the top turn so vital so often in a fast run Addington race.

The section to there took over 29 seconds. Mark later said that was what beat him. It was also the difference between going into the history books and possibly not. Fly Like An Eagle not a true stayer, surged late and was given the same time as the winner. It was that close.

TRIVIA FACT: Ricky 'inherited' Terror To Love. Jim Curtin, who had won the first Cup, had to 'resign' when his own horse Franco Emirate got to open class. Anthony Butt was next, winning a Jewels but then Mah Sish came along. Ricky's first drive behind the Terror was winning the New Brighton Cup of 2012 with Mah Sish second and Franco Emirate unplaced. Nobody else drove him in NZ ever again.



Credit: David Mcarthy writing in Harnessed Ot 2016

2011 NEW ZEALAND SIRES' STAKES 3YO FINAL

Cup Day was like a day of redemptions in some respects. Last year, Terry McDonald had the favourite for the Cup in Stunin Cullen, but the former Sires' Stakes 3yo Final winner disappointed and is now on the sidelines with a fractured knee. This year, McDonald won with Terror To Love. Last year, Jim and Dr Susan Wakefield had the favourite for the Sires' Stakes in Empyrean. That Christian Cullen colt had won seven straight and was getting a good trip home from the back of Gold Ace when he galloped at the 400m. This year, the Wakefields won with Texican.

For trainer Cran Dalgety, who won a Sires' Stakes 2yo Final a few years ago with Smiling Shard, this was also his first win in the 3yo Final. "Jim really deserved this after spending a lot of money at the yearling sales over the years," said Dalgety. "We bought this fellow at a time when we were just looking for Bettor's Delight colts from In The Pocket mares. He was a bit over budget, but we got him and I figured we would deal with the consequences later," he added. Dalgety had a budget of $40,000, but he paid $70,000 for the first foal from the good mare Bury My Heart at Karaka.

Dalgety wasn't getting too excited about Texican until he gave him a shot at the last Sires' Stakes 2yo heat at Alexandra Park on Inter-Dominion Final night in April. Fifth on debut a week earlier at Rangiora, Texican downed Chancellor Cullen that night and Dalgety began to think "he might be okay". Second in last season's Sales race soon after to Western Cullen, Texican was out of luck in the Sires' Stakes 2yo Final, but his form ha been exemplary this time in.

He was a big second to Smiling Star in the Sires Stakes heat at Forbury Park when resuming, and won the penultimate heat at Addington. One of five heat winners to draw the last five barrier positions for the final, while Chancellor Cullen drew worse on the outside of the front row, Texican was soon in the three wide train and went to the death passing the 1000m, before Dexter Dunn handed up to Mark Dennis. A quarter down the back in 27.7 had left the pacemaker Chancellor Cullen vulnerable in the run home after an early burn, and Dunn angled Texican into the clear late to have the last say over the hard charging Ideal Scott, with Smling Star a game third in a battling finish. Besotted, like Ideal Scott a son of American Ideal, finished strongly for fourth as Mark Dennis and Lets Elope also beat home the fading Chancellor Cullen. The last quarter in 30.1 had been about the slowest in a 1:56 mile rate as Dunn also won his first Sires' Stakes Final on Cup Day.

If the day was supposed to be some sort of celebration after all the hardship experienced by Christchurch folk over the last year or so, few would have deserved to party more than the 78-year-old Jim Wakefield. "I had five properties in Christchurch and four of them have been written off," said Wakefield. "Luckily we had one left to live in at Rangiora. We had London Pride and London Express as Sires' Stakes horsesback in the late 90s, but nothing until Empyrean," he added.

Empyrean, who has been through a "colty stage", has been showing signs of getting back to his best this season, although he was disappointing two races after Texican's success, as was Bettor's Strike in the Cup for the Wakefields. But nothing mattered much after the Sires' Stakes. This was the Wakefields first Group One success since Dalgety produced Sparks A Flyin to win the Fillies Final at Addington 10 years ago.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 10Nov11