THE FEISS FILE

JEAN FEISS 

There is one thing that would even be a greater thrill for Melbournian Jean Feiss at the moment than winning a good race.

That would be getting on a plane, specifically a plane headed  for New Zealand. Unfortunately the prospects of that are not looking good.

 “I’ve almost given up on Cup week now, There was another cancellation of a flight I was booked on the other day. Even New Year is looking doubtful and I just hope I am able to get over for the sales. Hopefully things will change” she says in a resigned voice, her frustration evident.

It is more than knowing  she owns the horse to beat in the NZ Cup in Self Assured; and with   champion filly/mare  Amazing Dream  racing at the same time it is more that Jean loves her horses like family and it  is that affection that drives her financial commitment perhaps more even than winning races. So not seeing any of them since March is a test.

“That’s what I really enjoy. Getting over to see them and watching their progress as well as their races. I am now extreme in the flight deprivation department!”” 

Jean has just been voted New Zealand harness Owner of the Year for a second time, a first for an Australian, but while she accepts that “Everyone is in the same boat” her season was probably only a month away from being even more memorable.

Amazing Dream missed Horse of the Year by one vote. With the  NZ Oaks, Nevele R series and Harness Jewels seemingly at her mercy the filly would surely have won the title in a normal season, especially as the winner Ultimate Sniper was not in a position to extend his record.

Jean Feiss is too positive a person to spend time dwelling on disappointments. And there was a bonus-she is still racing Amazing Dream. 

“I would have sold her at the end of her filly season as I did with Spanish Armada and others. She would be a broodmare now, But with some of the feature racing held over she is still in a strong position for racing in the spring”

The Victorian sportswoman seems to have a genius for picking out the fillies like Elle Mach, Spanish Armada and Amazing Dream who owe as much to their toughness as their speed in brilliant careers. There have already been substantial offers for Amazing Dream.

“She is due back with Mark and Natalie about now. We had her over here in Brisbane so she would avoid having to race older seasoned horses in Canterbury and  and kept her in racing trim. She’s a marvel. Just races and eats’” 

Jean ‘s extraordinary strike rate -of her first 19 purchases from sales since 2011 8 won Group One races-has something to do with being at the higher end of the market but her operational methods, while she rates them as “just the way things panned out really “should be worthy of study for potential competitors.

She does not breed; buys quite extensively yet  selectively at the NZ sales; leaves them here with attendant expenses and, because of that and the fact she and husband Bill no longer have their own horse property, sells readily when the market is right. The elite fillies are sold only for breeding purposes  She does not race any horses in Australia

“I liked the breeding but there is a danger you can get too tied up with your own lines and miss out on a lot of better horses you find at the sales. Breeding is confining in that sense. You can’t hope to cover all the bases in racing ”

Her good friends and keen rivals, syndicates headed by Phil and Glenys Kennard, follow a similar philosophy- except they rarely buy fillies. Both  are flag bearers for an approach  which  has intensified now the Sales are the source of most classic winners.

In past eras breeders often held back their elite horses either for breeding or racing reasons. Vendors wanting to retain credibility cannot be seen to be doing that these days. So more buyers have a chance and the vendors, lead by the leading studs  grow their business at the same time.

Like all of the most skilful selectors, the mind’s eye, the factor they can’t put into words is their greatest asset. But being realistic saves a lot of pain too,

“I start off with a long list and after I go over and have a look at them the list becomes shorter, I consult with Mark and Natalie and it gets a bit shorter again, The ones I really like I can then budget to buy them knowing roughly what they will go for”

“But you have to draw a line. Are there top horses I would love to have bought ? Of course.. They really tempt you but you have to have a budget. We are in the fortunate position that budget is quite large but success gives you that advantage”

SWITH The essence of Jean’s skill is that she just knows horses.

“I have been with them since I was a little girl. Pony club at first then the shows. I used to ride the gallopers to and from the track later on -we weren’t allowed to ride trackwork in those days- and then took up with the pacers and trotters. They have always been a part of my life.”

Jean trained for many years, most recently based at Woodstock near Melbourne where she first met Natalie and then Mark when he based his horses there on Australian campaigns.

“I had some good young horses, not ones that were household names or anything but we did all right. Sammy Maguire was probably our best.

Jean and Bill were breeding then and imported the American trotting mare Regal Volo. They bred one foal from her -the G1 winner Twentyten, be ( in 2010 of course) fore passing her on to Breckon Farms where she has left High Gait, Alannah Hall etc, and the exciting All Stars prospect Regal Attire with the the daughters breeding on.

Sammy Maguire was the first Jean Feiss-owned horse sent over to  All Stars and showed his quality winning a good race at Ashburton on Flying Stakes day and winning again at the NZ Cup meeting.

With Bill she then raced horses such as Backup, Messini, and Benecio before she got really serious in the past seven or 8 years.

She is not a big buyer at Australian sales but selected a striking filly MacKenzie who didn’t develop her full potential in New Zealand but was later a star aged mare in America.

More crucially, her type sent Jean to over $A100,000 to buy her younger brother by the name of Vincent who race in Bill’s name but as with all the team, selected by Jean.

Her preference for racing in New Zealand has been the big stakes for age group racing here ,especially fillies ,which makes being based here a more attractive proposition. She also thinks the sport has a higher standing here and finds it more rewarding

She would have you believe that “it has all worked out well so far”but there is more to it than that.

Jean is a fearless bidder once in a horse’s corner and would sooner pay more for the one she wants than give up and pay less for one she didn’t want so much. She has cowed most of New Zealand’s biggest buyers on occasions. Where once sale toppers were treated with suspicion as racing propositions and rarely made their auction money there she  has come out ahead more often than not 

And there is the bad luck all owners experience. Her latest blow was the youngster Columbo a $170,000 yearling from Beaudiene Maja Babe having to be put down before racing.

Jean is not just a high end buyer. She was seen in another role back in May when buying a Downbytheseaside colt via the internet at an NZB virtual sale. He was a lot cheaper than some of her purchases at $26,000.

“I was just so taken with his looks”said the ultimate sale enthusiast. “He seemed very good  value on his appearance  and there is nothing wrong with his breeding so I took a punt”

There is every chance Jean could win a New Zealand Cup in November and while “that would be really nice-if he can take a few more early steps pacing !” all wins are nearly equal in her eyes

“Obviously you like to win the big ones and the big stakes that mean you can carry on but from a personal feeling point of view view all wins are  special”

 She already has many memories but one that comes to mindWhich is why given one race to recall quickly she goes back to Spanish Armada’s New Zealand Oaks.

“It was a dramatic race for her. She had to make a big run to get parked and I thought, well that wasn’t too bad now she is there but will be an ask. Then she just drifted a length or so and I thought that wasn’t so good. She went up to take on the leader so I thought she must be going better than i thought but she was still trying to get to the front at the home turn and I thought she had done too much. But in the straight she seemed to find another gear and pulled away. That was a real race and a great win-but a lot of drama up in the stand!”

A friendly astute  person Jean Feiss knows horse racing well enough to know there are always downs to go with the ups.  That experience makes her calm in victory and gracious in defeat and with the ability to assess situations from a realistic viewpoint-not an easy skill for many owners to acquire.

Her racing philosophy-study bloodlines, study the horses, buy young, sell readily, aim for success in fillies races in particular-but not exclusively- has put her ahead of the game in the past decade. 

Even if she suspects it won’t always be like that she has already set a standard few have attained in such a short period of time.

AUGUST 3

Trotting star Oscar Bonavena was building up beautifully for a tilt at the Dominion Handicap in November for All Stars until disaster struck.

Last month he suffered a bone chip injury to the knee that will keep him out of action for about 6 months.

“It was in the same knee that gave him some problems last season but not related to that injury “ Mark said

“It’s a bit hard to take. He was working up brilliantly just before it happened and we looked in for a big season. It’s racing of course but that doesn’t make it any easier when its a horse as good as he is”

Oscar Bonavena’s unreal trotting speed has been carefully harnessed by Mark who drives him in all his work while experienced Jill Smolenski handles him off track.

His brilliance has not been bettered by any of the many fine trotters developed at All Stars and he can outsprint many of the pacers there when asked for his best in training.

Mark and Natalie had been looking at this season and the next for the full development of his powers and perhaps a trip to the United States as Chris Ryder races him in partnership with Mark’s father, Roy.

That could well eventuate yet in the next 12 months but his connections were looking for some more explosive form here before taking on the top American aged trotters.

As it is Oscar Bonavena has won 12 of 19 starts with 3 minor placings after the close relation to Take a Moment was purchased out of the Williams stable as a youngster for a substantial sum.

T*********

im won another four races in the next 8 weeks but a special thrill came in April 2008 when Cut and Style, also from the Dunn stable, prevailed narrowly over the later high class mare Nearea Franco in a Junior Driver’s race at Addington, the track you always remember your first win on.

He had 14 wins in his first season for various trainers including one, Eddie Maguire, for Paul Kerr who have him his 501st win on Sunday.

Mywayorthehighway got him started with a winner on the first day of the next season and he had well over 300 drives from a variety of trainers for 17 winners. The following season he broke through the $200,000 stakes won mark one of his wins being the Reefton Cup and in every season since he has repeated that feat often by a wide margin.

The next season marked a first stakes race win for the Jamie Gameson in the $25,000 Caduceus Club of Southland Stakes with Here We Go Again. The same filly would give Tim his first Group win in the Caduceus Classic at Auckland, then a Group Two race worth $80,000. Two drivers named Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen were second and third (Twist and Twirl and O Baby) and they noticed.

This was Tim’s last season as a junior driver and while Dunn-trained performers like Kabet were keeping his name in lights, surveying the competition among the open horsemen he opted for a stint in Southland where he was soon making his mark.

So much so that Mark and Natalie, in their absence in Australia, offered him the drive on Messini in the Kindergarten Stakes which he won. A week later Tim came to Addington to drive Southwind Arden for All Stars in the Cheviot Cup who was also a winner. His future may well have been sealed with those wins.

However 2014 was spent consolidating his position in the south before moving to Rolleston the following season when Blair Orange left for more free lance opportunities.

Tim immediately struck up a winning turn with the enigmatic Meticulous and at the end of that season had cracked $1m in stakes due to a run of drives most could only dream about. That was mainly due to another partnership he founded with HAVE FAITH IN ME even though at the outset of the season amongst a stellar All Stars crop he was not the ace card.

In November he won the rich Sires Stakes Final with the youngster his first G1 win.

In December it was Have Faith In Me winning the PGG Wrightson Sales pace, followed in January by the brilliant juvenile Follow The Stars winning the Waikato Guineas among the three year olds and ADORE ME running 1.51.6 in the Cambridge Flying Mile.

If that wasn’t enough his next 8 winners were Chase the Dream, Dream About Me, Follow the Stars, Have Faith In Me (GN Derby) and Lazarus at Waikato.

Enough to turn most young driver’s heads though Tim has never been one to be carried away.

By the end of that season he had posted a Harness Jewels double with Dream About Me and Have Faith In Me. A Sires Stakes Final with the first named and a NZ Derby with the latter; another feature win iwth Lazarus and -maybe a special one - a win on Cash n Flow, co-owned by a long time supporter, Gary Woodham, now a leading All Stars owner.

Altogether Tim won over $1.2m a total he has only exceeded once since.

In the 2016 season Tim won three Group Ones with Piccadilly Princess incuding his first Australian G1 in the Victorian Oaks and Have Faith In Me won the Auckland Cup. The next season he added Smolda to his list of champions driven to win in the Methven Cup and Ashley Locaz produced a stunning upset in the Harness Jewels.

ltogether Tim won over $1.2m a total he has only exceeded once since.

In the 2016 season Tim won three Group Ones with Piccadilly Princess incuding his first Australian G1 in the Victorian Oaks and Have Faith In Me won the Auckland Cup. The next season he added Smolda to his list of champions driven to win in the Methven Cup and Ashley Locaz produced a stunning upset in the Harness Jewels.

Another Masterpiece was his leading drive in 2017 winning the PGG 2yo Final and the Harness Jewels.

On 2019 Tim reached a career best 90 wins for the season with his favourite Dream About Me among those to come to the party again. Spankem winning the Kaikoura Cup was a highlight though and a special mention for Harriet Of Mot winning the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup for partner Aimee and her father Craig Edmonds,

That was more wins in one term than he had in his first four seasons and reflects his growing standing in the game. He added to that last season by taking out the NZ FFA with Chase Auckland who had earlier won the Methven Cup for Tim. He also extended a notable record in provincial cup races some of them for the Robert and John Dunn stable for whom he still drives a great deal.

The first 500 have produced some exceptional drives and giving exceptional horses their chance for Timothy Matthew Williams.

With much more to come

• JUNE and JULY

• Turn it Up, One Change and Dina Bolt leave for Queensland

• 48 horses trial in one week

• Spankem resumes

• “Tosti”moves on to prolong career- Intrepid Thefixer joins Reagan Todd’s beachside stable to try for a third NZ Cup run as foot problems trouble him. Winner of $991,000 at Rolleston.

  
  
  

• MAY

• CHARLIE ROBERTS PASSES

The death of Charlie (he preferred Charles) Roberts last week at the grand age of 96 ended one level of an association with All Stars going back many years and covering a number of coincidences and happenings. It all added up to many mutual triumphs over many years.

Charlie was a veterinarian of distinction in both codes; as also an entrepreneur and farmer he wore many hats

It culminated his purchase of Harness World Farms at a mortgagee sale in the 1980’s which subsequently became and a master of many skills before establishing Woodlands Stud (its original name) in the early 1990’s with another veterinary surgeon of distinction Andrew Grierson, a partner over many years.

The partnership found a way to make shuttle stallions a paying proposition by buying shares in the horses rather than just leasing them,

Two names, Scuse Me and Bettor’s Delight, were the key to much of the Roberts success story (along with his family) and All Stars was the stable who unlocked much of that potential. But his influence went much further.

MAY PROFILE

HAYDEN CULLEN CAME SOUTH TO ADVANCE HIS CAREER -MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

After nearly two years at All Stars stable Hayden and Amanda Cullen are happy to call it home.

There are a number of reasons for that,one giving  Hayden sleepless nights as well as his  greatest moment in harness racing.

 Which is saying something.

The couple  made the big move from Hamilton, Hayden’s home town, just before the start of the 2016-17 season. It was in some ways a step into the unknown but in a short time it became a very familiar place. Not least because the couple live on the Rolleston property. Commuting to work is not an issue.

“We love it down here. Not just the work, the lifestyle too, the things going on in the community” Hayden and Amanda both say

The success  has been mutual. Hayden was promoted from senior stablehand to stable foreman more than a year ago, an indication how much Mark and Natalie were impressed with his work ethic and knowledge. Both he and Amanda have  become an essential part of the DNA of the Rolleston stable.

“It was a change and a bit of a challenge coming to a stable like All Stars. I was ready for it and  you knew you were going to have every chance to learn and grow in the game and that was what we were looking for. It’’s turned out better than we hoped really. A great move for us.” 

Hayden’s father Barry and his grandfather handled standardbreds  on a hobby basis and he was always keen to get into the game. After stints in several Waikato stables he was offered a position by Brent Mangos as he set up on his own after being associated with Steven Reid. He accepted. 

Then, as now, he fitted in well. He stayed 12 years, being a training partner for many of them in the era of the superstar mare Bettor Cover Lover (19 wins) the best he had been associated with at least up until then.

But he also raced the Breeders Crown two year old trot winner, Tuhimata Glass, which he picked up at the track one morning when Brent was trialling two and preferred the other one. Hayden offered to try the unwanted youngster with an $8000 right of purchase and then recalled “We needed three of us just to get him on the float”

Tuihmata Glass got going early though and turned in a terrific run in the Harness Jewels breaking early and rattling home for third to Jinja  Gal, so the Breeders Crown was on. Hayden made the trip and drove him in a conditioning a race there (A G Herlihy steered in the final) , covering all the angles by selling 20 per cent of him before leaving.  Later Tuhimata Glass  was sold to Australia where he won the South Australian Trotting Derby and over $A240,000 as a journeyman trotter in five states, ending his career in Perth.

In 2014 with Amanda expecting and “looking for a new direction” Hayden made a temporary switch of codes joining Windsor Park stud and learning the ropes with thoroughbred foals, weanlings and stallions but the harness attraction proved too strong and he joined the standardbred side of the Graeme Rogerson operation near Hamilton. His path crossed the All Stars team when they were based there during northern campaigns. Hayden just let it be known that he would be interested in joining sometime if a position was available and the rest is history.

Amanda was with the thoroughbred side of the stable closely associated with Graeme’s wife, Debbie. Her father, top horseman Gary Barlow, was a Rogerson foreman ( and previously in partnership with Jeff Lynds as well as a trainer and rider in his own right) for some years before health issues forced him to take things easier. ,

Amanda, even though an accomplished horsewoman, had never been associated with standardbreds before coming to All Stars.

“They are different but good to work with. More relaxed and easier to handle compared with the thoroughbred who is a bit more flighty and more hands on”

Hayden says  he has learned a lot at Rolleston mainly by working hard on the job and watching Mark and Natalie in action.

“It’s probably the little things that count the most. I had the grounding with Brent and the basics are not that hard but the way Mark and Natalie  train up their horses and the finishing touches they put on them -that last 1 per cent- that is their secret I reckon”

“The horses here have a very good grounding before they go anywhere. That is another key  to their success.. If something goes wrong and there’s a setback they have the conditioning to overcome it more quickly. And the way the stable is run it builds your confidence.

So do good horses - a familiar refrain among All Stars staff

“It’s not just one horse or a few horses. You are surrounded by good ones, some of them the best ones and it motivates you to do your  best for them”

Hayden has had a lot of good things happen since coming south but one stands out. When Amazing Dream won the Woodlands Derby he was almost as relieved as he was excited.

And he was very excited.

“That was my greatest moment in racing. No question about that  Olivia and I were up in Pukekohe for the two weeks leading up to the races, on our own most of the time, talking to Nat and Mark every day but having the responsibility of looking after the team”

“You know the pressure is on even though we had no problems. I wasn’t sleeping that well, though once we hit the ground in the morning  we were fine. A filly hadn’t won the Derby for a long time and there I was with the responsibility to look after her. A learning curve but a great thrill at the finish”

“Its also the fact they have placed their trust in you to do the job. That means a lot”

Another thing he has had to learn is dealing with a comparatively big staff, one of the hardest skills for any “boss” to learn.

“I had to adjust. I hadn’t been in charge of a staff that size before. It was a learning curve too.  I have really just tried to lead by example. I reckon if you are doing your best all the time in the stable the staff will follow suit”

Mark and Natalie have often praised Hayden especially when they have been away from the stable for longish periods racing in other places.

“Hayden has done a great job for us but I am not surprised” Mark says

“He learned a lot from a top horseman like Brent and that has stood to him. He was ready for a bigger challenge when he came here and he has stepped up. We rely so much on staff like Hayden because we are away for quite long periods sometimes and it is hard going  if you don’t have full confidence in your stable leaders. We have found Hayden has achieved that”

High praise indeed for the boy from Hamilton who wanted to make good in the trotting game. He is maybe not all the way toward that -but he is taking giant steps.

BACK TO NEWS

But the whole trip was like Mark’s spring at home, a triumph.

Sharp And Telford was unbeaten on the trip winning a warmup three year event. then the Derby heat before taking the $A100,000 final. In between there was plenty of other action.

Pride of Petite and DIAMOND FIELD were the team representatives at the Inter Dominion and what a duo they were. They both won their two lead up heats before Pride of Petite’s Final victory.

The campaign began with a win for BRABHAM in the Bendigo Cup. The following night at Moonee Valley Mark won the $A50,000 Trotter’s Mile and with Sharp and Telford and steered Ginger Man to victory for brother Barry in a Free for All.

Four days late Mark drove a double at Geelong and three nights after that the Dullard Cup with Pride of Petite while Sharp and Telford took his Derby heat.

Seven days later came the Derby and the first round of heats and seven days after that again the second round of heats followed a week later by a Grand Final and a two year old win for KONA CLASSIC. The last named was the “disappointment”of the trip finishing unplaced in the rich Bathurst Crown the main object of his trip.

Co-owned by Owen Purdon he covered expenses by running second in the Sires Stakes Final on his return home.

It was certainly a month of magic for Mark and taken with his local triumphs

BACK TO NEWS

OUR RICHEST 3YO FILLIES

You can read many things into statistics and lots of people do but there is no denying Dream About Me, one of the most underrated female pacers of modern times, is the richest three year old filly in All Stars history.

It is all the more remarkable that she was a two year old G1 winner and went on to many triumphs as an older horse including the Auckland Cup and the Ladyship Mile.

She will always be rated inferior to her close relation Adore Me and with good reason but a trip to Australia to win the NSW Oaks was a telling blow in the stakes chase at 3. Adore Me won more G1’s and had and even better strike rate -a fabulous 11 wins and a placing from 12 outings. That placing was in the Woodlands Derby behind the dominating three year old of that year Ohoka Punter who might have been anything had he not suffered multiple tendon injuries and as it was was still a mighty pacer. Adore Me’s season is still the measuring rod for overall excellence and while she might have had it a little easier than some here ( see below) it probably didn’t matter a great deal.

• As usual there are a few hard luck stories on this list. The most measurable is that of Amazing Dream who has been denied the opportunity to win another three or four G1 races -most of which she would have been at high odds on for-which would have put her No 1 on this list

• What can be crucial in any age group race-beside having the advantage of being based at Rolleston-is who you are racing against and this is quite critical

• For example, while Adore Me’s keenest rivals were not especially outstanding, probably Delightul Christian being the best, Elle Mac ran into (temporary stablemate) Shez All Rock in the Oaks and the Jewels which didn’t help her record. Spanish Armada and Delightful Memphis ran no less than 8 quinellas in feature races as 3 year old fillies (7 wins to Spanish Armada) which must be some sort of record and they only had to contend with Partyon later in the season. One filly who has not made this list in Golden Goddess -a true star in many a year-had the misfortune to be the same year as Dream About Me , Piccadilly Princess,Arden’s Choice, another All Stars G1 winning filly, and they ran the memorable first four in the NZ Oaks a feat unlikely to be repeated in our time from one stable. Golden Goddess was yet another terrific filly born in the wrong year. It was a hell of a crop and surely a credit to All Stars that most of them won enough to register on this table.

• Fight for Glory really knew about competition. She was out the same year as The Orange Agent, Democrat Party, Linda Lovegrace and Supersonic Miss which may have prompted her Australian campaigns that proved so successful. Princess Tiffany reigned supreme until Belle of Montana came along and they were closely matched.

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

 OUR LEADING FILLIES as 3YO IN EARNINGS

1. Dream About Me  $548,000 - 3G1 1.53.9  - 8 of 10 - Lifetime  25 of 43

   $1.416m

2. Princess Tiffany $530,000- 3G1- 1.56.4* -9 of 14- Lifetime 18 of 28**

   $758,000

3. Fight for Glory $503,000-3G1 - 1.54.5 - 9 of 17- Lifetime 14 of 32

   $674,000

4. Adore Me* $492,000- 5G1- 1.52.4 11 of 12- Lifetime 26 of 36

$1.675m   

5  Spanish Armada* $481,000-4G1-   1.52.1 8 of 11- Lifetime-14 of 19

$787,000  

6 Partyon $442,000-2G1- 1.51.3*- 10 of 15- Lifetime-17 of 31

$658,000

7    Amazing Dream*   $419,000- 3G1- 1.55.7- 8 of 9 - Lifetime  11 of 18***

$625,000   

8    Piccadilly Princess-$347,000-3G1-   1.56.4 9 of 14 Lifetime  17 of 51

$759,000

*Adore Me did not campaign in Australia

*Spanish Armada did not campaign in Australia

*** Still racing. Princess Tiffany also ran a 1.53.4 mile rate winning the NSW Oaks

** Amazing Dream did not race in Australia and the season was concluded before the running of the Nevele R Final, the NZ Oaks and the Harness Jewels

• Princess Tiffany Partyon and Dream About Me won G1 (Breeders Crown) finals when three year old by NZ seasons but racing as two year olds in Australia.

• Partyon won in 1.51.4 in Australia at 3 not shown on her NZ record

Cruz Bromac Tops in Shortened Season

It was an abbreviated season but even so CRUZ BROMAC must have set some sort of record for All Stars being its top earner for the term thanks to his NZ Cup win. He also joined the millionaire club in stakes though only $600,000 odd has been won in New Zealand from All Stars.

He only had 9 starts for the stable, and all except his one unplaced run in the Ashburton Flying Stakes when not long off the plane from Australia, were in November and December- a unique feat even if in unusual circumstances. A second in the Kaikoura Cup followed by the NZ Cup and a placing in the Free for All were followed by two seconds and a win in the Inter Dominion heats, a 4th in the final and a 5th in the Auckland Cup after which he was found to be amiss.

It was the best season of his career by far even though he only raced for half of it For the whole of last season which included a NZ Free for All win he took home $297,000. That included three Inter Dominion heat wins with Natalie in the bike

Dean Braun did a magnificent job in Australia getting him back to form in two outings after a long injury spell, the second a powerful third in the Victoria Cup and All Stars added the polish.

“Cruz” was sidelined with a moderately serious injury after the Auckland Cup which could possibly be career ending but with his previous comebacks from similar afflictions you can never count him out.

A DIFFERENT SORT OF WINTER FELL FOR TREVOR JUST NOW

Broodmare and stallion owner,  racing enthusiast, All Stars owner  and successful businessman Trevor Casey has built his success on positivity but he is not feeling the vibe at the moment

“I just feel like I am having a nightmare and I want to wake up and end it “ he quips when commenting on how the current health crisis has affected him in and out of racing.

Long term he can see racing restored to where it was before the Coronavirus but he feels that like everything else affected by it it is going to take a long time.

“There are a lot of aspects to it and all of them affect racing and my approach to it. Like so many owners my buying power and ability to breed and have horses in training is based on the business returns.

“There are no business returns”

Trevor operates a number of Lone Star franchises and he has real worries about their future too.

“The Government are making staff payments and I am trying to make them up as much as I can but there is no Government help for the businesses themselves. That means to me a lot of hospitality businesses are going to go broke because to qualify for a loan they will have to show that they can pay it back. That’s a hard thing to be sure about. Even our business which has been a good one is not going to be easy to bring back  to the level where it was”

“People think you just open the doors and its business as usual but that is not the reality at all.For example, we have no stock to start with, we will have to replace every keg in our bars and have all sorts of other expense people don’t realise and we haven’t been promised any assistance in meeting that expense”

“And people are not just going to come out in droves like they were. We can’t actually open until it gets down to a Level 2 emergency (maximum 100 crowd) and they are sure to have a time on Level 3 where only takeaways can operate. We couldn’t survive on takeaways”

Trevor candidly believes racing nationally is in bad shape financially to handle the crisis and fears major stake cuts and limited racing. That will affect the sales and the breeding industry.

• ALL STARS STAFF SHIELDED FROM JOBS SCARE AS THE STABLE CLOSES DOWN

  All Stars stable is to follow the example of many leading barns in virtually “wiping”the rest of the 2019-2020 season as a result of the coro-virus.

  “From now until we hopefully prepare for the new season we are virtually an agistment farm here in Rolleston”Mark said.

  “The last of the yearling purchase group is at Steve Boyd’s being educated and we have some here and the racing team. Most of them will just be looked after here until we can hopefully return to our normal programme”

  Mark and Natalie met with the staff on Tuesday and as a result have come up with a package which will cost the partners several thousand dollars a week.

  “We have applied for grants for them and we will bring up the balance so that they earn 80 per cent of their present wage. In the meantime they will be using holidays and other benefits for the next 4 weeks and we will reassess things then”

  “We have to say we think there is more in the Government’s package for the employee than the employer. That’s certainly how it looks to us at the moment as we look at the financial input required”

  “But at least we have given our staff reassurance over their greatest concern which was that they would lose their jobs. We will be retaining all of them”

  The All Stars operation has been hit hard financially also by the shutdown of racing where the Easter carnival and the Harness Jewels as well as Sales races and the NZ Derby falls within a normally profitable period.

  “We probably hope to earn into the 6 figures in percentages over that period and it is a big hit for us”

  Mark and Natalie have joined with others in proposals that certain age group races, especially the Sires Stakes and Sales Races where owners have already subscribed toward the stake, could be run in the spring.

  “We have made a verbal submission to Harness Racing New Zealand and there seems a positive response. If those races were held in,say, September when many of the horses will be in racing trim again it would be something back for the owners some of whom have taken a big hit with these developments, and trainers even if the horses are officially a year older than their present eligibility. It certainly seems feasiible but that is for others to decide”

  While the racing shutdown is for four weeks at this stage there seems to be little optimism inside the industry that it will resume at the end of that period. And with leading stables in both codes spelling their present racing teams the number of horses available to race after that time could be limited.

  “We are not alone and appreciate that many people will be hurting over these developments but as a mid range business we are fully aware of the organisation required and the financial impact of the decisions made”Mark said

  “We just have to make the best of it like other people have had to do. Our horses are a vital part of our operation of course but our staff is just as important to us and at least they have some certainty about the situation

• While the Harness Awards system no longer caters for “crossover”winners between male and female, a topsy turvy three year old season-actually a topsy turvy season for any age group- leaves open the question as to just who was the best performed in the age group as we go into recession.

  Many would say that Copy That having won the Vero Flying Stakes the last three year old race of the season was a decisive vote in his favour and he had beaten One Change in lead up events at Auckland. But One Change defeated him in the Sires Stakes, and won the rich Sales Final. He was probably still peaking as the season was curtailed.

  So others would maintain that One Change, the champion at two, had done enough by winning the Sires Stakes Final back in November to add another feather to his cap.

  But then Amazing Dream, in beating both in the Woodlands Northern Derby may be rated above them all on the grounds of being the first filly to achieve that feat in a long time.

  One Change and Copy That are both five points ahead of her in the rating game but then she was the first filly to win the Northern Derby in 45 years and the first to win any Derby in 38 years.

  The latter was Hilarious Guest winning the NZ Derby at Addington in 1982. In those days there was an overall winner of the age group section and Hilarious Guest beat out the colts and geldings for the title. Small wonder.

  The previous Derby winning filly at Addington had been 17 years earlier (Bellajilly) and the her predecessor way back in 1942. So it is a rare and somewhat historical event. Northern Derby filly winners are more common but not much more common.

  Hilarious Guest won the North Island Oaks the same year and the NZ Oaks beating Rain Girl so it was a unique treble. She ran in the Northern Derby too, finishing only 8th as Mel’s Boy caused an upset ($23) win. It was not a great crop perhaps but it contained some familiar names such as Enterprise, Camelot, Mister Wood Chips and Mai Mai as well as a grand filly in Rain Girl

  Hilarious Guest posted another stunning record that season. The second leading stake earner in the country she actually won more money than the Horse of the Year Armalight whose NZ Cup and NZ Free for All wins were so memorable that term.

  As an aside Mark’s brother, Owen, drove Hilarious Guest when she was a (distant) 2nd to Armalight as an older mare in the Auckland Cup beating home Hands Down and several other stars but 7 lengths in arrears.

  Amazing Dream hasn’t had the chance to do that yet but in the stake money stakes she is similar to Hilarious Guest in that she has won over $400,000 this season far in advance of the two males with One Change nearly $130,000 and Copy That $96,000j

  When and if the voting is finalised she and the two males will be in different categories and probably so they should be.

  But how interesting a head to head vote would be

  BACK TO NEWS

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

• As usual there are a few hard luck stories on this list. The most measurable is that of Amazing Dream who has been denied the opportunity to win another three or four G1 races -most of which she would have been at high odds on for-which would have put her No 1 on this list

• What can be crucial in any age group race-beside having the advantage of being based at Rolleston-is who you are racing against and this is quite critical. For example, while Adore Me’s keenest rivals were not especially outstanding, probably Delightul Christian being the best, Elle Mac ran into (temporary stablemate) Shez All Rock in the Oaks and the Jewels which didn’t help her record. Spanish Armada and Delightful Memphis ran no less than 8 quinellas in feature races as 3 year old fillies (7 wins to Spanish Armada) which must be some sort of record and they only had to contend with Partyon later in the season. One filly who has not made this list in Golden Goddess -a true star in many a year-had the misfortune to be the same year as Dream About Me , Piccadilly Princess,Arden’s Choice, another All Stars G1 winning filly, and they ran the memorable first four in the NZ Oaks a feat unlikely to be repeated in our time from one stable. Golden Goddess was yet another terrific filly born in the wrong year. It was a hell of a crop and surely a credit to All Stars most of them won enough to register on this table.

• Fight for Glory really knew about competition. She was out the same year as The Orange Agent, Democrat Party, Linda Lovegrace and Supersonic Miss which may have prompted her Australian campaigns that proved so successful. Princess Tiffany reigned supreme until Belle of Montana came along and they were closely matched.

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

 OUR LEADING FILLIES as 3YO IN EARNINGS

1. Dream About Me  $548,000 - 3G1 1.53.9  - 8 of 10 - Lifetime  25 of 43

   $1.416m

2. Princess Tiffany $530,000- 3G1- 1.56.4* -9 of 14-Lifetime 18 of 28**

   $758,000

3. Fight for Glory $503,000-3G1 - 1.54.5 - 9 of 17-Lifetime 14 of 32

   $674,000

4. Adore Me* $492,000- 5G1- 1.52.4 11 of 12- Lifetime 26 of 36

$1.675m   

5  Spanish Armada* $481,000-4G1-   1.52.1 8 of 11- Lifetime-14 of 19

$787,000  

6 Partyon $442,000-2G1- 1.51.3*- 10 of 15- Lifetime-17 of 31

$658,000

7    Amazing Dream*   $419,000- 3G1- 1.55.7- 8 of 9 - Lifetime  11 of 18***

$625,000   

8    Piccadilly Princess-$347,000-3G1-   1.56.4 9 of 14 Lifetime  17 of 51

$759,000

*Adore Me did not campaign in Australia

*Spanish Armada did not campaign in Australia

*** Still racing. Princess Tiffany also ran a 1.53.4 mile rate winning the NSW Oaks

** Amazing Dream did not race in Australia and the season was concluded before the running of the Nevele R Final, the NZ Oaks and the Harness Jewels

• Princess Tiffany Partyon and Dream About Me won G1 (Breeders Crown) finals when three year old by NZ seasons but racing as two year olds in Australia.

• Partyon won in 1.51.4 in Australia at 3 not shown on her NZ record

All Stars Stables announces stable shutdown for the season after the four week racing ban covering a number of feature races and the cancellation of the Harness Jewels drastically affected its position. However staff were given assurances about their jobs and All Stars wil contribute to their earnings to bring them up to 80 per cent of their working wage while on leave for the following 4 weeks

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First Class won a heat of the Sires Stakes at Addington in what would prove to be the last feature meeting run on the track this season.

*****

All Stars posted its 11th win in the Kindergarten Stakes in the past 18 years on March 14 when First Classs (Tim) and Delightful Dude quinellaed the race. All Stars first winner, So Cool was in 2002 raced by John Seaton, Tim Vince and Vicki Purdon. Other winners have been Lennon, Ohoka Arizona, Sir Clive, Messini, Itz Bettor To Win, Waikiki Beach, Pacing Major, War Dan Delight and Pacing Major.

*****

Tim Williams posted another milestone in his career when he won 9 races over three days over the weekend of March 9. Tim took out the initial Southland Trotting Oaks with Tailored Elegance and won several races for the Robert Dunn and Peter Robertson stables.

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Amazing Dream became the first filly since 1975 to win the Woodlands Derby /Pascoe Northern Oaks double on March 6 when, driven by Mark she came with a strong late run to win in New Zealand record time of 3.16.2 for the 2700m. Natalie had driven her to win the Oaks in 3.16.8 the previous week

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PRESS RELEASE BY MARK AND NATALIE ALL STARS STABLES

All Stars principals Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen will review their plans to support the 2020 Inter Dominions in New South Wales after what they considered a ‘disturbing’ incident at the Newcastle meeting last Friday. Three horses trained by Craig Cross at Cobbitty were arbitrarily stood down from participating in the Newcastle Mile after arriving only minutes after the two hour deadline for being on course for a Group One event. 

The circumstances surrounding that decision are of great concern when considered in context of  the 2020 Series. The Cross team seemed a victim of circumstances.. A tree fallen across the road near Penrith had disrupted traffic around Sydney causing massive delays. On receiving a text from the Stewards at 2.37pm that there could be holdups the Cross team was on the road by 2.50pm for a journey that normally takes about two and a half hours.But with long delays they arrived just after the 7pm deadline for the Group One horses entered on the night. That was not good enough for the NSWHR stewards on course.  

“It seems a very harsh decision to us and a red flag for our Interdominion plans”, Mark said.

“As the series is in New South Wales this year and a lot of visiting trainers domicile their horses at Menangle or thereabouts there will be two rounds of heats held at provincial tracks one being Newcastle and the other Bathurst.The distance to each of these tracks is approximately two hours and forty five minutes by car with no hold ups. Horses on board add a further forty five minutes to the travelling time,meaning a round trip would take seven hours, presuming there are no hold ups, road works, accidents etc. 

At that  time of year, as we know, the summers can be extreme. Given the distance between meetings there is potential for hold ups and if the New South Wales stewards are going to be so unreasonable and scratch your horse if you are a few minutes late, as with the Cross team at Newcastle, it would be a major concern.”  Mark added

“Another concern  for the stable is horse welfare from  the amount of summer travel required The horses are expected to race three times in eight days plus travel on two occasions. Seven hours by float or truck under those conditions is brutal. If the official’s rulings are going to be so inflexible that  no reasonable discretion was exercised, and if it was our stables that was affected by an unforeseen event we would find ourselves out of an Interdominion series. “

This would be an unacceptable result for us, our owners and the betting public. Natalie and I are serious about reviewing the situation in light of the Cross event at Newcastle. A lot of planning, time, money and effort goes into getting these horses from New Zealand to New South Wales to compete not just by ourselves but owners and staff as well. 

We do not want to see it all go for nothing because of decisions like this being made by New South Wales stewards.

 Mark Purdon