One of the hardest things to promote in the harness racing industry is a stallion who is promising but not quite delivering with the results on the track at the level needed.
There can be a whole raft of reasons but the prospective broodmare clients for the stallion just want to see those runs on the board and the more the merrier.
I think the above description fits the young trotting stallion The Pres perfectly.
The Pres is a son of the champion trotting sire Andover Hall who is proving to be a great sire of sires with his son Donato Hanover being at the top of the pile in North America
Add in a maternal family that is littered with outstanding performers and The Pres has a pedigree that ticks all the boxes.
Lightly raced before a career ending injury, The Pres won four of nine and took a 1:55 mark which is a clear indication of a quality individual.
His first crop was welcomed with a lot of favourable comment from trainers in New Zealand when being broken in and they were well received at the sales.
From that first crop he produced the smart two year old Primz Luck 2:00.8 who won four of seven starts at two and looked top class but due to injury hasn't again since.
That first crop in New Zealand numbered 38 foals and has produced 17 qualifiers to date which in New Zealand conditions is okay but it is only now that they are four year olds that they are stating to convert that into winning performances.
Several look very promising such as Le Lievre's Gift 1:57.6 who is two from two to date and Precious Pet who won her only start to date in the manner of a horse with plenty more wins in store
The second crop numbers 46 foals which are half way through their three year old seasons.
Eight have qualified to date including one of last season's star two year olds in Cyclone Chief 2:01.7p ($34,491) who was very unlucky not to win the Breeders Crown Final at Melton at two going under by a neck after being checked late in the race.
Two other three year olds from that crop that look well above average are the Phil Williamson stablemates in Astral Ruler and Sam Galleon.
Astral Ruler went round in the Hambletonian at Ashburton on the weekend and didn't disgrace himself while Sam Galleon was impressive winning at Winton last Friday.
So The Pres is slowly righting the ship in New Zealand and those numbers should keep improving from now on.
While The Pres had been battling to establish himself in New Zealand, his very small Australian crops have been making hay while the sun shines.
His first crop who are four this season numbered just two foals, neither of which has raced.
His second crop who are three this season number just five foals but four have already won including the star filly Princess Phoenix ($80,133) who won two Group 1 races at two and the promising colt Big Jack Hammer ($33,600) who won one Group 1 at two.
To produce two very smart youngsters such as those two from just five foals is the kind of result that stallion owners dream of.
What it shows yet again though is that The Pres can produce that individual that is capable of winning Group races which is a must do for any aspiring stallion to establish himself in todays competitive stallion market.
There are only six yearlings by the Pres in this years yearlings sales and they are all at the Christchurch sale.
The whole six are from lovely trotting mares and with the recent results in both New Zealand and Australia being so positive, the stock of The Pres may surprise a few people on sale day in a fortnight.
Harnesslink Media