"It worked out really well. Everything went to plan," were the comments from driver Brent Barclay after winning the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes on the Winton trained Duke Of Wellington.
In today's Group Three feature, Barclay settled the American Ideal gelding in seventh place off the rails. With two laps to run he was sitting four back on the outside. With 850 metres to run Barclay pushed out and got into the three wide line to followed up Mighty Conqueror and Hail Christian. Turning in he made his challenge four wide and Duke Of Wellington let down nicely to beat Hail Christian by three quarters of a length.
"He was a bit keen today and did well to keep going so I was really happy. He just knocks off when he gets there (to the front)."
Winning connections,
trainer Lauren Pearson holding rug and owner Lester Smith next to her – Photo Bruce Stewart.
Duke Of Wellington, which was Winton trainer Lauren Pearson's biggest training win, was bred by Invercargill Lawyer Lester Smith who had raced the gelding up until the Supremacy today. He was sold last week to Australians Merv and Meg Butterworth and part of the arrangement was that Smith remained in the horse for today's race.
"Merv phoned before the race and said 'make sure you make a good speech' so I hope I didn't let him down,"
Smith said he was reluctant to sell but he looks to have a nice filly to carry on with.
"I was but I've got this filly (half-sister Rise Above This) to go on with."
Duke Of Wellington is named after a hotel in Melbourne.
"The hotel was established in 1853. It's the oldest pub in Melbourne. I drink there sometimes when I'm there for the Australian Open in January."
Smith used to buy yearlings at the sales but changed tack when prices rose.
"I used to go to the sales and found the ones that I wanted were far too expensive so I decided to breed from a couple of mares – Weka Lass and Galleons Honour."
Galleons Honour, the dam of Duke Of Wellington, is by Christian Cullen out of Galleon Cheer.
"I got her from a dispersal sale at Kerry Hoggards. He'd bought her for $80,000 as a yearling and she won her first race beating the likes of De Lovely. She wasn't the same afterwards. So I bought her as a broodmare."
The win today was a great boost for the locals. Southland horses have had a lean run in this race over the past decade. Since it's inception in 1984, Southland trained horses have won the race 14 times. The last Southland winner was I’m Full Of Excuses, winning for Clark Barron in 2015. Prior to that Looksaflyer won in 2006 driven by Brent Barclay.
"It's great today for Brent and Lauren.That's the biggest thrill really," Smith said after the race.
Smith won the 1997 Supremacy Stakes with Atitagain which was trained by Wayne Adams. The gelding won four of his eleven three year old starts and ran fifth in Bogan Fella’s 2007 New Zealand Derby.
He was exported shortly after and did a grand job in Australia, winning a further twenty two races.
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing