When thoroughbred breeder David Grant needed a nanny for his newest crop of weanling colts he knew exactly where to look.
“In my experience, standardbreds are the best breed for the job,” David said.
“They are naturally more relaxed than thoroughbreds and tend not to be as bossy or inclined to bite or kick out at the young horses.”
David personally breeds from eight mares most years. Some of his stock are sold at various stages along the way and the remainder are retained for racing.
“I’ve traditionally bred mainly fillies, but this year I was lucky enough to get colts, who were more valuable than I’ve had in the past, so I wanted a reliable gelding to look after them.
“He had to be quiet and easy to catch and most importantly keep the young ones settled in the paddock."
David approached the Harness Racing Victoria HERO Program and, as luck would have it, the ideal candidate had just retired from the track.
Twelve-year-old Beach Boy Adios (Kenny to his friends) was a racing warrior in the truest sense of the word.
After winning his first start as a three-year-old at Tabcorp Park Menangle on March 24, 2011, he went on to compete for almost nine years.
Kenny changed stables on eight occasions over the course of his career and raced an astonishing 210 times at 26 different tracks throughout New South Wales and Victoria.
He was a multiple metropolitan class winner among his 28 victories; he also notched 38 seconds and 27 third placings from stake earnings of $276,058.
Trainer John Gilbertson was the last person to put a sulky behind Beach Boy Adios and together with his wife Theresa had an obvious affection for the veteran pacer.
They purchased the gelding in January 2019 and cared for him for the last 13 months of his racing life before donating him to the HERO Program.
“He’s a lovely old horse who has been a champion to everyone who’s trained him and deserves to live out a good retirement,” John said.
Like many former athletes who have had a long and successful career, Kenny’s body was showing some signs of wear and tear.
Although he was paddock sound, the HERO team determined that he would be best suited to a sedate life after racing rather than progressing through retraining for riding.
“Kenny’s extensive life experience meant he was incredibly laid back and easy going, so when David made contact, he was the obvious choice to try his hand at nannying,” HERO Manager Tanya McDermott said.
“In the five years since HERO started, the vast majority of older geldings who have come through the Program have been absolute gems so it was a fairly educated gamble that he would adapt easily to the role.
“From a long-term health and wellbeing viewpoint, it’s also a brilliant result because Kenny is enjoying the same high-quality diet, including joint and nutritional supplements, as his young friends.”
David could not be more thrilled with his new acquisition, describing Kenny as the perfect fit.
“He’s the right balance of settled and quiet in the paddock but willing to pull the colts into line when needed,” David said.
“Being older and having had a lot of racing is ideal – it means he’s happy to move at a slower pace and doesn’t have much interest in tearing around the paddock.”
Kenny has three protégé under his wings – colts by Starcraft, Lord Of The Sky and Bull Point (a son of Fastnet Rock), who have all been bred with a racing career in mind.
The trio will remain in his care until early 2021 when they commence their yearling sales preparation, allowing Kenny a summer vacation before his new babies are weaned in March.
David is Operations Manager for Sun Stud, a leading thoroughbred establishment standing nine stallions and breeding upwards of 1000 mares annually.
Coincidentally, one of Sun’s best nanny mares is also a standardbred.
“We’ve used her to foster orphan foals as well, she’s absolutely brilliant at her job,” he enthused.
The HERO Program is keen to build a closer relationship with the thoroughbred breeding industry and explore opportunities for standardbreds like Kenny, who have much to offer in their lives after racing but aren’t necessarily suited to ridden pursuits.
“Most of our graduates go on to a second life as a riding or pleasure driving horse but from time to time we do have HEROs who, for one reason or another, need to find companion-type homes,” Tanya explained.
“We are working hard to develop outlets where these horses can likewise enjoy a happy and healthy retirement."
HRV HERO – Tanya McDermott