Southland bred Boots Electric scored an upset win in the Group One $100,000 Four Year Bonanza at Melton in Australia on Saturday night and this is a major boost for Northern Southland breeder Paul Hailes just ahead of next week’s yearling sales.
Formally trained by Hailes father in-law Brent McIntyre and owned by his son Cain and Hailes, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding qualified in spectacular fashion this time last year at Wyndham when he won by ten lengths, running the 2400 metre mobile in 2-58.1.
Paul and Cain then sold the gelding to clients of Australian trainer Anthony Butt and he’s now won nine of his seventeen starts and banked $119,560.
“We were pretty lucky to get the deal done there. He went to Cran’s (Dalgety) for a wee bit. They were intending on giving him a couple of starts over here but Covid came and that never happened,” Paul said.
Boots Electric’s other major win this season was in the Group Three VHRC Caduceus Metropolitan Pace Final at Melton.
Some large bets were placed on the four year old leading into Saturday night’s feature and his odds which had opened at 101-1 were reduced to 31-1.
“I had a wee bet on him but I didn’t break the bank. It was pretty exciting.”
His winning time for the 1720 metres was 1-58.9 – a mile rate of 1-51.2. The win qualifies Boots Electric for the Chariots of Fire.
Watch the race replay click here!
The win was a timely one for Hailes who has a Sweet Lou colt in next week’s NZB National Standardbred Sale in Christchurch. Zamperini is out of Glenburn Joy an American Ideal mare which won two races. Glenburn Joy is a half-sister to Boots Electric.
Zamperini is being prepared by Halies father in-law Brent McIntyre at Macca Lodge.
“He’s a nice wee guy. He’s not a big horse but he’s athletic and a racy type. They say the smaller Sweet Lous are the good ones.”
Glenburn Jewel has two other colts of racing age – Castledrum, a Captaintreacherous three year old and Redcastle a two year old by Sweet Lou.
“We actually haven’t done too much with them yet. Castledrum is quite a big horse so we thought we’d leave him. After the sales are out of the way we might start working on him. We’ll probably bring in the Sweet Lou as well.”
Saturday night was the first time Hailes has bred a group one winner.
Boots Electric was named by Cain after musician Jesse ‘Boots Electric’ Hughes.
Hailes says Glenburn Jewel slipped her Fear The Dragon foal, but is now in foal to Always B Miki while Glenburn Joy is in foal to Betting Line.
by Bruce Stewart