You’d be hard pressed to find a harness racing filly with more going for her than Darling Me. The full sister to multiple Group 1 winning filly Sweet On Me and daughter of New Zealand Cup winner Adore Me appears to have inherited all of the family ability as her latest trial win at Ashburton on Tuesday would attest.
The trial win, while sedate in time clocking a 2.06.6 overall time for the mile journey, did have a touch of class about it with Natalie Rasmussen guiding Darling Me into a forward position initially before taking a sit three back on the markers behind stablemate Bettor Twist, peeling for a wider bid 400m out Darling Me was never fully extended but accounted for her race rivals in an easy enough fashion.
This most recent trial win comes off the back of two impressive outings on both the 8th of January and 23rd of December when in the company of stablemates Yea Baby, Bettor Twist and Dream On Me.
Yea Baby (out of Harness Jewels winner O Baby) would seem the most logical threat to a Darling Me at this point in time. The filly by Somebeachsomewhere strips a nice type and looks to have the speed to compile a decent last bid if called upon. Her second to Darling Me on the 8th of January saw her lead up and be caught late while Tuesdays effort may point towards her preferred mode of operation with the filly showing a smart turn-of-hoof from late cover to close within a head.
To watch a video of O'Baby winning a $150,000 three-year-old Jewels Final click on this link.
Interest in the stablemates and their prospective abilities will be heightened with the two both likely to reach the track for their race day debuts next week.
While claiming a beachhead into the famed Scuse Me bloodlines would seem slim at the moment the chance of picking up some “Braeside Star” speed factor looks far more promising with a Bettor’s Delight colt out of O Baby being offered by Breckon Farms at the 2020 National Standardbred Yearling Sale. Lot 13, “Manchild” is a full sister to Beachbabebeauty who impressed out of the Ken Barron barn winning 3 out of his first 5 starts beating the likes of the Chariots Of Fire placed Hail Christian and Ex Brendon Hill pacer Cullenburn who is now a Group 2 winner in Australia having placed in the Sires Stakes Final as a three year old.
Lot 13, Manchild
The wider maternal family encompasses the achievements of horses like the Sires Stakes 2yr Old Fillies champion Kayla Marie, the All Stars trained Paddy Brown (5 wins and 4 placings from just 20 starts) and the rugged Australian-based pacer Neighlor (16 wins) To go with those performers you can add a little more spice to the victory dish by adding in the fact that this is the family of Iraklis. Ermis and the horse they called Monkey King.
Ben McMillan