The Ballarat-based stud Haras Des Trotteurs enjoyed spectacular success in two continents last weekend.
Firstly, the homebred five-year-old gelding Majestic Player became the fastest Australasian bred trotter of all-time when he came from last to win a $US15,000 Open at Hoosier Park, Indiana in a track record equalling 1:51.2. It was his ninth win on end and his 10th from 11 starts on American soil and boosted his stake tally to over $US220,000.
Orlando Vici, a member of Haras Des Trotteurs’ frozen semen roster, figured as the sire of the record-breaking winner of the prestigious Group 1 St Michel Ajo at the five furlong Mikkeli track in Finland in Next Direction. The gelding led from the outset and won by three lengths in a blistering 1:50.8.
Orlando Vici was also represented by a pair of Victorian winners in the two-year-old colt Rohann and the four-year-old Orlando Jolt NZ. Both bred and raced by Yabby Dam Farms were successful at Bendigo and Stawell respectively.
Orlando Vici has the amazing score of 12 winners from 14 Australian-bred starters to date.
Ready Cash, the dual Prix d’Amerique winner and the leading sire in France for the last four years, produced the winners of both $US142,250 divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old colts at Meadowlands in Ready For Moni (1:51.8) and Back Of The Neck (1:52).
Ready Cash, whose semen is also available at Haras Des Trotteurs, is also the sire of the highly promising mare Cash Lover, who made it four in a row at Bendigo recently. The Yabby Dam Farms’ bred mare has now won five of her 11 lifetime starts.
Other recent Haras Des Trotteurs-stud winners were the two-year-old filly Wanna Play With Me (by Love You), who tasted success at her second start at Addington, and the talented three-year-old filly Right Moves (by The Best Madrik), a winner in a career-best 1:58 at Menangle.
by Peter Wharton