Leithen Burn is one of a handful of quality three year olds racing in the province this season. And judging by his win today at Winton it won’t be his last.
Trained by Tony Stratford the Bettors Delight gelding was purchased for $18,000 at the 2018 Autumn Weanling Sale in Auckland when offered by Woodlands Stud.
“He took a long time to get gaited up. He never paced when we broke him in but he just gets better and better,” Stratford said.
Leithen Burn showed promise when he qualified at Winton in December and in both of his races this season prior to today’s win, he’s raced greenly.
“Blair told me we needed to change a few things. He’s a Bettor’s Delight so he’s willing.”
In today’s Goodman Plumbing Mobile Pace driver Blair Orange settled Leithen Burn fourth with White Lightning taking up the pacemaker’s role. With 1100 metres to run Orange hooked the three year old out from the running line and took him to the front. He was confident having a good look around inside the 400 metres. Orange just had to rein Leithen Burn up to win by a length and three quarters from Tommy Waterhouse with another three quarters of a length back to first starter Idealism. Early pacemaker White Lightning was thirteen and a quarter lengths back in fourth.
“Those Bettors Delights – the harder they go the better they go.”
The winning time was 2-56.8 or the 2400 metre mobile.
Leithen Burn is owned by the same owners as Pulp Fiction and Lilac Flash with Stratford’s uncle, Alan Steel, heading up the group.
Leithen Burn is out of the Mach Three mare Eyecatcher Three whose second dam Atomic Lass is the mother of champion pacer Auckland Reactor, the winner of twenty seven races and almost one and a half million dollars.
Also at Winton today Bettors’ Delight filly Bettastar looked like Southland Oaks material when she cleared maiden ranks for trainer driver Nathan Williamson.
Bred and raced by Tuapeka Lodge, Bettastar was taken to the lead and held out Endless Dreams by three quarters of a length.
The winning time was 1-54.5.
Bettastar is out of the three win Christian Cullen mare Petra’s Star who’s the dam of big Australian winner Galactic Star.
Tuapeka Lodge is offering a Sweet Lou filly out of Petra’s Star at the yearling sale next week so the win by Bettastar was perfect timing.
Southern Harness Chairman Tom Kilkelly shared in the ownership of two winners today with Kase winning his maiden in the hands of co-trainer Kirstin Barclay and Smokin Bandar doing everything right for Kerryn Tomlinson in winning the Enfield Generics Mobile Trot by five and quarter lengths. He ran the mile in 1-57.5.
Smokin Bandar trained by Craig Ferguson wins in the Kilkelly colours — Bruce Stewart photo
Ryal Bush trainer Brett Gray scored a double when Peregrine won her maiden trot and Cassius Bromac won his second race for the MCC Syndicate.
Flight Crew was just .3 of the second outside Melina Lowe’s New Zealand and Southland record when she won the New World Winton Mobile Pace.
The Panspacificflight four year old owned by Katie Williamson and trained and driven by husband Nathan did battle with pacemaker Lynryd Skynryd inside the 400 metres and then had to fight off a late charge from Onesmartfella, to win by half a neck.
The winning time was 2-53.9.
Meanwhile trials were held at Winton on Friday and it was great to see the fresh faces of the two years olds.
Kirk Larsen produced Scarlet Ribbon to win his qualifier over 1609 metres.
The Captaintreacherous filly is out of the ten win Washington VC mare Askmenow. She ran second to Rozelski as a two year old in the 2012 Caduceus Club of Southland/Nevele R Fillies Classic at the Northern Southland meeting.
Scarlett Ribbon beat another well bred filly in Joyfuldolly by a neck. The winning time was 2-01.8.
Bertie Jones set tongues wagging when he won his qualifier in 3-00.8 running his last half in 56.0 seconds. The son of Prodigal Seelster had two and a half lengths to share over Stoneyroyd.
Bertie Jones is a member of the Black Watch family and is trained at Wyndham by Gordon and Colin Lee.
Quality three year old Ragazzo Mach won his workout beating another quality three year old American Lightning by a length.
His winning time was 3-00.7 with the last 800 metres run in an impressive 55.2 and 400 metres in 27.1.
He’s down to start next Friday at Addington in the $40,000 Listed Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Harness ‘7,000’ over 1950 metres.
by Bruce Stewart