The late Sir Roy McKenzie had a long term influence like no one else on the harness racing industry in New Zealand with the possible exception of his father who started it all ninety plus years ago.
With the importation of stallions and mares from North America, Sir Roy completely changed the New Zealand industry and gave it a lift that can still be felt today.
From stallions such as Sundon to mares whose daughters have left us stars such as Monbet, Sir Roy McKenzie was instrumental in dragging the New Zealand breeding industry up to international standard.
One mare that Sir Roy imported who initially was very disappointing was the Adios mare Tina Rainbow.
Tina Rainbow had plenty to recommend her from a breeding prospective, being a half sister to Vicar Hanover 1:59.1 ($266,323) who was a star on the grand circuit in the 1960s in North America and a half sister to the dam of Vance Hanover who dominated the New Zealand stallion scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s
However two of her daughters turned that initial disappointment around in the next generation with Tina Scott producing the brilliant racehorse and successful sire in Knight Rainbow 1:57.7 (22 wins) ($243,693) while another daughter in Rainship produced the brilliant racemare Waihemo Rainship 1:58.2 (8wins) ($99,270)
Waihemo Rainship was just as good in the breeding barn leaving eight winners including such smart colts as Anvils Revival 1:57.7 ($162,810), Tempest Anvil 1:52 ($91,600), West Coast Anvil 1:58.9 ($69,047) and Anvil's A Christian 1:58.3 ($56,346).
The fillies she produced weren't much inferior if at all, including the very talented Anvil On Fire 1:55 ($81,862) whose first foal Karmic Fire was a six length winner on debut recently.
Another daughter in Waihemo Anvil 1:59.2 has already produced two classy individuals in Anvil's Big Punt 1:57 ($131,980) and the high speed mare Anvil's Delight 1:54.4 ($60,941) to carry on a trend of a family that seems to produce just as many smart fillies as it does colts.
There are a few from this family in this years yearling sales but the one that took our eye was Lot 141 at the Australasian Classic Yearling Sale at Karaka on February 22nd.
Named Bebe, she is a daughter of champion sire Bettor's Delight from the racewinning Christian Cullen daughter of Waihemo Rainship in Bella Anvil..
Being bred on the same cross as Lazarus and Chase The Dream is never a bad start for any horse at the moment when trying to impress yearling buyers and the individual herself has a touch of class as you can see from the photos.
The Sir Roy McKenzie influence on harness racing in New Zealand shows no sign of tapering off and the performance of Waihemo Rainship at stud is just another successful chapter to add to the record.
Harnesslink Media