Prodigal Seelster is now the sire of a couple of impressive harness racing qualifiers after a son and daughter both earned their tickets at Ashburton yesterday.
Following on from his trial win at Motukarara 10 days earlier, Ive Already Told You lined up against four others of the same age and gender and thrilled his connections by running second.
Settling with one behind them in the mile trial yesterday, Ive Already Told You and driver Jeremy Markham eased into the one-one around the final bend and got humped out three-wide, but the strapping Prodigal Seelster gelding never let it affect him and continued to run to the line strongly.
Ive Already Told You wasn't pushed to finish just over a length in arrears of the winner, recording a personal time of 2:00.8 after the final sectionals went by in 58 flat and 27.7.
Bred and raced by Tony Stewart and Angela Boyd, Ive Already Told You is trained by the latter's husband Stephen who says the 2-year-old has earned himself a brief let-up now.
"He can go out for six weeks," Stephen said.
"So it won't be long, but he'll be that much better for it once he comes back in.
"He's going to make a nice horse, I quite like him."
Prodigal Seelster didn't have to wait long for his second qualifier, as it eventuated in the very next Heat on the Ashburton programme.
Vi Lee had just a couple of opposition in the 2-year-old fillies mobile mile, and after drawing between them she slotted straight onto the back of the leader from the outset and stayed there the whole way.
At the finishing line she and driver Jeremy Markham were one and quarter lengths away, having paced the mile in 2:01.3 after sprinting home in 57.1 and 27.6.
Also trained out of Stephen's Aylesbury barn, Vi Lee was bred and is raced by his father John and has a bright future ahead.
"I just know how little I've done with her so far – and how much she's going to improve," Stephen said enthusiastically
"Neither of these Prodigal Seelsters are anywhere near screwed down yet."
Harnesslink Media