Terang trainer Paddy Lee has good reason to feel pleased he accepted the advice of his brother Jason and purchased trotting mare Sultan Sass on behalf of a syndicate eight months ago.
The Majestic Son mare has finished in the money in three of her seven starts for her new stable, highlighted by an impressive come-from-behind success over a handy field at Maryborough last Friday.
“Jason drove her a couple of times for Wes Shellie and really liked her. He told me I should find out if she was for sale,” Paddy said.
An Australasian Premier Trotting Sale graduate, Sultan Sass won four races for Shellie in her first season of racing.
Paddy subsequently bought the five-year-old for the Gnotuk Equine Group, managed by Brisbane Lions footballer Darcy Gardiner and the Levarg Racing Group.
Gardiner was introduced to trotting by close friend and former teammate Lewis Taylor, who used to help out at the Lee and Craven stables. The Lions defender has part-owned the likes of Cups winner Code Bailey, emerging star Highway To Heaven, smart trotting mare Imamaorijet and Van Mara.
Lee is confident the loosely assessed Sultan Sass will make the grade.
“She took a while to find her feet but I’m hoping that when she gets to race against the bettor ones she’ll be suited by the faster tempo,” he said.
Sultan Sass’s immediate aim will be the Group 2 $30,000 Matriarch Trot at Melton on June 25.
Other APTS sale graduates to emerge successful this week have been Locksley Lover (Melton), Alpha Male (Kilmore), Victree Hill (Ararat) and Lindy’s Love (Menangle).
