Prominent Wagga horseman Paul Kahlefeldt had a ‘night of nights’ at Cranbourne last Saturday when he bred the winners of two of the four Group races at the Gippsland club’s signature meeting.
Leap To Fame produced an extraordinary performance to outstay a star-studded field in track record time to win his third Group 1 $150,000 Decron Cranbourne Gold Cup in succession.
Thirty minutes earlier the star five-year-old War Dan Buddy came from second last with a stomping four-wide run to prevail in the Group 3 $50,000 Blue Hills Rise 4YO & 5YO Championship.
Kahlefeldt bought Leap To Fame’s dam Lettucereason for a handsome $50,000 at the Australian Pacing Gold Melbourne yearling sale in 2010.
“We won seven races with her and then sent her to Luke McCarthy. That’s the irony of the whole thing. Luke’s now competing against Lettucereason’s progeny!” Paul said.
Lettucereason totted up 17 wins and numerous Group 1 placings and was a smart racemare in her own right.
Meanwhile, Lettucedance, the dam of War Dan Buddy, was bred and raced by Paul and won four races.
Both mares were both sold as part of a dispersal of Kahlefeldt’s breeding stock a few years ago.
“Lettucereason missed getting into foal for six seasons in a row after dropping Leap To Fame,” he said.
“I haven’t bred any this season. It’s the first time for many years that I haven’t bred one.
“My son Justin has got right into the breeding game. He’s got four really top line mares including Leap To Fame’s dam.”
All told, Kahlefeldt’s Redbank Lodge Standardbreds has bred the winners of an amazing 27 Group 1 races in Australia and New Zealand. The list includes Leap To Fame (15), Swayzee (five), Lettucerockthem (four) and Nathan Street, Bamako Mali and Sheezallattitude one each.
- Kyvalley Ray, who is owned by prominent Victorian breeder Jim Connelly, was named the NZ 2YO Trotting Colt/Gelding of the Year for 2025 on the back of his Sires’ Stakes Championship and Harness Million victories
- The round of yearling sales commences on Sunday with the Australian Pacing Gold Queensland Sale at Ipswich racecourse. A total of 44 well bred lots will go under the hammer
- Maryborough breeder-owner Peter Gleeson landed a winning double at the Devonport Cup meeting at Launceston with the close relatives Enjoy Life and Celebrity Royal
- Ghost Of Time, an impressive end-to-end winner at the Cranbourne Cup meeting, was bred by former longstanding Harness Breeders Victoria secretary and committeeman Ian Kitchin
