It was a case of beginner’s luck for Beremboke (near Ballan) breeder Frank Gauchi whose first broodmare The Cooler is the dam of Insulator, the winner of the first two-year trotting race for the season at Maryborough.
Driven by his trainer Joe Pace, the Classic Connection gelding began swiftly from the pole to assume control and trotted flawlessly throughout to win comfortably by 16 metres.
“He’s the first horse that I’ve bred that I’ve won with,” Gauci, a retired Australia Post employee, said.
“I’ve only ever had pacers. He’s the first trotter I’ve had in my life.”
Gauchi was gifted the five-time winner The Cooler as an empty mare by well known Berringa trainers Beau and AJ Tindale four years ago.
Insulator is her second foal.
“She then missed to Classic Connection and I gave her away last year,” Gauchi said.
The Cooler is a granddaughter of the broodmare hen Ido, the dam of six winners from eight foals including the cups-winning square-gaiter Danny Cash.
Gauchi, who has been involved in the sport for 25 years, currently own three broodmares in Just Irish Loch, the dam of the triple Oaks winner Shez All Rock, her daughter Our Escapade and Princess Fly High.
“The only one I bred from last season was Just Irish Loch. She’s safely in foal to Pebble Beach,” Frank said.
The best performers that Gauchi has raced have been Hilton Fly High, the winner of 20 races including the 2009 Australian Pacing Gold 3YO Final at Albion Park and almost $270,000, and the Moonee Valley and Melton winner Mister Rufus.
Pat Driscoll, the principal of Yabby Dam Farms, bred and raced winners on both islands of New Zealand last Friday night in Belle Neige, winner of the Group 3 Greenlane Trotting Cup at Auckland, and the Addington three-year-old winner I’m Connected.
Good Tobe Locksley, an impressive winner at Melton on Saturday, was bred by popular Colac couple Ian and Judi Slater.
Maestro, who won the Charlton Trotters Cup, was bred by HRV Board member Dennis Bice and his wife Brenda.
