To be alive, let alone winning a race, is a feat in itself for Notanotha Naughty.
Given “about 20 per cent” chance of survival just hours after birth, Notanotha Naughty not only beat the odds, he is now the toast of harness racing!
Having his third start in Maryborough this afternoon, the two-year-old captured the famed Redwood Classic for breeder-trainer Hugh Cathels.
“I never dreamed he would be here winning a race like this when he was just a foal,” Cathels said. “Obviously the reason you breed them is to win these races, but the chances of him doing it never entered my mind.
“A few hours after he was born, I went to check on him and his dam and found he wasn’t drinking right, so I took him to the equine hospital.
“A scope showed he had dysphagia, which is a paralysis of the larynx and pharynx, where the milk is in his throat and is coming out of his nose.
“It was by far the worst case I have ever seen in 50 years of being a vet.
“Eight hours after being born he had aspiration pneumonia, but somehow he never got a secondary bacterial infection…he just got lucky and lived!”
To Cathels joy the son of What The Hill showed no ill-effect from his rough start to life when being broken-in as a yearling.
In fact, Notanotha Naughty impressed Glenn Hunter so much during his early preparation, he all but forced Cathels out of retirement.
“By the time he was a yearling there wasn’t much wrong with him, so we pressed on,” Cathels said. “I had no plans of ever training again and I jokingly said to Glenn ‘don’t send him back to me unless he can win The Elitloppet’.
“Not long after, Glenn told me I better take him back!”
Runner-up upon debut, Notanotha Naughty was then triumphant at his second outing before outclassing the best of his age today.
With Jason Lee holding the reins, Notanotha Naughty was settled outside the leader, Northern Truscott, from barrier four.
Bullocking his way to the front turning for home, the gelding staved off a late challenge from The Preacher to score by a half-head.
In a ‘blanket’ finish, Unclad was a half-neck away third in 2:03.6 for the 2190-metre stand.
“Jason said he switched off when he hit the front and didn’t initially see the other one coming,” Cathels explained. “When he did, he took off again.
“He was also pulling hard around the corner; he almost pulled himself into a break, so I will work on that.
“I am absolutely thrilled with how far he has come, and if he pulls up alright, I will give him a go at the Sires’ heats in a couple of weeks.”
