Always Treasure, a trotting mare owned by Cranbourne identity David Scott, provided one of the highlights of last week’s Victorian racing from a breeding standpoint when she produced two winners from as many starters in the space of 48 hours.
The seven-year-old Dona Amalia, Always Treasure’s first foal, came from near last to score at Bendigo on Wednesday night to post her ninth lifetime win, while her younger sibling Spirited Lass registered her sixth success at the Melton day meeting on Friday.
The Sundon mare is also the dam of Hurricane Katie, who won twice at Shepparton last year, and the three-year-old filly Morning Dove, a placegetter from only three attempts so far.
“She only had four foals for four to the races,” Scott, the president of the Cranbourne Harness Racing Club, said. “Unfortunately we had to put her down last breeding season after she got an infection.”
Scott originally bought Always Treasure in New Zealand from the late Carl Middleton, one of the Dominion’s most decorated breeders and trainers of straightout trotters.
“I told Carl that I was looking for a three or four-year-old trotting mare,” Scott said. “I brought her over with the intent of racing her and then retiring her to stud.
“I liked her breeding. She traces back to the Inter Dominion winner Fraggle Rock and her second dam produced a couple of nice horses.”
Always Treasure won a total of six races – three in NZ and three in Victoria – before heading to the broodmare barn.
“I sold Dona Amalia through the yearling sales to John Tormey,” Scott stated.
“I retained Hurricane Katie and sold Spirited Lass at the sales but retained an interest in her. She’s raced by Cranbourne’s Duncan McPherson and Darryl and Colin Martin along with some other Cranbourne folks.”
Scott has bred a string of top trotters down through the years including The Redwood winners Elusive Charm and Cognati, the Vicbred champions Is That A Bid and Locksley Lover and the cups winner Melpark Magic.
He is offering two yearlings by the highly touted Walner horse King Of The North at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne sale in April including a filly out of the Majestic Son mare Zippin Around, a daughter of Scott’s foundation mare Sunny Folly.
- Kimcando, a mare bred by Gippsland breeder Greg Fusinato, took out the Junee Pacing Cup on Saturday night. She is out of the Victoria Ladyship Cup winner Jazzam
- The cleverly named Signature Look, a three-year-old colt by Poster Boy, won the Colin and Heather Holloway Classic at the Ballarat Cup meeting. The colt was bred by central Victorian horseman Robert Rothacker
- Seaside Serenade, a filly by the Woodlands Stud sire Downbytheseaside, won the first two-year-old race of the season at Pinjarra (WA) on the Australia Day public holiday
