The gallant win of Mecarno in the Group 1 $60,000 Yabby Dam Farms Victoria Trotters Derby at Maryborough was some redemption for his dam Sundon’s Pride, who ran second in the same race 18 years ago.
Bred, part-owned and trained by Ararat sportsman Gary Hull with Adelaide horseman Errol Johnson, Sundon’s Pride went on to win 16 races during her career including the SA Trotters Oaks and the Gramel Series for $112,733 in stakes.
Mecarno (by Tactical Landing), who was bred and is owned by Hull and his wife Tracy, is her fourth foal.
“We borrowed Errol’s mare Entente’s Pride after striking up a close friendship through Tracy’s father Mick Bond when Ghia was racing in Victoria,” Gary said.
Ghia, a half-sister to Sundon’s Pride, captured The Redwood in 1991 and the Vicbred Super Series in 1993.
Prior to producing Mecarno in 2021, Sundon’s Pride left the smart trotting mare Tictok, a winner of 14 races to date including two at Melton, and Sizzlin, who won three.
“She has proved hard to get into foal. We lost a filly foal by Majestic Son out of her two years ago due to a snakebite,” he said.
Hull, a former champion amateur cyclist, was ecstatic with Mecarno’s Derby triumph.
“That’s our Melbourne Cup. Every year we’d go to The Redwood and see these people win this big race and we were thinking that maybe one day we’d have one good enough. It looks like we’ve hit the jackpot,” Gary said.
“He’s only lightly raced and Mick Bellman has looked after him extra well.
“We think he’ll gone on to bigger and better things.”
Hull, who conducts a plumbing business, has a five-strong broodmare band on his western Victorian property. The group includes the half-sisters Mizurri, dam of this year’s Redwood finalist Zoolu, Jazspur, the winner of the 2024 SA Trotters Cup and $156,000, and Majestic Pride (10 wins), along with Caulfield, a daughter of the champion racemare Africa and dam of the promising youngster Rapta.
- What The Hill, the sire of the Group 1 Redwood Classic winner Notanotha Naughty, and Volstead shared the siring honours on Redwood Day with two winners
- Queen Kizen, a What The Hill half-sister to the millionairess Queen Elida, took out the SA Trotters Oaks at Globe Derby Park. The filly was bred and is jointly owned by Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson
- The Alabar Bloodstock stallion Captain Crunch received a massive boost when he left the quinella pair, Runkle Crunch and Captain Stirling, in the Group 1 $200,000 WA Derby
