Promising pacer Ooh Ah Listah’s fighting win in a heat of the VHRC Country Clubs Championship at Maryborough on Easter Monday brought back memories for a prominent veterinarian and two of Victoria’s best-known harness racing families.

Ooh Ah Listah was bred and raised at Dr Greg and Alison Hargreaves’ Wooltech Stud at Buckrabanyule, near Charlton, the same property as Vindason (by New Derby), the first winner ever trained by legendary horseman Graeme Lang and his father, Alex, first saw the light of day 73 years earlier.

The property was then owned by Watson Paterson, a former president of the Wedderburn Trotting Club.

And Joanne Justice, who trains Ooh Ah Listah, prepares the Devilish Smile gelding on the Melton property owned by G. A. Lang’s widow, Dot. The four-year-old was driven by Joanne’s brother, Lance Justice.

Wooltech Stud comprises a 3000-acre spread at Buckrabanyule where Devilish Smile stands and another 3000-acre property at nearby Kurraca West where the former Swedish trotter Dreamcatcher has just completed his first season.

‘Doc’, as he is affectionately known, is one of the busiest men in harness racing, as besides conducting Wooltech Stud, he is the veterinarian at six northern tracks and deputises at several others including Melton.

He also operates a large merino sheep and mixed crop farm.

Hargreaves got his introduction to the standardbred breeding business on a larger scale in 2016.

“The first horse I ever bred was the Future Monarch gelding Phildarpete in 1974. I remember taking his dam Lady Vivian to Maurie Conway’s stud at Hopetoun, getting her served by him and then putting her back in the float,” Hargreaves said.

The foundation stallion at Wooltech Stud was the Treuer Memorial and Queensland 4YO Championship winner Camlach, a royally-bred son of Western Hanover and the Victoria Oaks winner Overlite.

Haregreaves later stood the Trotters Derby, Breeders Crown and dual Vicbred champion Danny Bouchea.

The stud’s resident stallions Devilish Smile and Dreamcatcher covered 28 mares between them in the closing season.

Unquestionably the best horse bred by Hargreaves so far is the Camlach four-year-old Double The Hunter, winner of this year’s Central Victorian Pacing Championship and Ouyen Pacing Cup, and $66,565 in stakes.

The gelding is owned by Hargreaves’ cousin Helen Mortlock and her son Tim, who trains him.

“He’s improving all the time. He’s always had a great presence about him,” Hargreaves said.

Other winners bred by ‘Doc’ include Popcornfriday, Sweetsazzymylazzy, Doc Harvey and the trotters Daisy Bouchea, Could Dowitharain, Boutika, Tranquil Bill, Dandify and Poppy Popstar.

Alabar Bloodstock stallions produced the trifecta in the Group 2 NZ Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham with Vessem (by Vincent) first, Major Hot (by Art Major) second and Sodoyahavtime (by Art Major) third.

The $50,000 Alabar Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for three-year-old fillies proved a triumph for former Victorian superstar pacer Lennytheshark as the sire of the quinella pair, Little Miss Lily and Lennys Angel.

Visits to leading studs including Diamond Creek Farm and Tara Hills Stud, yearling sales in Kentucky and Indiana and the Breeders Crown and Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals are part of the itinerary for the October North American Harness Racing Experience.

The tour runs from October 1 to 28.

For further details log onto harnesslink.com or email John Curtin at jdci@harnesslink.com

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.