The Narcissist, the convincing winner of the $30,000 City of Melton Plate and one of the stars of the autumn racing at Melton, is the last foal of his dam Smooth Sista, a Modern Art mare who given away by her breeders as a riding hack three years ago.

Smooth Sista, who failed to win a race in 24 starts, had rather a chequered career as a broodmare.

“The first year she missed, the second year she missed, then she had two dead foals,” Rochester horseman Garry Coghill, who bred from her with wife Kay, said.

“Then we got a Betterthancheddar colt out of her which we took to the yearling sales but nobody wanted him, so we brought him home but all it wanted to do was to kick me out of the cart!

“We then mated her with Always B Miki and The Narcissist is the result.

“He was a really nice type as a yearling.”

The Narcissist was knocked down to the now Queensland-based Riley Butt for a modest $12,500 at the inaugural Nutrien Equine Melbourne yearling sale in 2021.

The couple began breeding and racing standardbreds as a hobby over 15 years ago.

“I still rate Young Modern as the best one we’ve bred, but The Narcissist is getting up there,” he said.

The Narcissist did not race as a two and three-year-old. He began his career at four with Butt in Queensland, winning his first three starts.

The gelding was later entrusted to Ballarat horsewoman Emma Stewart and hasn’t looked back since, winning his last six outings including three at Melton and one at Menangle (in 1:49.8) by a combined margin of 50 metres.

Other winners bred by the Coghill’s have been Bettabrown Tiger (13 wins), Twoforsixty (13 wins), Cool Machrista (12 wins), Lavaughn (10 wins), Bettablack Tiger (4 wins from 6 starts to date) and Act Of Valor.

 “We get a big thrill from watching all the horses we’ve bred go around,” Garry said.

Delightful Tammy, the winner of the Gawler Gold Pacing Cup, was bred by Bruce and Vicki Edward, of Durham Park Standardbreds.

Elite Stride, a Derby-winning son of Muscle Hill, was represented by his first winner with his first starter in the two-year-old colt Who’s Ya Daddy at Addington. Elite Stride stands at Alabar Bloodstock’s Victorian farm.

Broodmare Kabbalah Karen B, owned by Bill and Anne Anderson’s Lauriston Bloodstock, produced her seventh winner when the three-year-old filly Luv The Nitelife (by Poster Boy) scored on debut at Geelong.