Photo: The Creek
Queensland breeders and bloodstock agents Stuart and Marg Valentine enjoyed one of their finest moments in harness racing when their homebred two-year-old filly Sweet Leah Jane captured the $100,000 Australian Pacing Gold Brisbane Sales Graduate Final at Albion Park last Saturday.
Trained and driven by Birnam horseman Shane Graham, the Sweet Lou filly, who was making only her third appearance, led from go to whoa at a slick 1:53.9 rating for 1660 metres.
“We’ve been supporters of APG ever since it started and she’s the first Final winner we’ve bred,” Stuart, who conducts Standardbreds All In One, said.
The couple offered Sweet Leah Jane at the APG sale at Ipswich last year and knocked her down to Nanango publican and prominent owner Peter Jackson and his wife Leah for $36,000.
“We bought her dam Shandance off Cambridge (NZ) horseman Maurice McKendry. She won one race in NZ and eight with Steve and Amanda Turnbull in NSW,” Stuart said.
Sweet Leah Jane is the third foal and winner out of the royally bred Shandance.
“Her first foal Art Ideal has won nine races and ran third at Gloucester Park last Friday and her second Morefuntocome won her first race at Redcliffe on Monday.
“She’s due to foal to Downbytheseaside at the end of next month and she’s going back to Sweet Lou.
“We’ve bred five individual winners in the last three weeks.”
Earlier in the night, the Dancin Lou gelding Maywyn Son Of Lou scored a commanding victory in the $100,000 APG Final for two-year-old colts and geldings.
The youngster was bred and is raced by APG director Rob Essex and his wife Pamelia and is their first ever winner of the two-year-old series.
“It’s always a thrill to win any race especially when you breed them. We do all our own breeding,” Rob said. “I’ve been breeding them for only five years. Before that I was a buyer at the sales.”
“We won the APG 3YO Final back in 2010 with a horse that we bought at the sale named Maywyn Jasper and we’ve owned placegetters in the last two 2YO Finals at Albion Park.
Maywyn Son Of Lou also gave young trainer-driver Kelli Dawson her most important wins in the sport.
From APG Media
