Macca Takes Weanlings North With Confidence

Southern harness racing nursery Macca Lodge has twelve weanlings earmarked for this month’s NZB Standardbred National Standardbred Weanling Sale at Karaka.

The weanlings left Macca Lodge for their 1,500 kilometre trip on Saturday morning and arrived in Auckland on Monday.

“We took some up a couple of years ago and the trip went well. We put them two to a box on the truck so they’ve got their mate beside them. We’ve done a fair bit of work with them so they’re pretty chilled out. We’ve got the right tucker and we’ll keep them hydrated,” Brent McIntyre who’s travelling with the draft, said.

Five of the Macca draft are by the fresh faced Always B Miki stallion Perfect Sting. Perfect Sting won seventeen races in America including two Breeders Crowns and by the end of his racing career he’d won $1.7 million and recorded a best mile time of 1-48.2.

“They’re good lookers for a start. We just want to get them out there and get people to have a look at them and spread them around a bit. They’re not overly big but they’re a good size. ” Caine said.

The first of his New Zealand progeny on account of Macca Lodge is Lot 1004. He’s a colt out of a daughter of seven win Presidential Ball race mare Luckisaladytonight.

“If you judge a horse by its looks, this colt should do a job. He’s got good performers everywhere you look in his family,” Caine said.

The Lodge’s second weanling Lot 1008 is by the all-conquering Sweet Lou out of Jean Genie. This family has also produced Gail Dever (10 wins) and Laver (10 wins) and multiple Group winning mare Venus Serena.

“He’s a later foal (28th December) who’s a little on the small side. He’s a nice type who’s growing fast. He’s from a top family and the dam is by Mach Three and a full to Smokin By (33 wins). You don’t have to go too far back to find great horses in the family.”

A Perfect Sting filly (Lot 1016) is the next Macca Lodge weanling to go under the hammer. She’s out of Flying, an Art Major mare who’s left two winners including Rakero Maximus the winner of one from just four starts.

“She’s a really nice filly who’s a bold strong ty

pe. She’s a wee bit woolly but any decent horseman should be able to look past that. Her two year old brother Rakero Maximus was a two year old winner (by five and three quarter lengths) and looks to have a bright future.”

A half-brother to Miraculous by Perfect Sting is Lot 1020. He’s out of the Christian Cullen mare Kelly Maguire who has produced seven foals, six of which have been winners.

“He’s a later foal (13th December). He’s quite big framed and is going to get big but the dam leaves them big. She’s left plenty of quality winners and hopefully this colt will be no different.”

Lot 1028 is a Perfect Sting colt out of Miss Wilmington an unraced Grinfromeartoear mare. This colt’s second dam Trilogy Franco has left ten foals with four being winners including Franco Talon (10). This is the family of Balcatherine the winner of 12 including the Group Two City Of Perth Cup and Group One Westral Mares Classic.

“He’s a really nice type. This colt is actually my smokie. He doesn’t stack up great on paper being out of the Grinfromeartoear mare but she’s crosses great with Perfect Sting with Abercombie blood. This family runs deep going all the way back to Three Diamonds (dam of Life Sign) and it looks like he’ll go early,” Caine said.

“Balcatherine ended up being Mare Of The Year in Perth so that’s how we ended up with that mare (Miss Wilmington),” Brent who trained Balcatherine, added.

A Perfect Sting filly (Lot 1032) is the next offering from Macca Lodge. Her third dam Corporate Banner left seven race winners with Mainland Banner being her best. She won seventeen races including the New Zealand Cup, Taylor Mile, New Zealand Messenger, New Zealand Oaks and New Zealand Breeders Stakes – all Group One features.

“Another nice looking Perfect Sting who has the breeding and the looks to sell herself.”

The first of two trotting colts (Lot 1040) on offer from Macca Lodge is by Muscle Hill stallion E L Titan. E L Titan won seven races in America and $702,473. He trotted a mile in 1-51.4.

This weanling colt is out of Sundon mare Smitten who has left Kahress the winner of seven and the very promising BD Hall. This colt is from the family of Lyell Creek.

“Outstanding colt and one of the nicest foals on the farm this season who has a lot of presence. EL Titian has been in the top ten stallions list in the United States for the last eight years. He’s another colt who will sell himself.”

“Very happy with him. He’s her first foal and the dam was a top shelf mare who had electric speed and we never saw the very best of her. The Downbytheseaside cross with her should work very well.”

“Nice type. Super good looks, has a great attitude and is from a strong and current family. Horses like her sell themselves.”

The family of Christian Cullen is in the pedigree for Macca Lodge’s next offering Lot 1062. This filly is by Downbytheseaside out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Bettor See Me.

“Nice early looking type who’s built like a bull. It’s a great cross and she’s out of one of New Zealand’s great families. A very classy animal.”

Lot 1067 is a Sweet Lou filly out of unraced Art Major mare Divine Arden. Divine Arden is a half-sister to Arden’s Reality (7) and Bad Habits (3). This is the family of Ideal Scott (23 wins), Ultimate Sniper (14) and Ultimate Machete (10).

“Really nice first foal. It’s a proven cross with the likes of Spirit Of St Louis and she’s out of a famed Tuapeka family which runs deep.”

The last lot to go through the ring for Macca Lodge (Lot 1071) is a King Of The North filly out of Muscle Hill mare Hill Of Grace.

King Of The North was a World Champion and named 2021 Dan Patch Two Year Old Trotting Colt of the Year. His biggest win was in the $810,000 Breeders Crown Three Year Old Trotting Colts and Geldings Final. He’s the son of siring sensation Walner.

“Nice first foal out of a Muscle Hill mare. It’s a good modern cross, good natured and good to work with. Being by King Of The North there are a lot of bonuses like Next Gen. She would be a good buy for a syndicate.”

Over the last few years Macca Lodge has concentrated hard of upgrading its breeding stock.

“We’re culling off the bottom and adding to the top, so our mares are getting better all the time,” Brent said.

The Stud is also buoyed by what some of their weanlings from the 2023 sale have since done on the racetrack.

“We sold a couple of two year old winners last time so it’s given us the confidence to take a batch of young horses up there again to have another go. We’ve got a lot of young mares so we want to promote their progeny, and we also want to get the Perfect Stings around to,” Caine said.

The Macca Lodge 2023 weanling sale winners were Angelic Copy (sold for $7,500) which is unbeaten in her three starts and Rakero Maximus ($11,000) which won his first start as a two year old.

The National Standardbred Weanling Sale will be held at Karaka on Thursday 26th June commencing at 2.30pm.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink