A memorable few days for All Stars. A great night for Mark and Nathan on Friday, a treble for Nathan at home base inlcuding a dashing debut from Fortify and a solid return to racing by No Matter Wat and two feature wins at Auckland -giving Jean Feiss a treble for the night also.
There was also passing the 2500 training win for Mark,though his low key reaction,while typical of the man, may also be related to the fact that he actually passed that mark counting Australian wins a long time ago and to the big names all the big races count no matter where they are.Nevertheless it is target reached by few and with the Group Ones and stake money to match.
For Nathan there was as much relief as elation.
“It is satisfying to get the wins when its on your shoulders to do it.That makes you a bit more anxious” Nathan said
All Stars, as always, plan for the future rather than celebrating the past and on Wednesday at Addington it may unleash a new star performer for the season in We Can Have it All a two year old trotting filly on debut who may already be famous to many before she steps on the track. She trialled recently at Ashburton and did well in a tight stable dominated finish with High Step who is having a break.
Raced by Americans Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover of Enviro Stables, We Can Have It All is an Australian sales purchase by the pair, well known to Kiwi fans through high profile purchases of stars like Amazing Dream and American Dealer {both trained by Nathan in Australia) in recent times, though active buyers and owners here for many years. The filly is from the first crop of Volstead, bred in the US, where he now stands, but a track star in Sweden where he won several feature races at the highest level including a G1 Invitational and the Swedish Cup.
Volstead,American owned, stands at Dublin Valley Farms in Ohio where he has a full book for 2023 but he was shuttled to Australia (based at Haras des Trotteurs in Victoria) for two years promoted as the only Cantab Hall stallion (Cantab Hall is also the sire of Father Patrick) to be available with chilled semen.
He was the leading sire of 2yo trotters with his first US crop and a Volstead yearling filly set an Ohio state record at auction for one of her sex.
We Can Have it All has the distinction of being the first foal anywhere in the world by her sire and will also be his first starter, a rare enough double as it is. Volstead had 56 positive tests in Australia in his first year and 27 in New Zealand.
“She’s a natural so an ideal type for these early trotting features. She is doing it all right so far” Nathan said.
Her dam,Duchess Ella,bred in Australia, is by Earl, and traces to Robyn Evander the source of many top trotters.In this case it is through the filly’s 3rd dam,Tabella Robyn dam of Rob the Nest and several members of the “Galleon” family.The bloodlines are there.
Keep an eye out for maiden Dare Devil second to Bollinger in an open trial at Ashburton recently who may also be on hand to race this week while Vessem,Eyeliner,Ok Boomer,Final Collect and Major Hot will be among racers or triallists in another busy week.
“I almost think we are back in Australia” Nathan quips in reference to a busy schedule in both islands.
PIC: We Can Have It All as a foal the first in the world by successful sire Volstead