Brigadiers Son a one-man horse
By Jonny Turner
There is a tale behind every winner’s path to the races, but Brigadiers Son (Bettor’s Brigadier-Red Electric-Art Major) has one that is a bit more exceptional than most.
Brigadiers Son and winning connections
(c) Monica Toretto
The three-year-old bounced back to his form with the help of a pinpoint Brad Williamson drive, scoring win number five at Southland’s Diamonds Day meeting.
Brigadiers Son is not only owned, but also trained and bred by Doug McLachlan.
The veteran horseman trained both the three-year-old’s dam Red Electric (Art Major) and his sire Bettor’s Brigadier (Bettor’s Delight).
Red Electric boasts an impressive pedigree considering her fourth dam is the sire of former leading sire and star damsire Soky’s Atom.
“She was originally trained by Jim Curtin and owned by Reg Caldow,” McLachlan said.
“I said to someone in Canterbury to have a look for a horse for me and that was the one they came up with.”
“All the time I had her she was very consistent, but mainly running placings.”
“But she had a hormone problem, she was always in season.”
“I did a lot of research into it and we ended up impregnating her with a marble which worked well.”
“But one day one of the boys said what is this marble in her box, so she must have aborted it.”
Red Electric has only had one foal in Brigadiers Son.
Brigadier’s Son came to be bred after McLachlan consulted Caldow about the idea.
“I said to Reg, because he is right into the Tesio breeding software and the breeding side of things, have a look at Bettor’s Brigadier for her.”
“He said you’ve got to go to him.”
“But he said you’ve got to go a couple of times.”
“I had enough horses around me, but when Brigadiers Son starting working up nice I sent her back and she is in foal to him at the moment.”
McLachlan trained Bettor’s Brigadier to win ten races.
The pacer was known for having plenty of ability but also a few wayward tendencies.
The trainer described Bettor’s Brigadier as a one-man horse and it seems he has passed that trait on to Brigadiers Son.
“He had a mind of his own.”
“He is very much like Brigadiers Son is.”
“In the box or standing at the races he can take a dislike to people.”
“But when you are doing anything else with him, shoeing and anything like that, he is fine.”
Brigadiers Son is one of seven foals by Bettor’s Brigadier, who is owned by Grant Sim of Southland Standardbreds Ltd.
The pacer is currently being freshened up by McLachlan after catching a cold.
Amid a good run of form for his barn, the trainer also produced Franco Huntington (Changeover-Hearldic Franco-Holmes Hanover) to win at Ascot Park earlier this month, too.
