Trotters Cup win for tyro breeder
By Peter Wharton
Escape The Pace, the brilliant winner of the Group 3 Bulli Trotters Cup at Menangle last Saturday, is the first winner ever bred by globetrotting North Island horseman Nigel Fahy.
“She’s the first winner I’ve bred out of the only mare I own,” Fahy said.
Nigel Fahy with Foiled Again, on one of his many working trips to USA
Fahy, the farm manager of Breckon Farms, was offered the Christian Cullen mare Close Escape by a friend Gareth Dixon, who trained one of her earlier foals, Mr Henry (by Mach Three), for the late Bill Callaghan.
Mr Henry was later sold to Western Australia and won five races and took a mile record of 1:57.1.
Escape The Pace (by A Rocknroll Dance) is the fourth foal out of Close Escape.
Fahy sold her as weanling at the All Aged Sale at Karaka in 2019 to clients of Glen Harwood’s Clevedon stable for a modest $5,000.
She has now won nine races and $93,842 in stakes.
Escape The Pace began racing as a two-year-old, placing once from five attempts. At three she really came into her own, winning six races including four at Alexandra Park and two at Cambridge Raceway.
Escape The Pace
(c) Menangle Harness
She won a further two races with three seconds from seven starts this season before crossing the Tasman in April.
Having only her second start on Australian soil, Escape The Pace led throughout to beat a handy field in the Trotters Cup at Menangle. She carved out the last two fractions in 28.8 and 28.7 for a mile rating of 2:00.6 for the 2300 metre standing start.
Since producing Escape The Pace in 2018, Close Escape has left Mandown (by Vincent), a three-year-old winner in 1:58.9 at Auckland recently, Collateral Beauty, a two-year-old Vincent filly now on her second prep with Cambridge horsewoman Arna Donnelly and an Always B Miki weanling colt.
She is safely in foal to Downbytheseaside.
She’s Heavenly, a Rock N Roll Heaven daughter of Close Escape, left the ill-fated NSW provincials winner Sweet Heaven (1:55.9).
Close Escape, who was unraced, ranked as a sister to the very smart racemare Delightful Christian, Whambam, a winner of more than $420,000 in America, and the dual Oaks winner Tosti Girl, dam of the 2018 NZ Cup winner Thefixer, and a half-sister to the NZ, Australian and American winner Runrunjimmydunn ($608,130).
Other good pacers further back in this pedigree have been the NZ Sires Stakes’ champions Paula Michelle and Classical, My Kiwi Mate (Bendigo Cup), Park Life (Australian Pacing Gold 2YO), My Sweetchilliphilly (Bathurst Gold Tiara) and a top Tasmanian pacer in Harjeet.
Escape The Pace, the brilliant winner of the Group 3 Bulli Trotters Cup at Menangle last Saturday, is the first winner ever bred by globetrotting North Island horseman Nigel Fahy.
“She’s the first winner I’ve bred out of the only mare I own,” Fahy said.
Fahy, the farm manager of Breckon Farms, was offered the Christian Cullen mare Close Escape by a friend Gareth Dixon, who trained one of her earlier foals, Mr Henry (by Mach Three), for the late Bill Callaghan.
Mr Henry was later sold to Western Australia and won five races and took a mile record of 1:57.1.
Escape The Pace (by A Rocknroll Dance) is the fourth foal out of Close Escape.
Fahy sold her as weanling at the All Aged Sale at Karaka in 2019 to clients of Glen Harwood’s Clevedon stable for a modest $5,000.
She has now won nine races and $93,842 in stakes.
Escape The Pace began racing as a two-year-old, placing once from five attempts. At three she really came into her own, winning six races including four at Alexandra Park and two at Cambridge Raceway.
She won a further two races with three seconds from seven starts this season before crossing the Tasman in April.
Having only her second start on Australian soil, Escape The Pace led throughout to beat a handy field in the Trotters Cup at Menangle. She carved out the last two fractions in 28.8 and 28.7 for a mile rating of 2:00.6 for the 2300 metre standing start.
Since producing Escape The Pace in 2018, Close Escape has left Mandown (by Vincent), a three-year-old winner in 1:58.9 at Auckland recently, Collateral Beauty, a two-year-old Vincent filly now on her second prep with Cambridge horsewoman Arna Donnelly and an Always B Miki weanling colt.
She is safely in foal to Downbytheseaside.
She’s Heavenly, a Rock N Roll Heaven daughter of Close Escape, left the ill-fated NSW provincials winner Sweet Heaven (1:55.9).
Close Escape, who was unraced, ranked as a sister to the very smart racemare Delightful Christian, Whambam, a winner of more than $420,000 in America, and the dual Oaks winner Tosti Girl, dam of the 2018 NZ Cup winner Thefixer, and a half-sister to the NZ, Australian and American winner Runrunjimmydunn ($608,130).
Other good pacers further back in this pedigree have been the NZ Sires Stakes’ champions Paula Michelle and Classical, My Kiwi Mate (Bendigo Cup), Park Life (Australian Pacing Gold 2YO), My Sweetchilliphilly (Bathurst Gold Tiara) and a top Tasmanian pacer in Harjeet.
