Southland bred filly retires after Oaks triumph
By Peter Wharton
The Art Major filly Showsomejoy, who was bred in New Zealand’s deep south by Clark Barron and Eric Parr and later sold to Australian interests, finished her racing career in a blaze of glory in Adelaide recently.
Showsomejoy
Photo (c) Walter Bulyga
She overcame a difficult barrier draw and a poor passage before comfortably beating the best three-year-old fillies in the State in the time-honoured South Australian Oaks. Actually she was a class above her rivals, and was not seriously tested in running out the 1800 metres at a 1:56.4 mile rating.
From 11 starts she won seven and was three times placed for $134,996 in stakes for the Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock groups.
Earlier in the season Showsomejoy captured the Group 1 $150,000 Vicbred Super Series final at Melton and finished a creditable third to Coastal Babe and Kiss in the $150,000 Victoria Oaks.
She is due to be mated with Always B Miki.
Showsomejoy is the second foal of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Somejoy, who won eight races and took a mile mark of 1:53.2 under the direction of Barron.
“She was a pretty smart horse. She wasn’t top line but she was smart enough,” Barron said.
Somejoy’s first foal, Somejoyful, has won three races at the Victorian provincials to date.
After failing to get into foal for two years, Somejoy has since produced a rising yearling colt, Goingsome (by Always B Miki), and an Always B Miki filly foal.
“We’re going back to him again this season,” Clark said.
Somejoy was one of five winners – all inside 2:00 – left by the Bettor’s Delight mare Jumpforjoy, a winner of seven races including the 2011 Southland Oaks and $94,654.
Besides Somejoy, she is also the dam of the top flight Western Australian pacer Jumpingjackmac, a winner of five Group races and $921,708 to date, the Melton winner Jumpingjoy and the NZ winners Allaboutjoy and Feelthejoy.
“Numbercruncher, a two-year-old colt out of her, has won two qualifiers and two workouts, the yearling filly Alwaysbjoy has had a couple of preps and a rising yearling filly Morejoy has been broken in and gaited.
“We’re now breeding from Feelfthejoy but unfortunately she had a dead foal this year with her first foal,” Barron said.
Barron began his association with this family as the trainer of Joyfulbelle, a Road Machine mare who was bred and owned by the late Alec McDonald, of Mosgiel.
Joyfulbelle won eight races including the Robin Dundee Crown and Wyndham Cup and at the stud produced seven winners headed up by a fine racemare in Bettor Joy, who won twice at Group level in NZ and later competed with real distinction against the top mares in America. She finished up with a stake tally of $613,164.
Joyride winning at Ashburton
Photo (c) Race Images Ajay Berry
Among others from Joyfulbelle were the NZ Sires Stakes’ champion and Harness Jewels winner Joyfuljoy ($480,442), Vergeofgreatness, a winner in 1:52.8 in America, Joyfuldolly (1:56.5) and Alexsjoy.
The two-year-old Joyride, a winner in 1:55.4 at the Cup Week meeting at Ashburton, is another member of this fine family.
“Joyfulbelle left a real legacy. We’re now on the third or fourth generation,” Barron stated
