APG Brisbane Sales race winner has stout NZ breeding background 

By Peter Wharton 

Hunger Strike wins the APG Brisbane Sales Graduate 2YO Final at Albion Park – Dan Costello photo

Hunger Strike (Stay Hungry – Rebby – Artiscape) , the winner of the $156,000 Australian Pacing Gold Brisbane Sales Graduate 2YO Final at Albion Park, was bred in Queensland by Kate Baring but has strong breeding ties to New Zealand.

In fact, four of the biggest names in NZ standardbred breeding in Ailsa and Charlie Smaill (of ‘Jaccka’ fame), the late Wayne Francis, founder of Nevele R Stud, Motu Lodge studmaster the late George Timperley and the late Ray Kennedy (of ‘Maguire’ fame) all played a strong hand in the breeding of Australia’s latest juvenile classic winner. 

Hunger Strike, a two-year-old filly, was sired by the USA Breeders Crown champion Stay Hungry, a Somebeachsomewhere horse who has left 10 individual winners from 19 starters in his first Australian crop of 46 foals. 

From 10 starts she has won three and been five times placed for $100,651 in stakes, a worthwhile return for the $42,000 paid for her at the Australian Pacing Gold sale at the Gold Coast in 2023.  

Stay Hungry

Raced by a syndicate including Melbourne breeder-owner Harvey Kaplan and his wife Shelley, Hunger Strike is the first produce of the Western Terror mare Tori May, a winner of eight races at Albion Park and $52,861 in stakes. 

Tori May, who was also bred in Queensland, is out of the NZ bred Rebby, who won 13 races and $84,436 and left four winners including the exported Firebby (1:51.2) and Mister Rebbily (1:52). 

The next dam, Tina Jaccka, who was bred by the Smaill husband-and-wife team, won four races and produced two winners, while the third dam, Tentative, was bred from with marked success by Wayne Francis and George Timperley. She threw seven winners including six inside 2:00. 

Besides Tina Jaccka, Tentative was also the dam of the NSW Canola Cup winner Motu Surprise Gift, the exported Barchetta (1:50.8) and the NZ Sales Graduette victor Unrehearsed, who, in turn, left a string of winners headed up by the outstanding racemare Lizzie Maguire, a winner of 12 races including the Great Northern Oaks and Harness Jewels and $477,366 in stakes. 

Tentative, who was only lightly raced, founded one of the strongest branches of the prized Moor Chimes family. Other members of it include the sub 1:50 performers Mongolian Hero and Fabrizio, Kimani ($351,630), the cup winners Thomas Maguire, Matt Maguire, Fletch Maguire and Major Callum, and many others. 

Hunger Strike promises to do this fine family further credit.