Duty Bound covenant brings rewards
By Peter Wharton
Duty Bound, who posted his eighth lifetime success at Gloucester Park recently and lifted his bankroll to almost $70,000, is certainly living up to his name.
Duty Bound parades after winning at Gloucester Park
(C) RWWA
The Mach Three eight-year-old gelding, who was bred by respected Gore horseman Robin Swain and his wife Mandy, is out of Hereshoping, a Washington VC mare willed to them by legendary Eastern Southland harness racing identity the late Colin Baynes.
“I was working for Colin at the time of his passing and in his will he left me to pick from three or four mares and Hereshoping was one of them,” Robin said.
Trained by Swain, Hereshoping registered eight placings from 26 starts before being sold to Melbourne owners Merv and Meg Butterworth in 2012.
“We sold her to Merv on the proviso that after she finished racing she would come home because we wanted to breed from her,” Swain said.
“I didn’t have anything left out of the family. She was the last one.”
Hereshoping won four races at the Victorian provincials from only 11 starts.
However, the mare kicked a rail one day and suffered a career-ending leg injury.
“Merv was good to his word and he fixed her up and sent her home again,” Robin said.
Duty Bound is the third foal and only winner left by Hereshoping.
“I trained him as a three-year-old. He had two placings and then Merv bought him,” Swain said.
“He had a mind of his own. He had a bit of the Mach Three streak in him.”
Duty Bound won five races in Victoria including two at Melton before being transferred to Perth trainers Jemma Hayman and Ross Olivieri about 15 months ago.
He has since won a further three races with seven placings from 18 starts at Gloucester Park and has worked his way back to a NR70 mark.
Hereshoping’s last foal is a three-year-old colt by the Christian Cullen horse Raging Bull.
“He was broken in as a yearling along with four others but I didn’t have the time to do much with them. He’s being worked now,” Colin said.
“I’ve got one out of Opera Doon, an unraced half-sister to Hereshoping, called Meandmyshadow. I qualified her a few weeks ago.
“I’m hoping to either sell it or race it.”
Swain said that Colin Baynes bred a lot of good horses from Duty Bound’s family.
The list includes the NZ Flying Stakes winner Country Ways, Clancy (Hannon Memorial), The Phantom (Vic. 4YO Bonanza), Stratofortress, Nellie Doon, Rockem ($290,000) and the country cups winners Doncaster, Gentle Sir and Hi Gear.