Grand result for Group winning Katie

By Peter Wharton

Leeston professional Katie Cox is a young horsewoman in a hurry….she won her first Group race as a trainer with It’s Tough in the Welcome Stakes and notched her 99^th victory in the sulky.

Katie Cox after her group win with It’s Tough

And, just for good measure, she posted her second success as a breeder when the four-year-old trotting mare Grand Majestic Bells saluted at only her fourth start at Pinjarra (WA) on May 15.

Grand Majestic Bells is the first foal from the unraced Love You mare Chesterbelle, a mare bred by Southbridge breeder Paul Corkran, of Take A Moment fame.

“Paul passed several mares onto me when he sold up and got out of breeding and Chesterbelle was one of them,” Katie said. “I had broken in a few horses for him over the years.”

Grand Majestic Bells qualified as a two-year-old at Ashburton in April 2021, but didn’t race in her homeland.

“She had a lot of speed but needed time to strengthen up,” Katie said.

Chesterbelle’s second issue Luvavici, a three-year-old colt by Orlando Vici, also qualified at two and has ‘a great motor’ according to Katie, while her third foal, a yearling colt by Majestic Son, has been broken in and is showing a bit of promise.

“He’s a good type. I really do like him,” Katie said.

Katie with her Majestic Son-Chesterbelle yearling colt

Chesterbelle has plenty in her favour on the score of blood. Besides being by champion sire Love You, she is from the good producer All Sunny, by Sundon from the American-bred All Action Gal, a half-sister to Arndon, the progenitor of NZ siring colossus Sundon.

Chesterbelle ranks as a half-sister to four winners including the 1:58.8 Menangle victor All Action Man and to the dams of the Queensland Trotters Cup winner Southern Alps and the Melton winner Cash Lover.

Her dam, All Sunny, was a sister to three Group winning trotters in Sunny Action, All Action Son and Solar Active and to the exported All Sundon, a winner of more than $250,000.

A further two well-bred broodmares secured by Katie from Corkran are Stay A Moment, a sister to the great Take A Moment, and her Love You daughter Love A Moment.

Stay A Moment has left a Majestic Son three-year-old colt and a two-year-old filly by Volstead, while Love A Moment has produced the two-year-old Lottie’s Moment (by Majestic Son) and a yearling filly named Birstall Babe (by Muscle Mass).

Katie has also bred a Bettor’s Delight weanling colt out of the Christian Cullen mare That’s Hunting Pink, a daughter of the fine racemare Tidal Franco. The colt figures as a half-brother to the Addington juvenile winner and Group placegetter Tide And Time, who is trained by Katie for Christchurch enthusiasts Malcolm and Dianna Gillies.

“I won a race with That’s Hunting Pink at Westport one day,” Katie reflected.