Iggos produce Southwind Frank’s first NZ winner

Iggos produce Southwind Frank’s first NZ winner

By Duane Ranger

Breeders Crown champion, O’Brien 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, and 2015 Dan Patch victor, Southwind Frank, has left his first New Zealand winner – and third ‘Down Under’.

The 9-year-old son of Muscle Hill and Flawless Lindy (Cantab Hall) would have been a proud Dad when the Philip and Martine Iggo bred 3-year-old filly – Sandfly Bay (Southwind Frank – Jeepers I Love You- Love You) – notched up her maiden victory from four starts when victorious in race one at Ashburton on Monday (June 4).

That two-length triumph came 60 days after Southwind Frank produced his first Australian winner when the Aldebaran Lodge-bred Aldebaran Brooke (2019 Southwind Frank – Excellent Boko – Broadway Hall filly) won at Shepperton on April 5. She and Chris Alford then repeated the dose at Ballarat last start (May 3).

Southwind Frank has 31 foals in Australia, the first crop being in 2019.  He has three starters there.

In New Zealand he has served 33 mares – 11 in 2019; 10 in 2020; eight in 2021; two in 2022, and two this last season.

Stallions Australasia Principal in New Zealand, Peter O’Rourke, said Southwind Frank had now had two starters to the races in New Zealand for one winner, and a couple of trials triumphs.

His other starter, the 3-year-old Dave and Clare McGowan (Pukekohe) trained It Aint Be Me Babe, is a four-race filly out of the three-win Majestic Son 13-year-old mare, Alexandra Leaving.

It Aint Babe has had two trial wins, and a fourth has been her best result from four race-day starts.

“Southwind Frank was a very good racehorse and Dan Patch winner, who had breeding issues early on which set him back. He’s bounced back very well now though and has produced some nice foals in the Northern Hemisphere.

“Bond is one who springs to mind. She won first-up in 1:52. As a 2YO won the PA Sire Stakes final, Kindergarten final, and Goldsmith Maid final and in her seasonal debut at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania last Sunday she sprinted home in 26.8 for a powerful victory in 1:52.6.

We are still finalizing Southwind Frank’s frozen semen arrangements this year, but it would come as no surprise to me if he kept producing winners, or a champion one day,” O’Rourke said.

“You only have to look what he achieved on the racetrack and what his progeny (mostly yearling and 2yos) are now achieving,” he added.

Southwind Frank, who was a $100,000 yearling purchase was bred by Southwind Farms. He won 11 of his 12 two-year-old starts.

“He was a great horse that was dominant as a 2-year-old, but I was even more impressed by the grit and determination he showed as a 3-year-old. He was never fully healthy and sound, but he tried 150% each and every start.  This is the sign of a true champion,” said driver Yannick Gringras.

Meanwhile, Flaxton (North Canterbury)-based Iggo said he went to Southwind Frank because he knew how good a racehorse he was and how well his 2-year-olds had already performed.

“I read one of his foals had won seven of her eight starts, and I liked the fact that he was a well-bred son of Muscle Hill. I thought I’d give his frozen semen a try and I’m glad I did.

“I always liked Sandfly Bay when she was a foal. She was a big strong, snazzy, aggressive horse. I liked her, but my numbers were getting high, and I decided to sell her on Gavel house.

“That’s when Bruce Negus bought her (March 22). He’s done a wonderful job with her. She won her trial first-up at Rangiora (March 30) and now’s she’s won her first race for him. I’m really pleased for Bruce and the filly,” Iggo said.

The Negus trained and Sheree Tomlinson driven Sandfly Bay sat midfield before making her move at the 400m. The acceleration in the straight was phenomenal.

“I think she will win a few more going by the way she ran past them. The change of scenery has obviously done her the world of good. I certainly don’t think this will be New Zealand’s only Southwind Frank winner,” Iggo said.

Iggo said he got into Sandfly Bay’s family back in the ‘Gee Whiz days’ when he was looking for mares to breed from.

“We were advertising for four-win-plus mares back then and we obtained two mares out of May’s Brigade (1958 Fourth Brigade – May Potts – Rey Potts mare). One was a Spark Gap mare, May Spark (1967 – six wins) and the other was a Westland King mare named Rainbow Valley (1972 – five wins),” Iggo said.

He explained that Rainbow Valley was the great-grand-dam of Sandfly Bay.

Iggo bred the last three of Rainbow Valley’s nine foals. Their first being the most successful of that family – the eight-win 1990 Gee Whiz II black mare, Jeepers.

In turn Jeepers left 13 foals between 1999 and 2012 – the best of them the 2005 nine-win ($70,091) Sundon gelding Sunnivue Ted, and the last of them and Sandfly Bay’s dam, the 2012 unraced Love You mare, Jeepers I Love You.

Jeepers I Love You’s first foal, the 2018 Angus Hall colt, No Way Josea, suffered a paddock accident and never raced. His mother never raced due to ‘nasty noises in training’.

Sandfly Bay was born next on November 2, 2019, and since then the mare has left a 2-year-old Andover Hall colt, and a Muscle Mass weanling colt born on January 2.

“The Andover Hall colt is a bit nervy, but has a nice way of trotting, so we are hopeful. Tom Bagrie now has the mare, and he bred the last one from her,” Iggo said.

Iggo, who is breeding from just four mares now, said he had been producing standardbreds from the mid-1970s, breeding from the 1960 Brahman mare, Hindu Star.

The first horse he bred from her was the 1977 unraced Willie Win mare, Naivasha. The best Iggo has bred are Bordeaux and The Fat Controller.

Bordeaux, a 2010 Love You – Sapient – Britewell gelding won 11 of his 41 starts ($174,049), while The Fat Controller, a 2002 Britewell – Lady Robinson – Lordship gelding, won 11 of his 78 starts ($150,298).

Bond (Southwind Frank) 3YO Pocono Downs last Sunday resuming