Southern bred and reared pacer stars in WA
By Peter Wharton
Tough and talented four-year-old Himself (Sportswriter – Shards of Myross) is proving a splendid advertisement for the Southland sales marketing collective Southern Bred Southern Reared in Australia.
The gelding, who was bred by Invercargill breeders Mark and Debbie Smith, of Shard Farm, took his record in WA to five starts for four wins and a second when he led most of the way to win the Group 3 $30,000 Marathon (3309 metres) at Gloucester Park last Friday.
Mark and Debbie Smith with Colin Hair
One week earlier he finished a close second to Socrates in the Group 2 $50,000 San Simeon.
He now boasts a bankroll of $83,767.
Himself was knocked down to Woodend Beach horseman Bob Butt for $30,000 at NZ Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Christchurch in 2019.
“He was a lovely looking individual in stark contrast to his dam who was a raw boned McArdle mare,” Debbie Smith said.
Trained by Butt, who part-owned him, Himself began racing as a two-year-old but he did not his straps until the outset of his four-year-old year.
He won three races including two at Addington with three placings from nine starts before being exported to Perth in May.
Himself is the first foal of his dam, Shards Of Myross, a half-sister to the NZ Derby and Sires’ Stakes 2YO Championship winner Likmesiah 1:55.9 ($427,965) and Mighty Cullen 1:50.4 ($643,448), a winner of 51 races in NZ and America, being out of She’s Mighty, by New York Motoring from the Lordship mare Mighty Miss Mac, and tracing to the taproot Millie C.
“We bought She’s Mighty for $3,000 after she had left Likmesiah and Mighty Cullen,” Debbie said.
The Smith’s bred eight foals out of She’s Mighty and five were successful including Mister Presley 1:54.1 ($259,444), a dual Group winner at Menangle, the Melton winners Shards Of Cullen (1:54) and Shard Ark and the Gloucester Park victor Mighty Shard.
Shard’s Fantasy, an unraced Pacific Rocket mare from She’s Mighty, left five sub 2:00 winners headed up by the VHRC 3YO Cup winner Bledisloe, the Gunbower Cup victor Rick Reilly and the prolific Albion Park winner Slice Of Heaven.
The Smith’s are currently breeding from two daughters of She’s Mighty in Shards Of Myross (dam of Himself) and the Western Ideal mare Priscilla Shard, dam of the four-time winner and Show Day Futurity placegetter Romeo Shard.
“We have nominated a Sweet Lou filly from Priscilla Shard and an Always B Miki filly out of Shards Of Myross for the Christchurch sale next February,” Debbie said.
“Priscilla Shard is in foal to Captain Crunch and Shards Of Myross is in foal to Downbytheseaside.”