Victoria Oaks winner traces to noted Woodlands Stud matriarch
By Peter Wharton
Coastal Babe, the commanding end-to-end winner of the Group 1 $150,000 Victoria Oaks at Melton, is a descendant of Jessie Grace, one of the foundation mares at the South Auckland breeding conglomerate Woodlands Stud.
Group 1 Pryde’s Easifeed Victoria Oaks Final, winner Coastal Babe (2)
(c) photography: Stuart McCormick
An unraced daughter of Vance Hanover, Jessie Grace was bought by Woodlands’ founders Dr Charles Roberts and his veterinary partner Dr Andrew Grierson at a mixed sale in 1995 for a paultry $400.
“We bought her pregnant to Payson’s Brother, she had Pazam inside her,” Andrew said. “He was a lovely yearling. We took him to the sales but no one wanted to buy him and we sold him afterwards with another horse on top.
“Pazam went on to become the fastest three-year-old in Australasia at one stage at 1:55.4.”
Grierson estimates that the stud has bred from around 16 mares from this family down through the years.
Coastal Babe, a daughter of Woodlands’ brilliant, young sire Downbytheseaside, is three times removed from Jessie Grace, being out of Jessie’s Girl, an unraced Bettor’s Delight mare.
She was bred and raised at Woodlands Stud, who knocked her down for $65,000 at the National Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2022 to the leading Australian syndicators Summit Bloodstock and Aaron Bain Racing.
Trained by Pukekohe horseman Steven Reid, Coastal Babe began her career as a two-year-old, winning three of her five starts for $152,325 including the Group 1 $104,000 Caduceus Club Classic at Auckland and the Listed $150,000 NZB Harness Million at Addington.
Coastal Babe as yearling
She was crowned the NZ 2YO Filly of the Year and the North Island 2YO of the Year in 2023 in recognition of her deeds.
As a three-year-old she has totted up four wins with one placing from nine starts to date for $208,218 headed up by the Listed $150,000 NZB Harness Million and the Victoria Oaks and is ranked among the top bracket in Australasia for her sex and age.
Coastal Babe boasts lifetime earnings of $360,543.
She is the third foal of Jessie’s Girl and the first of her produce to win.
A filly out of Jessie’s Girl fetched $3,500 at last year’s Auckland weanling sale, while a full sister to Coastal Babe will likely be nominated for the 2025 National Yearling Sale. Jessie’s Girl is due to foal to Downbytheseaside in November.
The Jessie Grace family has earned a place all of its own in producing racemares such as Linda Lovegrace, Treacherous Love, Coastal Babe and Major Grace – all Group 1 material
– and colts in the same class such as Pacing Major, All U Need Is Faith, Smooth Deal, Three Ways, American Dealer, Aladdin and others.
“It’s been such a great family for us. We have sold a lot of horses out of it some for good money and some for only average money but a lot of people that have backed that family have done very well over the years,” Grierson summed up.