Dasher VC, bred by Stephen Woodford of Abbotsford, is making a name for himself in Western Australia.
Dasher VC recorded his 10th win from 15 starts when he was successful in the $A175,000 ($NZ225,000) Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park on Friday night. The win, along with his two seconds, took his stake earnings to $A201,402.
Woodford sold the 4yr-old to Perth last year after he had recorded a win and second in two starts from the stable of Clark Barron.
The Washington VC gelding, trained by Ross Oliveri for Paul and Tony Poli, led all the way and won untouched to break the Gloucester Park mile rate for the 2506m, recording 1.57.1, bettering the previous best of 1.57.4 set in 1994.
He set a Western Australia record for 2100m at his previous start with a 1.55.3 mile rate.
Dasher VC has the $A125,000 McInerney Ford 4yo Classic on Friday night as his next target. Oliveri is also considering the $A400,000 Western Australian Pacing Cup on January 21 for the horse.
Dasher VC is the last foal of Innocent Byrd, who died after leaving him. By Surmo Hanover from Field Byrd, Innocent Byrd won the first of her nine starts at Greymouth in 1991 from the stable of Kevin and Doody Townley.
Woodford leased the mare from her Christchurch owners in 1995 after seeing her advertised in the Harness Racing Weekly.
"I became interested in racing when I went to Forbury Park with my mother and father to watch horses such as Arapaho and was bitten by the bug," Woodford recalled.
Woodford, a member of the St Clair Golf Club ground staff, decided to stop breeding pacers after some 20 years when he sold Dasher VC.
"I decided to give up breeding horses after I sold Dasher. The mare died and I did not have any of her fillies. It is an expensive business but I have had many hours of pleasure from it," Woodford said.
The second foal he bred from Innocent Byrd was White Foot Cam, who won three races before he sold him to the United States. She also left the winner Uisqe Baugh, whom he also sold.
Woodford met his first success in harness racing with the filly Ghandi's Pride, whom he raced on lease with a friend, Sandy Wilson. She left him the winner Lady Miles, who won two heats of the Southland Oaks.
Dasher VC, who is held in high regard by Oliveri and driver Chris Lewis, traces to a prolific winning family for the Dalgety family of Oamaru.
Queen's Coronet, the great granddam of Dasher VC, produced two top-line pacers in the 1960s, Indecision and Chief Command (both by My Chief). She also left handy performers Lord Paso, Fielders Queen, Living Doll and Jack Ruler.
Jim Dalgety bred Indecision and his year older brother Chief Command.
Indecision won 12 races in the mid-1960s for his owner and trainer Ces Donald. He won the Canterbury Free-For-All at the 1967 New Zealand Cup meeting, the Ashburton Cup and the Rangiora Cup. Chief Command won 13 races during the same era.
Jim Dalgety trained the upstanding entire to win four races as a 3yr-old for Peter van der Looy.
He won two races as a 4yr-old when prepared by Bob Young.
He won a race during the 1968 Interdominion series at Auckland when trained by Derek Jones and Jack Grant.
He was purchased by Ces Donald as a 6yr-old. Donald trained him for four wins that season, including the 1968 Ashburton Flying Stakes when he beat the 1968 New Zealand Cup winner Humphrey.
In 1968 he emulated his older brother by winning the Rangiora Cup beating Humphrey, Lordship and Alakasam.
He won two races as a 7yr-old including the New Zealand Free-For-All, beating Holy Hal.
• Unique Star, who is down to race at Addington on Saturday and Waimate on Sunday, is now in the stable of Peter and Leonie Jones. The winner of 11 races, Unique Star has not been successful for 11 months. His last eight wins have been from the stable of Mark Jones.
El Nino, who has not raced since June, is now trained by Murray Brown. He won three races, including the 2009 Kindergarten Stakes when trained by Doug McLachlan.
