The Muscle Mass filly began her 3yr-old season in style with a bold win at Omakau yesterday, but she almost got sent home before her career even started, Caldow revealed yesterday.
The daughter of mare Starcus proved to be a troublemaker at the Oamaru stables of Phil Williamson, and Caldow was almost resigned to taking her back after Williamson contacted him.
''She kicked them all out of the cart - nobody wanted to drive her,'' Caldow said.
''Phil rang me twice and said he might be sending her home because she's too dangerous. She would not settle for anyone.
''Then one day I got a phone call saying I think we might be on the way.''
The cavalier streak was showing through shortly after her birth in November 2010.
''When she was only 6-weeks-old, she used to leave her mother on the other side of the paddock.
''She couldn't give a damn about her mother - she was always independent and did her own thing.''
Such disdain for her mother was a bit uncalled for, considering Starcus was a handy mare herself, winning six races, while her grandmother is Staka Pride, who won an Interdominion consolation in 1993.
''This is Starcus' first foal, and then I sold Starcus to Australia,'' Caldow said.
''As soon as we saw this filly when she was born, I knew she was what I wanted for the future. She's got a lovely big chest on her.''
Williamson trifectaThe best was yet to come for the Williamsons, when Phil's sons, Nathan, Matthew and Brad, combined to run the trifecta in the feature mobile trot for their father.
Springbank Sam, driven by eldest son Nathan (25), beat home Jag's Invasion, driven by Matthew (23), and Monnay, driven by Brad (19), held on for third over Alley Way.
All three were trained by Phil Williamson, who described the trifecta in a good trotting race as a ''big thrill''.
The victory for Springbank Sam was the tonic needed after he and Jag's Invasion both came down with a virus during New Zealand Cup week and failed in the group 1 Dominion Trot.
''It's something that's just so devastating when you've got pressure on to perform in big races and they don't.
''It's kind of gutting but all you can do is fall back and regroup. You've got to bounce back from it and go again.''
Springbank Sam and Jag's Invasion will head on to the feature trot at the Northern Southland meeting at Ascot Park on January 16, while Monnay will line up at Cromwell on Tuesday.
''Sam's probably been there and done that a little bit more - he's a very good horse, but he's probably just below a superstar trotter.
''He has probably got the all-round game to nearly be the best of those three.''
