23 November 2016
The highly respected and very progressive WA based, Allwood Stud and Port Pirie Harness racing club have joined forces to help drive a better harness racing future in South Australia.
While many clubs are finding it extremely hard to find corporate sponsorship, Allwood Stud and Port Pirie are working together to find new ways of fund raising for much needed capital for future programs and events.
In a first for South Australia, Port Pirie have acquired mares that will be served by Follow The Stars, the Australian and New Zealand 2yo of the year and rated one the best youngsters ever bred on our soil.
Follow The Stars won 10 of his 11 starts as a two-year-old and $455,409– a scrimmage putting him out of the race at his other appearance in the Harness Jewels at Cambridge.
He won in a career-best 1:53.8 at his second start in the Group 3 NZ Sapling Stakes in February and maintained his brilliance right to the end of a long freshman campaign, capturing the Group 1 $297,000 Breeders Crown Final at Melton at his final start, ripping home in 55.7 after being required to work overtime from an awkward barrier draw.
The charismatic colt also made a clean sweep of the Australian Pacing Gold series at Melton, winning the Group 1 $322,000 Final in runaway fashion in 1:54.1 for 1720 metres, as well as the $100,000 Cardigan Bay Stakes – his third Group 1 success — at Auckland.
Legendary NZ horseman Mark Purdon, who trained Follow The Stars, said after the Breeders Crown: “There is something special about this horse. He has a real X-factor about him. I would say he is more than up with the best two-year-olds I’ve trained…he is the best.”
The two offspring will be sold through the Harnessbred.com SA yearling Sales and all proceeds will go to PPHC.
Allwood Stud is renowned for helping out the harness racing community and this is just another great initiative driven by the friendly team from the west.
For those that don’t know about Allwood,
Allwood Stud Farm is a standard bred breeding establishment, located at the head of the beautiful Swan Valley about 40 minutes north of Perth, Western Australia.
It truly is the ‘Hidden Gem of the Swan Valley’.
Allwood Stud Farm specialises in the artificial insemination of mares using both fresh and frozen semen from resident stallions as well as interstate and overseas stallions and is strategically based (being only 25 minutes from the airport).
The stud also offers 24-hour around-the-clock care for foaling down mares, agistment of mares and foals, and many other services including the preparation of yearlings for standard bred sales.
Allwood Stud Farm, acknowledged as the premier standard bred nursery in WA, boasts 430 acres of rich loam soil and quality pasture comprised of clover and rye grasses for agisting broodmares, weanlings, and foals.
This beautiful setting, the climate, and terrain of the Swan Valley creates an ideal environment to breed and raise standard breds.
Allwood Stud Farm manager Mick Holtham and his dedicated team have extensive hands-on experience in the care and maintenance of broodmares and foals and consistently achieve excellent results getting mares into foal.
The stud is well-appointed with safe and well-maintained facilities, horse-safe fencing, modern equipment, carefully-nurtured pasture, separate paddocks for wet and dry mares, plentiful water, and a sloping landscape dotted with trees.
It’s just so exciting to see great people join forces to work towards achieving great new outcomes for the sport we all love
Well done Allwood, PPHRC and the super impressive Follow The Stars
