22.08.10
Breeders Crown Finals great showcase for Muscles Yankee
For the second year running Muscle Yankee's progeny have dominated the Australasian Breeders Crown Trotters Finals with Let Me Thru making it back to back Crown victories in the 4YO Final and Miami H taking out the 3YO Trotters Final at Tabcorp Park, Melton yesterday afternoon.
First up it was the Derek Balle trained Miami H in the AU$102,000 Group 1 3YO Trotters Final in which the royally bred colt benefited from his main rival Rostevarren galloping in the straight to claim the win by a head, although his run was still highly meritorious given that he himself had galloped at the start and given the field a 25m head start.
The second foal of Rowe Cup and Dominion Handicap winner Martina H, Miami H has now won 8 races and more than $121,000 in prize-money.
The following race it was the turn of last year's 3YO Trotters Breeders Crown Final winner Let Me Thru, with the Chris Lang trained 4yo duly delivering for punters in the $50,000 Group 1 4yo feature, holding out fellow Muscles Yankee trotter Down Under Muscles by 1.5m at the line.
Let Me Thru has won 11 of his lifetime starts to date and $201,665 in stakes-money for his owners and breeders Richard and Pauline Matthews of Warrnambol, Victoria.
Being a son of the winning Armbro Invasion mare Invasion's Pride, Let Me Thru is not only a grandson of the great trotting mare Landora's Pride (34 wins $472,842 in earnings) but also a close relative of Chris Lang's stable star and recent millionaire Sundon's Gift, with his dam a half sister to Landora's Gift, the dam of Sundon's Gift.
Muscles Yankee is also the sire of dual Breeders Crown winner Skyvalley and the 2008 2YO Breeders Crown winner Magic Interest.
This season Muscles Yankee's service fee will be in local currency at NZ$22,500 + GST (AU$24,750 incl GST).
