Double Group Race success for Father Patrick

16 May 2022
FatherPatrickwebJuly8

It was a terrific weekend of results for the young trotting stallion Father Patrick with his progeny winning Group races on both sides of the Tasman.

First up, it was the brilliantly bred juvenile filly High Energy, who proved too strong for her rivals in the Group 3 New Zealand 2YO Trotting Stakes at Addington Raceway on Friday evening.

The Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained blueblood headed the leader at the top of the straight before kicking clear in the closing stages to win by four and a half lengths at the line.

Fellow Father Patrick filly Show No Fear finished third.

In winning, High Energy made it two wins from two starts and emulated her Muscles Yankee dam High Gait, an NZ 2YO and 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year, who won the race back in 2015 before going on to win the Group 2 Sires Stakes Trotters Championship, the Group 1 Redwood Classic and Group 1 Breeders Crown 2YO Trotting Fillies Final that year.

The following evening it was the turn of another unbeaten 2-year-old filly in the Peter Manning trained filly, Valerie Lane, who led from start to finish in the Group 1 Aldebaran Park Platinum Home Grown Classic 2YO Trotting Fillies Final at Tabcorp Park, Melton.

Taken on for the last 500m by the eventual runner-up Dichotomy, Valerie Lane dug deep in the straight to score by a neck.

She is unbeaten in three starts to date.

Valerie Lane is out of the Elsu mare Valsue, a 4-time trotting winner and full sister to the Group 2 Tatlow Trotting Stakes winner Prescient, as well as a half to the Group 1 NSW Trotting Derby winner Lord Of The Gym.

Another Father Patrick filly, Aldebaran Miley, produced a huge run to finish third after breaking early.

In the Colts and Geldings Group 1 Final, the promising Father Patrick colt Basilica finished third after a tough run sitting parked throughout.

With his biggest crop to date, Father Patrick is currently the leading sire of 2-year-old trotters in both New Zealand and Australia.