By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
Next Gen has just got some serious sporting star power.
Successful breeders/owners Braeden and Caroline Whitelock purchased a filly at this year’s National Yearling Sales and have now roped in their four rugby playing sons into the ownership.
George, Adam, Sam and Luke Whitelock will race the filly along with their Mum and Dad.
“It’s the first time for the four boys ever,” says Braeden Whitelock.
The syndicate will be known as “Team Whitelock”.
“They’ve always had an interest in it but they’ve been so busy with their own families and sport and things.”
Three of the four live in New Zealand while seven test All Black Luke is still involved in European rugby, playing for Pau in France. Dual World Cup winner Sam retired last year after playing 153 tests for the All Blacks while George played just the one test and Adam made the All Black Sevens in 2014. Together all four played more than 360 games for the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
In keeping with the Next Gen theme all four now have young families of their own. George and wife Kayla have five children, including one set of twins, while Adam (and Tiffany) and Sam (and Hannah) have three and Luke and Claire two.
“There are 13 grandkids 10 and under!,” says Braeden Whitelock.
With four owners brand new to harness racing, their horse Queen Of Troy becomes Next Gen eligible, meaning she will potentially be up for big bonuses during her 2YO season.
“We love to see some positivity in the industry and Next Gen is certainly that,” says Whitelock.
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“This is an opportunity to get different new people involved and we thought from an industry perspective it’s a great initiative.”
Bred by Studholme Bloodstock’s Brian West and Neville Tilsley, Queen Of Troy is by Captaintreacherous out of Under the Odds. She was bought on the Whitelocks’ behalf by Purdon Racing for $110,000 at the Christchurch sales, and is now with co-trainer Nathan at his Pukekohe base.
“She was broken in by Stephen Boyd and is now back in work for the second time with Nathan,” says Whitelock, “although at this stage they don’t do a lot with them.”
Based at Linton in the Manawatu, the Whitelocks have been breeding and/or racing horses for “40 years” and have had a long association with both West and the Purdons.
“That was the trigger point for me,” says Whitelock, “Brian and I go way back and we’ve got the best guy in the business with Mark and Nathan so we will wait and see.”
“The usual model is sell the colts and race the fillies and if we get too many fillies we sell the odd one.”
Queen Lizzy (pictured above) is a case in point. By boom sire Captaintreacherous out of their brilliant mare Princess Tiffany, the filly was the sales topper at last year’s Karaka sales, selling to clients of Mark Jones for $270,000.
She has since had three starts, with a win at Addington on April 5.
Princess Tiffany is by far their best horse to date. She won 25 races and over $1m in lifetime stakes.
Other notables include O’Baby, who’s just been named North Island Broodmare of the Year. She’s produced some quality progeny including multiple Group winners Mo’unga (11 wins) and Treacherous Baby (6 wins).
Another good winner for the Whitelocks, Minnie Moose (8 wins) was a star in the breeding paddock too. Among her stock was Funatthebeach. He has won 44 races, mainly in North America, with stakes earnings just shy of $1.4m.
Time will tell whether Queen Of Troy can live up some of the stars the Whitelocks have been associated with in the past.
“She’s still only a yearling so it will be a while before we know if she has any ability,” says Braeden Whitelock, “and we hope it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“There’s been a bit of banter already.”
