. Photo by Lot 40 Sire Love You (FRA)
There’s virtually nothing that Victorian pedigree expert and hobby breeder Phil Trainor doesn’t know about standardbred bloodlines.
After all, Trainor worked as a pedigree researcher for Australian Pacing Gold for 17 years before his retirement in 2021. He originally started out writing pedigrees with Melbourne auctioneer Frank Minchin in 1967 and later worked under John Aughey at Wright Stephenson & Co at Ascot Vale.
After moving to North America in the 1980’s, Trainor served in the pedigree department with Tattersall’s for 12 months before joining the Kentucky Standardbred Sales Company at Lexington.
“I worked for Kentucky Standardbreds for 18 years. At one stage I was their sole pedigree person,” Trainor said.
“I wrote pedigrees for horses in America, France and Sweden.”
Trainor is now putting his knowledge of pedigrees to the test with a two-prong entry at the APG Melbourne sale at Oaklands Junction on Sunday, February 2.
Both are colts - a trotter and a pacer.
“I really love the trotters,” the Lal Lal (near Ballarat) based Trainor said.
Lot 40 is a product of the champion French sire Love You and the Dream Vacation mare Purplepeopleater, a winner of 11 races and $92,063 including the Shepparton Trotters Cup and Lyn McPherson Memorial and a placegetter in the Victorian and NSW Trotters Oaks.
Furthermore, his grand-dam Miss Valuable was a Sundon half-sister to the 1998 Inter Dominion Trotting champion Buster Hanover ($557,147), the Victorian country cups winner Mr Valuable and the top NZ trotting mares Wee Annie and Cippolini.
Other members of this fine square-gaiting tribe have been the Group 1 winners Dead Cat Mounce, Lemond and Merckx.
“He’s a late foal but is a good sized colt with a smart temperament,” Trainor said. “He can trot all day long.”
Lot 54 is a big, strong bay colt by the exciting Captaintreacherous horse Capt Midnight (1:48.6) and one of his second Australian crop.
He’s the second foal of the young Mach Three mare The Red Hen NZ.
“She showed a lot of ability before being injured and never raced,” Phil said.
The colt’s third dam Waitfornoone won 11 races and $201,804 and at the stud left five winners including four in 2:00 and three $100,000 earners.
The next dam, Twice As Good, produced nine winners with seven in 2:00 and was the ancestress of top pacers the calibre of the dual Inter Dominion Final placegetter Flaming Flutter, last year’s NZ Derby winner We Walk By Faith, Elle Mac (NZ 2YO Filly of the Year), Typhoon Banner (1:48.8), In The Spotlight (WA Diamond Classic) and the Breeders Crown champion Fiamma.
Both youngsters are being prepared by Courtney Slater, of Goodtime Racing Stable, Beeac.
For full details of Trainor’s entries and all yearlings in the 2025 Melbourne Yearling Sale please visit our Online Sales Catalogueor Register as a Buyer today!
