Harness racing enthusiast Craig Lynn has no regrets that he purchased a yearling filly in New Zealand in 2012 for about $15,000.
He named the filly The Parade after the popular Bunbury hotel by that name, and The Parade developed into a star performer for Lynn and trainer-reinsman Justin Prentice, amassing $425,999 from 22 wins and 15 placings from 55 starts.
And now The Parade is proving an excellent broodmare --- with her first two foals to race, Bettor Arcade and Pipers Parade, winning for her breeder Lynn on Friday night.
Bettor Arcade, the $3.40 favourite from the outside of the back line, was driven perfectly by De Campo, enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, two-back position before running home strongly to beat Sugar Street ($12) and Era ($7) in the 1730m Vale Dr Tom Rieusset Pace at Gloucester Park.
And then two and a half hours later trainer Shane Young drove Pipers Parade ($1.30) to an easy all-the-way win in the 2242m White Claw Pace at Narrogin, giving the three-year-old filly her second victory at her twelfth start.
The Parade showed her class with wins in the group 1 Mares Classic in December 2016, the group 2 Empress Stakes in February 2017 and the group 3 Race For Roses in May 2015. She is by American sire Real Desire (40 starts for 25 wins, 13 placings and $3,323,606) and is out of unraced Badlands Hanover mare Hearty Lass, whose elder half-brother Auckland Reactor earned $1,759,374 from 32 wins and four placings from 53 starts.
Four-year-old Bettor Arcade has earned $63,708 from eight wins and seven placings from 30 starts and looks set to continue his successful career. “He has been knocking on the door for this first metro win,” said De Campo.
“Tonight, I was a bit worried that I had to make up ground in the first quarter (run in a fast 27.4sec.) which could affect him late. But from the 600m I felt confident.”
