Beaudiene Bad Babe has taken top ranking amongst the mares racing at present.  She is a clear leader in this category, now that Kiwi Ingenuity and Nearea Franco are on the sidelines.
Even if they weren’t, Beaudiene Bad Babe would be more than a handful for them if she came with the form that easily won her the Group 2 Caduceus Club of Canterbury Premier Mares Championship at Addington last Thursday night.

She has the imposing record of winning more than half her starts – 16 from 30 – her earnings are now well past $200,000, and being a six-win mare still has breathing room in the handicaps.  Her Invercargill trainer Murray Brown who has managed her career so astutely makes no secret of what he thinks of her.  “She’s the best one I’ve had.  “I’ve just been very lucky to get one like that.

“Giving her a three-month spell each time after the Jewels, and missing Cup Week, that’s been part of the plan and it’s worked.”  There is still much ahead of her, including the Country Cups Final and the Harness Jewels, which will take her until the end of May.  But Brown can see further than this.  “All going well, we’ll have a go at the Inter-Dominions at Addington.  “She’ll love that racing all together and she’s a great eater.

“And looking around there are a lot of horses racing now who might not be here then, or a year older if they are.”  Then Brown had a question.  “Will she be on the cover? She’s won sixteen races, and it was the biggest race of the week… she’s never been on the front before.”  It would have been nice to say ‘Yes, she deserves it’, but you will see by now she’s not.

The feature of this week’s issue, and the one before, focusses on the new homes for hundreds of yearlings being sold for thousands of dollars. It’s their turn in the sun, and pride of place has gone to a trotting colt by a new sire sold for $140,000.  He might not get the chance again, but there’s a good chance Beaudiene Bad Babe will.

In the meantime, Brown returned from the yearling sales with a wide assortment of young prospects.  “It was a buyer’s market. Instead of the sellers getting ‘overs’, this time it was our turn.  “Normally, I’d take home three or four, but I got seven and paid no more than $20,000.
“I’ve got them by Mach Three, Falcon Seelster, Western Terror, P-Forty-Seven, Badlands Hanover, Real Desire and In The Pocket.  “I’ve had a bit of luck buying from the Sales, so I’m sure there will be something there.”