Aptly-named trotter remains unbeaten at Alexandra Park

By Michael Guerin

The latest star of Sean McCaffrey’s stable could be named after the trainer himself when you hear why he won’t be starting in the Sires’ Stakes series.

McCaffrey owns and trains Ya Eejit Ya, who remained unbeaten in two starts when leading home stablemate Hillbilly for the second time at Alexandra Park on Friday in the Tactical Approach at Alabar North Island Juvenile Champs Mobile Trot.

McCaffrey is also the unofficial co-breeder of the two-year-old as he went foal for foal with Alabar with his dam One Night Stand.

“That made for a pretty good collect when he won his first start because I got the $8000 owners' bonus and I said to Graeme Henley (Alabar NZ boss) we should go half in the breeder’s bonus too,” laughs McCaffrey.

Friday night’s win was almost as lucrative as the race was worth $25,000 and it changed complexion immediately after the start when second favourite Higher Power galloped and checked its stablemate Meant To Be, who staged a huge recovery for third.

But Ya Eejit Ya, driven by Emily Johnson,  was perfectly mannered again and looks a total pro like so many of the stock of Majestic Son.

He does have one little problem though as he is not eligible for the Sires’ Stakes series.

“I stuffed that up,” admits McCaffrey.

“So that means he can’t race in those heats or final.”

Which makes McCaffrey feels a little but like the horse’s name.

“Eejit is of course how the Irish say idiot and when I was growing up the worst thing my Mum could say to me was ‘Ya Eejit Ya’”

McCaffrey says he will probably keep Ya Eejit Ya in the North Island to aim at the Golden Gait finals in December, which will mean he needs two more starts at Alexandra Park.

The win continued a red hot season for the Luk Chin property near Cambridge, where McCaffrey works his horses these days with winning driver Emily Johnson also working there and the farm seeming to have a trotting winner almost every weekend for months.

Later in the night one of the Alexandra Park’s regulars in Liaison overcame a 20m handicap to win the Majestic Son at Alabar $35,000 Metro Trot giving both owner Lew Driver and driver Todd MacFarlane their richest win in a while.

Trained by the McGowans at Pukekohe, Liaison was perfectly handled by MacFarlane in a hotly-run race that saw the winner trot a super quick time while third placed Pantani unofficially obliterated the national three-year-old 2700m record held by a future Group 1 winner in Heavyweight Hero.

On the pacing side of the card Zachary Butcher was to the fore as both a trainer and driver with Mantra Blue and Duchness Megxit.

Mantra Blue got the ideal run for catch driver Monika Ranger and was electric, pacing a 54.5 second last 800m to suggest she will be a real threat in the mares races, especially now in the post-Millwood Nike era.

Cut from the same cloth is Duchess Megxit, who didn’t win her comeback race in the Nevele R Fillies heat by much but had to be good to do it.

She was four back in single file and when leader Akatea slowed them down to a 32.7 second 400m in the middle stages, Butcher took the initiative to move up and sit parked to not be left flatfooted in the spring home.

It worked. The exciting three-year-old filly powered her last 400m in 26.2 seconds to grab the leader and she is in for a fun second half of her three-year-old term.