Zenterfold passes

By Garrick Knight

Tragedy struck early on Friday morning when highly-regarded broodmare, Zenterfold, died while foaling.

The 19-year-old daughter of In The Pocket could not be saved by staff at Alabar Stud in South Auckland shortly after delivering a colt foal by Vincent.

Zenterfold is best known as the dam of former Group 1-winning pacer-cum-sire Tintin In America, whose daughter, Shartin, is arguably the best pacing mare in the world given her North American domination over the past couple of years.

Zenterfold also left the Group 1 place-getter The Blue Lotus and four other winners, including the 1.52 pacer, Destination Moon.

While devastated, her Cambridge co-owner Bee Pears says she has many good memories of the mare, which she bred about-turn with Pukekohe’s Geoff and Aria Small.

“She was a very much-loved mare who shuttled between our place in Cambridge, Geoff and Aria's place and Alabar often for foaling. Everyone loved her.

“Character is the word you immediately think of with Zenterfold."

“She loved people and attention, could be bossy with other horses, and was a super mum to her foals.”

“I'm so grateful her daughters and granddaughters are in such good hands. Her legacy lives on in her offspring and theirs, and of course in the deeds of Tintin In America as a sire now.”

Both Tintin In America and The Blue Lotus are now based in New South Wales at Yirribee Pacing Stud, Pears having sold The Blue Lotus to the Stud just a few months ago.

And while Pears no longer has any female descendants of the family left in her ownership, more memories are still to be made as Zenterfold’s two previous foals, both colts, are in training and showing promise.

Ideal Zen (American Ideal) is now three and in training for the Smalls while King Ottokar, which Pears sold to Graeme Rogerson for $30,000 at Karaka earlier this year, has just turned two.

“The two colts are getting close to racing and hopefully so will this new boy by Vincent, which Kym Kearns will have.

“So, there is lots of legacy but after 20 years of close friendship with this mare, we will all miss her heaps.

“I'm so grateful for having known her and what she gave me.”

While a healthy foal, the Vincent colt is in desperate need of a foster mum and Alabar Stud were aggressively seeking one as the day wore on.