Two top mares heading across the Tasman

By Michael Guerin

The great female mane drain to Australia continues as two of our elite pacing mares head there.

Breeders Stakes quinellamates Bettor Talk Art and Need You Now are both set to head offshore, one permanently and the other to finish her racing career.

Bettor Talk Art looks set to join the Gary Hall stable in West Australia after a deal first offered before her Breeders Stakes win has been all but completed.

“She has been vetted and that is all clear so if and when the money comes through she will be heading over there,” says trainer Regan Todd.

“I think she will be a really good buy for them because she is tough and will handle their style of racing.

“After the hard run she had the start before the Breeders, in the Mares Championship, most horses would have laid down for a week.

“But she copped it and got even better. I’ll be sad to see her go but it is a good, fair offer and I will always be grateful for her giving me my first group one here.”

Todd has plenty to go on with too, with 35 horses in work, a new recruit in Oscar Bonavena and nine yearlings coming home from the sales.

Also heading to Australia but to eventually return is Need You Now, the Jewels winner who won the Mares Championship before chasing Bettor Talk Art home in the Group One Breeders at Addington two weeks ago.

“She has gone across to join Belinda and Luke McCarthy,” confirms co-trainer Robert Dunn.

“There just aren’t any mares races for her here coming up and it is a real shame but Aussie is the best place for her at the moment.

It is a real shame to see these top mares head offshore but at least she will be coming back.

“She will spend the winter over there and I think she will get a really fast mile time and then I’d say she will come back here to be bred from.

“She has done a mighty job and developed into a really top mare.

“But it is like Spellbound who we lost to Australia last year, they just have more opportunities over there.”

Like Todd, the Dunns have plenty of newcomers to the stable, with 17 yearlings secured from last week’s sales.

They have shares available in two pacing colts and five trotters but the fillies they purchased are already gone.

“We got some lovely horses and shares are selling fast but we are open to new owners so people can view them on the Diamond Racing website.”