By Bruce Stewart for Harnesslink - click here for the original article
The running of the Worthy Queen Handicap Trot last Friday night at Addington further highlighted the marvellous achievements of Pegasus Spur across Australasia.
Pegasus Spur at Woodlands Stud (Woodlands Stud Photo)
Runner up to winner Mighty Logan, I Dream Of Jeannie is one of the few Pegasus Spurs still racing, while third placegetter Muscle Mountain is out of a Pegasus Spur mare.
Pegasus Spur stood at Woodland Stud between 2007 and 2020 and through the mid to late 2000s was well supported. He served his biggest book in 2007 with 91 mares.
In New Zealand he sired 410 foals for 174 winners (42.4%) while in Australia 52 of his 155 foals were winners (33.5%).
His foals down under earned just over $14 million and he left twenty nine $100,000 plus winners and a further fifty five $50,000 plus winners.
His best progeny were: Speeding Spur 28 wins for $1,304,992-28, Flying Isa- 26 wins and $520,242, Māori Time 24 and $421,840, Paramount Geegee-14 and $357,236, Wilma’s Mate-14 and $343,257, Mr (Sir) Fahrenheit-24 and $300,325, Zealous Spur-20 and $269,844 and I Dream Of Jeannie-14 and $262,904.
Paramount Geegee was his first New Zealand winner, in a non-tote two year old trot at Addington in January 2010.
“I trained his mother Paramount Star. Studholme (Stud) sent me a brochure of all the yearlings they had in the sales that year. There was a picture of Paramount Geegee, and he looked outstanding to me. I didn’t go to Christchurch and just got a mate of mine Robbie Holmes, to look over him to give me the all clear and we bought him,” trainer John Dickie said.
Paramount Geegee won seven of his nine starts as a two year old including the NZ Yearling Sales Series Trot, the NZ Trotting Stakes and a heat of The Breeders Crown at Alexandra Park. He went on to win the Breeders Crown at Melton that year.
At three he won eight of his ten starts including The Northern Trotting Derby, the New Zealand Trotting Derby, and the Three Year Old Ruby. And he capped off his season by winning the Breeders Crown Final for Three Year Old Colts And Geldings.
Those wins set the tone for northern trainer John Dickie who without doubt was Pegasus Spur’s biggest fan.
After Paramount Geegee came Flying Isa and Speeding Spur, all trained by Dickie.
In New Zealand Flying Isa won the Group One Two Year Old Ruby, the Sires’ Stakes Two Year Old Trotting Championship and the New Zealand Trotting Stakes, whilst in Australia his Group One wins were in the Breeders Crown for Two Year Old Trotting Colts and Geldings, the Australian Trotters Final and the Australasian Trotting Championship.
“He was the leading two year old and when he came back at three he had to pretty much race the open class horses. He was getting back to it (form) but then he had a little bleed so that’s why we sent him to Luke McCarthy’s.”
Speeding Spur was trained by Dickie and his son Joshua. He won six Group One races in New Zealand including the New Zealand Trotting Derby, the New Zealand Trotting Free For All (twice) and the Rowe Cup.
“He had a great temperament and gait but he was a bit weak at two. He matured and developed into a good three year old and the rest is history.”
He also won three Group One races in Australia including a Great Southern Star.
“He was a well-travelled horse but being a colt he handled it in his sleep. You could take him anywhere. He was a gem to train.”
Pegasus Spur was also well represented in Australia with Māori Time leading the charge.
Included in her 24 wins were three Group One Bill Collins Miles.
Outside of his topliners he left a stack of good solid money earners and if there was one horse that summarises Pegasus Spur it would be Monty Python.
He was developed by Oamaru horseman Phil Williamson and raced on both sides of the Tasman.
In the 2018 Interdominion Trotting Championship Series he ran fourth, fifth and sixth in his heats before finishing third in the final behind Tornado Valley and Speeding Spur.
Monty Python raced 119 times for 15 wins, 17 seconds and 21 thirds.
After Pegasus Spur finished his service as a stallion he was gelded and now runs in a paddock at Woodlands Stud with a handful of mares, including his ‘girlfriend’ Della’s Speed, the dam of his greatest winner Speeding Spur.
As Woodlands Marketing Manager Stacey White points out, not many parents of a millionaire would be doing that.
Photo: Pegasus Spur (with cover on) and Della’s Speed
And there could be a bit more to the Pegasus Spur story if Bet N Win happens to win the Dominion Handicap next month. Because like another Dominion aspirant Muscle Mountain, Bet N Win is out of a Pegasus Spur mare.
by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink
