Maidonthebeach has just one eye but that wasn't the only significant aspect of her win at Ascot Park last month.
It was more related to the fact her win was the 10th this season for Ryal Bush trainer Hamish Hunter, she was his seventh individual winner, and Tauranga owner Graham Cooney is the breeder or co-breeder, and owner or co-owner of them all. Because Hunter plans to have four runners at Oamaru on 30 July, for the season's finale and two of the four will be 'Cooney' horses, the prospect of them providing all Hunters wins this term is high.
Previously a resident in Southland and since 2012 a ministerial appointment to the Racing Board, Cooney said Hunter became his number one trainer after he got to know him about 20 years ago. They were part of a small group formed before the turn of the century, to look at the proposed rationalisation of the code in the province.
“We were both involved in 'Harness 2000', travelled about abit together, and I gained so much respect for him,” said Cooney, who had no hesitation in naming the Hunter-trained Nursemaid, dam of Maidonthebeach, as the best he's had.
“She won the most races (14), the most money ($195,292) and gave me the biggest thrills,” he said, referring to her triumph in the 2004 Group Two Southland Oaks and winning three races at the 2005 New Zealand Cup carnival. Nursemaid was retired to stud after some lower suspensory filling, became apparent on the eve of the 2007 Ashburton Flying Stakes.
Her first foal Devil May Care won 11, while her second, Groomsman has eight on the board. Three of those were this season, making him the biggest contributor to Hunter's tally, ahead of Acolyte out of Burlesque who scored twice. Beside Maidonthebeach, Nursemaid's third foal, the other winners were Porsche Canardly out of Nostalgia, Tiziano out of Shamrocks, Comic Book Hero out of Dija Vous and Mandolin out of Harp. Comic Book Hero and Mandolin will represent him at Oamaru.
Cooney recalled buying his first horse in 1979 and started breeding a few years later. “I would have bred about 100 foals,” he said, “and have another four this year.”
All of his broodmares are based at Macca Lodge in Northern Southland, except for Nursemaid who lives permanently at Nevele R.
“She's had one or two problems and got a collapsed stomach with Maidonthebeach, all her foals are embryo transfer now.”
By this means she has produced fillies by A Rocknroll Dance (yearling) and American Ideal (weanling) and a mare is carrying her next foal by A Rocknroll Dance.
Hunter always described Nursemaid as a very dimensional horse, good at a mile or two miles, stand or mobile, wet or dry, and able to stand hard racing. He said of her first two foals, Devil My Care was a winner at two and kept going, Groomsman was placed at two and is still winning.
“I get them as two-year-olds, this filly (Maidonthebeach) lost her eye in a breaking-in accident. She came to me a few months after that and has adapted well, we cover the eye because of the grit but nothing else special. It doesn't affect her but she has been the slowest to get going. ”
Since moving permanently to Tauranga, Cooney has watched most of his wins on television.
“It's not quite like being there but its still pretty good,” he said. And he has no intention of moving his horses. “I'm happy with what is happening in Southland, the way they are working together, the better stake money and lower costs.”
As for his involvement with the Racing Board, he describes it as “the most challenging governance role I've had. There is so much that needs changed and its mostly technology related.” He remains hopeful the race fields legislation will have its first reading before the election and is reassured by the fact both major parties support it.
