Family continues to add to impressive tally
Darrell Hollinshead starred in three roles over the weekend with a treble of closely related winners.
The Te Awamutu horseman co-bred, part-owned and trained Hawera victors Digger (NZ) (Redwood) and Pointer (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and the following day at Woodville celebrated the victory of homebred Bak De Ace (NZ) (Ace High), who is prepared at Wanganui by Jo Rathbone.
The trio’s respective dams are half-sisters Riverina Girl (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe), Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearhart) and Bak Da Princess (NZ) (Danske), with their mother the Bakharoff mare Havitbak (NZ).
By Chief Bearhart, Bak Da Chief was a talented mare who was successful on five occasions, including an edition of the Gr.2 Waikato Gold Cup (2400m).
At stud, she has most notably produced two-time Group One winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) (Chipping Norton Stakes, 1600m, Waikato Sprint, 1400m) while this season’s Listed Dunedin Guineas (1600m) and Listed Southland Guineas (1400m) winner Hello Hayley (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) is another member of the family.
Bak Da Princess is the dam of the Gr.1 Easter Handicap (1600m) winner Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral) and her brother Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral) was a multiple Listed winner and top-flight placegetter.
The daughter of Danske is also the granddam of two-year-old debut winner Honour Roll (NZ) (Savabeel), who finished fourth in last Friday’s Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m).
“Bak Da Chief and Bak Da Princess are retired now and they’ve both been great mares,” Hollinshead said.
Between them, they have produced 20 individual winners while Riverina Girl has left a further seven.
“Bak De Chief has got a Circus Maximus yearling colt, he’s the last one,” Hollinshead said.
“Bak Da Princess has got a two-year-old colt by Ace High, and we’ve put together a syndicate to race him. He’s going down to be trained by Allan Sharrock.
“There’s also an Ace High yearling and he’s probably one of the nicest individuals she’s left.
“We unfortunately lost Riverina Girl, her last one is a yearling filly by Armory.”
Hollinshead was expecting Digger to go close at Hawera and he duly posted the third victory of his career, but Pointer’s third win came as a pleasant surprise.
“It was a very enjoyable weekend, we expected Digger to go well and we had sent the other girl away to jump but she didn’t want to jump,” Hollinshead said.
“She’s come back and seems to be putting in more of an effort on the flat now.”
Bak De Ace was making his sixth appearance when successful at Woodville off the back of an eye-catching fourth when resuming at Waverley.
