Our Owner of the Month for March went to Bryan and June Terry for their horse Wilander Princess. Bryan supplied us with these comments on Wilander Princess. I purchased the horse at the Adelaide Magic Million Sales as yearling. I then went back to my wife June and told her we had just got another horse. I thought the filly  was a nice little racy type but June was not impresssed as she had not seen the horse. During the horse’s first preparation she was found to have a wind problem and to need throat surgery, and I now had a lot of weight on my shoulders. At her second preparation she showed a lot of promise and to my relief a lot of weight was lifted off me (Thank God !!). Wilander Princess has now had 2 wins, 2 seconds and 2 fourths from her 8 starts (with winnings now of just over $70,000) and of course she is now OUR HORSE! (Note Wilander Princess won her maiden at Murray Bridge before going on to win in the city on March) Although Wilander did not get many mares in foal most of the resulting foals have shown some ability. Our congratulations go to Bryan and June, who always seem to have a handy one going round. They also own Aussie Host by Host out of Check in Time (which they bred themselves) and which won a Murray Bridge maiden back in January. Wilander Princess is of course by Wilander out of Brave Accord (Kenny’ Best Pal) and the grand dam is Bravitian by that great old SA sire in Without Fear. Wilander is an interesting horse himself – he is out of the grand mare Scandinavia dam of four stakes winners including the successful stallion Magnus. Of course Scandinavia’s claims to fame do not stop there as she is also the dam of Helsinge thus making her the granddam of Group 1 winners Black Caviar and All too Hard as well as the promising stallion Moshe. Wilander was an excellent two and three year old sprinter winning three stakes races including the Schillaci stakes at Group 2 and accumulating prize money of over $350,000. He was retired to stud but fertility problems were such that he served only one season producing only 20 live foals. So far of those 20 foals, 13 have raced and 9 have won at least one race. The best to race so far are Nordic Eclipse and Nordic Empire who have both earned well over $100,000 for their connections. Unfortunately this writer’s own Wilander has proved to be one of his slowest sons unable to place from 7 starts.

This month’s award goes to Peter Katelanis for his three winners in the space of a week namely Easy Grand, Into the Mist and Don’t Doubt Mamma. Peter’s great week started with Easy Grand, a three year old gelding by Hotel Grand from Shack (Canny Lad), winning at Geelong over 1500 metres. Easy Grand is trained in Victoria by Peter Gelagotis Into the Mist by Redoute’s Choice out of De Lago Mist (Encosta De Lago) won at her first race track appearance at Gawler. She is trained for Peter by Tony McEvoy and was bred by Peter. Her dam De Lago Mist has foaled a stakes winner for Peter in the stunning grey stallion Instinction who now stands at Eliza Park’s Queensland stud. Peter has given his mare every chance to succeed as a brood mare having sent her to some of the cream of Australia’s stallions with Instinction being by Exceed and Excel, and the mare having delivered further foals by Foxwedge and by Exceed and Excel in addition she is now in foal to Golden Slipper winner Pierro. The third of Peter’s February wins was at Morphettville Parks when Don’t Doubt Mamma won a two year old race at her second start. She is by Not a Single Doubt from Coconut Mamma (Fantastic Light), and again the dam has left a stakes winner in Risen from Doubt – a full brother, also part owned by Peter. Coconut Mamma is regally bred being a great granddaughter via Joie of the amazing Denise’s Joy. For those who don’t know this is the family of Sunday Joy, Tuesday Joy and More Joyous. All three of Peter’s February winners are young horses and lightly raced – SAROA wishes him every success with these three and with his other horses.