Our Owner of the Month award winner for June is John Naffine part owner of Pudding, John shared this with us about his racing experiences:

I am very proud to be the June SAROA Owner of the month through my part ownership in Pudding.

Pudding is one of Eleven horses I have shares in with the Richard & Chantelle Jolly stable, and the one with the most potential to win again in the future, and possibly gain a group race.

However I am also hopeful that Clamarc , Kalesec , Kalbarri & Karacasu will also join the winners podium in the next few months.

This award is especially appreciated as it is my first in now more than 50 years of racing ownership in Adelaide and Melbourne.

In this time I have had shares in at least 40 horses with initially Ron Morgan at Murray Bridge who gave me my first winner in Gilt Challis , then I had a few horses with Russell Cameron before he moved to Melbourne.

I then began with Richard Jolly as he commenced his training career and remain with him today and have enjoyed being part of his growth to become our leading trainer.

I also at the same time had shares in a number of successful horses with Leon McDonald

Both trainers have given me the ultimate reward of Group One success, both in Derbys.  Leon with Rebel Raider who won both the Victoria and SA Derbies amongst many other notable races and Richard with Kushadasi in the SA Derby.

I also have enjoyed success in Melbourne, initially with Russell Cameron when he moved there, but now with a young trainer, Alexander Rae ,with Chief Altony in particular, but I am hopeful a few of the other five horses I have with him will also be winners in the future.

Overall, I have had a very successful time as an owner and look forward to it continuing with the ongoing dream of all owners of another Group one winner.

I also have enjoyed 60 years now as a member of the SAJC and in particular 12 years on the Committee until 2008, with the last 4 as Chairman.

Thank you again for awarding me the SAROA Owner of the Month for June.

As can be seen from the above, John has had a long and distinguished time in racing with Pudding being just one of his many successful tilts at ownership.

The cleverly named Pudding is by Tavistock out of the Zabeel mare Christmas Day. To date he has raced 16 times for six wins, a second and three thirds earning over $175,000 for connections. He recently turned five and with staying blood on both sides of the pedigree the best is quite possibly yet to come.

The dam Christmas Day while foaled in Australia has been in New Zealand for most of her breeding career. Pudding is the only named progeny from the dam’s time in New Zealand but there is an Australian bred half-brother English Gambler (by Casino Prince) who won two races in Australia and five in New Zealand

The grand dam is the Danehill mare Assertiveness who was lightly raced but left a stakes winner in New Tipperary (by High Chaparral) who won up to Group 3 level and won almost $475,000 from seven wins.

The third dam Sommes Sound (by Assert) was the mother of two stakes winners in Assertive Lad (by Zedative) who was successful in three Group 1’s; a Group 2 and a Group 3 for returns of over $3.3 million and the full sister Assertive Lass who won two Group 1’s and 2 Group 2’s. She was able to continue the line of black type winners being the dam of two time Group 1 winner and successful sire, the unbeaten Zabeel colt Reset, and his full brother So Assertive who was able to win up to Group 3.

We can only wish John further successes with his horse racing interests.