NOEL and Marlene Salter have been breeding standardbreds for about three decades and in Hobart on Sunday night their hard work and dedication was rewarded when they produced the winner in both genders of the 2YO Betfair Sweepstakes finals.
The Salters own and race the fillies’ division winner Cloudy Delight while the colts and gelding’s winner Punt Road Disco was bred by them but owned and raced by Peter Walker, Dianne Hampton and the trainer Nathan Ford.
Cloudy Delight is by Bettors Delight from Cloudy Road that won five and placed 14 times from 67 starts and this filly is the mare’s third foal and only one to win.
“Cloudy Road had two other foals but neither could win from about 25 starts between them but this filly (Cloudy Delight) could be very smart,” Noel Salter said.
“She is a big and robust filly and after she won on Sunday night driver Gareth Rattray said she was strong on the line so that’s a very goods sign that she will stick a bit (stay).”
“Because she is a very big filly we have to manage her training regime and hopefully we can keep her together to tackle the Evicus Stakes next month.”
“Depending how she progresses, we might have a look at taking her to Victoria for the Breeders Crown series.”
“It’s always very pleasing when you breed, raise and race them yourself and they can win a big race like the Betfair Sweepstakes,” he said.
Punt Road Disco was sold by the Salters at the 2010 Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
The gelding is by Real Desire from My Charlotte (x French Chef), a mare bred by Marlene Salter from her former top class race mare Risen Star that won nine and placed 19 times from 42 starts with arguably her best win the Gold Chalice at Moonee Valley in 1990.
Risen Star defeated a star-studded line-up in that race including runner-up Diamond Debutante that went on to win two Ladyship Miles (1991 and 1993) at Harold Park in Sydney.
Risen Star died after giving birth to My Charlotte that was subsequently raised by a thoroughbred surrogate mare.
My Charlotte won eight and placed 16 times from 51 starts but being by French Chef she was always going to best serve the industry as a broodmare.
This is her seventh foal and all but one (My Scarlett) have won.
Punt Road Disco was having only his fourth start but he showed his worth on debut with a solid win at Burnie before finishing third at his two subsequent outings in Hobart.
“We don’t sell many of the horses we breed but this one was an exception and it still gave us a great thrill as breeders to see him win the colts and geldings division of the Sweepstakes,” Salter said.
The Salters ended the night with a treble with their four-year-old O’Grady (Grinfromeartoear-Allsorosie) scoring an impressive first-up win in a C1 over 2090 metres.
O’Grady has been lightly raced due to his enormous frame. The gelding has won seven of his 16 starts including the $20,000 Yearling sale Classic and Dandy Patch Stakes at two and last season he won three in the state before finishing midfield in the Australian Derby.
O’Grady had not started since finishing fifth in the Tasmanian Derby in March last year.
“That’s the first time O’Grady has won first-up so he might be in for a good season,” Salter said.
Cloudy Delight and O’Grady are trained by their owners’ son Christian Salter.