Duchess gives broodmare perfect record

Bruce Stewart Journalist

Duchess Of Kent’s (Art Major) win at Ascot Park today gave her dam Galleons Honour the perfect broodmare record – eight foals for eight winners.

From barrier five driver Brent Barclay pressed forward with the mare and she went down to the line two and a half lengths clear of Northview Ocean.

The winning time for the 1700 metres was 2-05.0 a mile rate of 1-58.3.

“The main aim today was to get a win beside her name as a broodmare. Brent said she was very lazy in front. She’s far better coming off the back of something,” trainer Lauren Pearson said.

Duchess Of Kent was made firm favourite for today’s race on the back of two very good trials but the camp did have a few concerns.

“She’s had a few tying up issues leading up to this race so hopefully that’s all in the past,” Matt Smith said.

Duchess Of Kent winning with Brent Barclay on board (Bruce Stewart Photo)

Duchess Of Kent is raced by the Estate of Lester Smith and his wife Julia and son Matt were on course to see the win today.

“It was pretty emotional for me seeing the progeny of Galleons Honour complete the perfect record,” Matt said.

All the foals of Galleons Honour have now won and she has to date left the winners of sixty five races, with Duke Of Cornwall (14) and Venice Beach (11) the best two.

“Lester’s wishes were to keep her (Duchess Of Kent). We’ll probably breed from her in time,” Julia said. 

Matt is also keen to continue his involvement in harness racing.

“When you get a performance like that it’s pretty hard to shift away from it.”

He’s breeding from Badlands Hanover mare Weka Lass which won six races for Lester and Ascot Park trainer Wayne Adams and she’s the dam of rising Brisbane star The Janitor.

“We’ve got the full brother to The Janitor called The Sent, who’s out in the paddock at the moment and he’s a tough wee thing too,” he said.

The win today was Pearson’s seventy sixth and sixteen of those have been for Smith and Barclay.

“Lester and Brent were just like that. I remember Brent said to Lester that he couldn’t tell a lie and Lester said ‘you’re my man.’ They built a foundation from there,” Julia said.

One of Lester Smith’s finest moments in harness racing came on the Ascot Park course in April 2018 when Duchess Of Kent’s half-brother Duke Of Wellington won the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes. The three year old was trained by Pearson and driven by Barclay.

Matt and Julia own a cherry farm in Cromwell and Matt runs another cherry orchard with his partner.

“The season wasn’t too bad. It was better than last year. It was a bit slow at the start with the weather, but the sun came out and we got the cherries ripe. It was a good result,” Matt said.