Big Moose Now A Proud Father
Former champion chaser Big Moose (Collide – Edan Rose) sired his first winner on April 20 at Tattersalls Park when the Pam Howard prepared bitch Winklee Venus greeted the judge in a Juvenile event.
Raced by Ulverstone father and son combination of Brian and Justin Crawford and prepared for them by Butch Deverell, the champ took all before him in Tasmania several seasons ago by winning 50 of 87 appearances and accumulating a purse of in excess of $172,000.
He was retired in November 2009 and has since led a leisurely life of luxury at stud at the Crawford's South Road property.
“The Howard's bred the Regent Thunder bitch Winklee Bindie to him and she produced the first litter – it is great that he has now thrown a winner,” Brian Crawford explained this week.
“Winklee Venus won again at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night and has now won two of her ten outings, so she is displaying plenty of promise.”
Big Moose has almost twenty litters on the ground and has attracted a great deal of interest from Queensland breeders, who no doubt were impressed when he ran second to the champion El Galo while campaigning there in July 2008.
“We have sent four or five straws to Brisbane and the well related bitch Hayley's Girl was bred to him and transferred to Sydney as well – he has been reasonably well patronised,” Brian Crawford explained.
The former Wesley Vale mill worker has also taken out a trainers licence and was seen in the winners circle on two occasions late last year when Premier Magic ( Premier Fantasy – Witch Magic) greeted the judge at Tattersalls Park and the Devonport Raceway.
“I trained several years ago when working at Wesley Vale with Larry Tanner and decided to re-apply for a licence and have another go,” he explained.
Meanwhile Burnie trainer Wayne Maine was represented by another winner at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night when Country Bumpkin (Bond – Firefly Belle) was successful in a Juvenile event.
The Helen Pringle owned bitch has now won twice and is shaping up as a chaser with a future.
“I didn't think she had any ability at all when I first broke her in – in fact her litter-sister was six lengths quicker than her, but as is often the case she didn't even make the races,” the trainer explained.
Maine, who has a team of three in work, will venture to Tattersalls Park with Country Bumpkin on Thursday night in an attempt to further enhance her record.
“Joe Pringle and I also have another seventeen pups that he will have to break in and educate,” he explained.
“They are by the successful sires Bit Chili and Collision, so one would think that a percentage of them should make the grade.”