Graham Fischer
KITSILANO, South Australia’s most promising squaregaiter in more than 50 years, will be out to emulate her grandmother in the $10,000 Hambletonian Trotters Cup over 2550 meters at the 2020 Gawler Cup meeting next Sunday, March 8.
Mauna Lani Bay, the mother of Santa Barbara, the dam of Kitsilano, won the Hambletonian at the old Gawler track in 1999.
Now, the four-year-old Kitsilano, which has been considered to be the best local trotter since the champion Gramel back in the 1960s, will be out to record her own piece of history in the time-honoured feature.
The Hambletonian was one of the few feature races that Gramel did not win in South Australia, finishing third off of a 60-yard handicap in 1963.
The feature trot is one of three features at the Sunday Gawler Cup meeting, with the Gawler Cup and Gawler Derby also expected to attract strong fields.
Kitsilano was bred by harness racing enthusiasts Peter and Lamour Holder from Penfield Gardens and is trained at Buchfelde by Greg Rogers.
The Holders have bred from a female family line for nearly 40 years after Peter, and wife Lamour, purchased the mare Hopi Doll from prominent breeder Harley Meier.
The former top trotter Red Heart also comes through the family.
Kitsilano is thrilling breeder-part-owner Peter Holder who is 80 years old and loving his mare’s performances.
From the time Rogers first put Kitsilano into work, he was excited about her potential.
She has won 14 of her 26 starts and was a gallant third to Izmok in the SA Trotters Cup at Globe Derby Park on February 8.
Rogers said he felt the mare would have run even better had a scheduled race a week earlier not been called off due to inclement weather.
“That run would have topped her off perfectly for the Cup,” Rogers said.
For such a young mare to be measuring up against more seasoned and older opposition is a tribute to her potential.
Rogers said he would love to win the Hambletonian which will be run for the second time at the new Gawler track on Two Wells Road, right across the road from his stables.
“I will be targeting the country cups with her because the ratings system works against her in normal races,” Rogers said.
The Kapunda Trotters Cup will be run on Sunday, March 22, and the Port Pirie Trotters Cup on Saturday, March 28.