Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Bunbury trainers Paul and Simone Strachan enjoyed their biggest highlight in harness racing when their fillies Highview Heidi and Shoobees Double fought out the finish of the $21,000 Vili’s Family Bakery Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Shoobees Double, a $7.50 chance trained by Mrs Strachan, burst to the front 220m from home before Highview Heidi, the $2.70 favourite trained by her husband Paul, finished powerfully to hit the front at the 90m mark and beat Shoobees Double by 5m.
The quinella result vindicated their decision to purchase the fillies at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale twelve months ago. They race them in partnership.
Highview Heidi cost $9000 and Shoobees Double was bought for $8000. Highview Heidi has now earned $15,163 from a win and a second placing from three starts, while Shoobees Double has had three starts for a second and a third placing, for stakes of $5021.
Highview Heidi’s win gave Paul Strachan, a 46-year-old operator at the Collie alumina mine, his first metropolitan-class winner as a trainer. As a part-time trainer he has prepared 31 winners, with his only previous win at Gloucester Park being with Atomic Luke, a Saab gelding who was a $16.20 chance when he beat Billionaire Bob by a half-length in a CO event on March 8, 2010, with Friday night’s meeting also being held on March 8.
Simone Strachan, a daughter of experienced Bunbury trainer Brian Clemens, has trained 43 winners, including Donovan Bromac, Tresor and Im All Black at Gloucester Park, as well as Miss Narla and Bettor Be Artful on country tracks.
Paul Strachan bought Highview Heidi because he was an admirer of American sire Rock N Roll World and a fan of the filly’s dam Highview Jackie, who raced 100 times for 12 wins, 20 placings and $81,057.
The New Zealand-bred Highview Jackie was by former champion pacer Christian Cullen, and after one New Zealand victory she won four country races in Victoria and six races in Western Australia.
“I spoke to Highview Jackie’s WA trainer Peter Anderson, who said she was a nice mare and capable of producing good winners,” said Strachan. “The filly was well presented by the Allwood Stud, and she was affordable, so I bought her.”
It was a different story which led to Simone Strachan selecting Shoobees Double, a massive filly by American stallion Shoobees Place. The night before the 2023 yearling sale on March 5, Shoobees Place sired the winner (Better Be The Best) of the $200,000 New South Wales Derby at Menangle.
“This aroused Simone’s interest in the progeny of Shoobees Place and she took a gamble in buying Shoobees Double,” explained Strachan.
The gamble is paying dividends, and Shoobees Double and Highview Heidi should be worthy contenders in the $50,000 Group 3 Gold Bracelet on May 17.