JUST WHEN you might have thought the record of Panspacificflight’s first New Zealand crop could not possibly be embellished further, another potential winner has popped up.

Bigandme became the 20th qualifier from a crop of just 23 horses when he won at the Balfour trials on 26 November. The six-year-old was nearly seven seconds inside the qualifying time when he posted 2:51.2 for the 2200-metre mobile on the grass track. That followed an impressive win at the workouts the week before.

Should he go on to win on race day, Bigandme would take Panspacificflight’s winner to foal ratio to 65 per cent from his first crop.

Bigandme was bred by Neil Timms from the Presidential Ball mare Alta Biannca, who left another late developer in Jimmy Nga, who won first up for Wyndham trainers Gordon and Colin Lee last season as a six-year-old.

PANSPACIFICFLIGHT three-year-old Naholo did just about the impossible in his debut run at Ashburton on 16 November — motherless last at the 800 metres in a big field he came wide on the track to storm to his maiden victory.

Naholo was a hot favourite for driver Ricky May. Now we know why. He came six-wide at the top of the straight and, according to the commentator, was still a dozen lengths behind them at that stage.

Click here to watch Naholo’s win

Horses just don’t do this at Ashburton, which, despite the length of the straight, does not favour runners coming from back of the field.

A $22,000 purchase at last year’s yearling sales, Naholo is out of the Badlands Hanover mare Truely Jaccka, who has left the good Australian winners Fliteoftheconcords and Bettor Shape. He’s trained by Brendon Hill.

His full brother Von Richthofen, at 80 to one, put in a nice run for fifth at the Wyndham meeting on 19 November.

JUNIOR DRIVER Maruia Parker has joined the full-time staff at Macca Lodge as a stablehand and stud assistant. Maruia has had 14 wins since she started driving in 2015.

The McIntyres have farewelled long-serving staff member Serenity O’Connor. Serenity’s involvement with the stud goes back to the days it was owned by the Smaills and known as Jaccka Lodge.

CAN PANTASTIC do it again for Caine McIntyre and his mates?

Back in July the Panspacificflight mare won the Macca Lodge-sponsored South of the Waitaki final at Addington in Christchurch. That was pretty cool because she was bred by the McIntyres, is raced by Caine and some mates and is trained by Brent at Macca Lodge.

On Friday Pantastic lines up in the $25,000 Macca Lodge South of the Waitaki race on Show Day at Addington. Her form slipped after her winter campaign but she trialled well behind the exciting three-year-old The Dorchester at the cup trials last week. John Dunn drives her.

With the breeding season in full swing at Macca, Brent is staying home so that Caine can travel to watch his horse race. Caine is also a part-owner of the four-year-old mare Debnita Rose, who ran a bold third at Addington on Cup Day.

FOOTNOTE: Sadly for the connections, Pantastic broke during the running of the race.

PANSPACIFICFLIGHT mare Sheezus, fittingly, came up the Panspacificflight passing line at the Northern Southland meeting at Ascot Park in Invercargill to win her second race on 07 October.

The four-year-old was expertly handled by champion driver Dexter Dunn, who got her into the lead from a widish draw with about a mile to run, took a trail and got the inside run to win in 2:48 for the 2200-metre mobile. She’s trained at Gore by Tony Stratford.

Sheezus is out of the Badlands Hanover mare Galleon’s Reward.

The Manipulator, another by Panspacificflight, ran a promising and close-up third in his return from injury at the same meeting.

PANSPACIFICFLIGHT gelding Wattlebank Flyer posted a best time of 1:55.2 when he won his eighth race on the same track, Albion Park in Brisbane, on 03 October.

The six-year-old led from the start in the 1660-metre sprint and gave those back in the field no chance with a 55.5 second closing half mile. He’s proving to be a good bread-and-butter horse for his Queensland owners. Wattlebank Flyer is out of the Courage Under Fire mare Careful Seznicki.

Of Panspacificflight’s New Zealand-bred progeny, only Wick (13 wins), Last Flight In (11), Little Rascal (11) and Glenisla (10) have won more races. Wattlebank Flyer won one race for Canterbury trainer Tim Trathen before he was exported.

THE LIGHTLY-RACED The Manipulator is back in the Macca Lodge stable of Brent McIntyre after injury appeared to have ended his career in the autumn of 2016.

The six-year-old gelding, who looked like he might be the best of Panspacificflight’s stellar first New Zealand crop, was “retired” after breaking a bone in his knee for the second time. But he recovered fully after a few months on a block of land adjoining the Mataura River and he’s back at the races at Invercargill on 07 October.

The Manipulator . . . the first Panspacificflight New Zealand winner. Pic courtesy of southlandharnessracing.co.nz

It’s The Manipulator’s third stint at Macca Lodge. He was born there before being put through the yearling sales ring by breeder Neil Timms, who lives just down the road from Macca Lodge. Neil stayed in the ownership when the Panspacificflight colt caught the eye of Tony Herlihy, but the Auckland trainer had problems with the horse’s gait and it wasn’t long before The Manipulator was on the float back to Southland. The Macca team sorted him out and The Manipulator was an impressive first-up winner — his sire’s first in NZ — in the spring of 2014.

The owners then decided to move him to the All Stars Stable in Canterbury, where he won a race before being put aside with his first knee injury. He came back as a four-year-old to win two more races for the Purdon and Rasmussen team before suffering what appeared to be a career-ending second knee injury. At that point he had won four times from just eight starts.

Brent says he’s delighted with The Manipulator’s progress and is looking forward to his return to the track. He has had two workouts and won the second of them, coming his last half in 57.1. Paul Ellis has been working him at Oreti Beach.

FOOTNOTE: The Manipulator ran a promising third first-up at Invercargill on 07 October.

MACCA LODGE sires Panspacificflight and Net Ten EOM will both stand this season at reduced stud fees of $2500 plus GST ($3000 plus GST for a live foal guarantee). This is $500 less than previously.

FIVE-YEAR-OLD gelding Wattlebank Flyer posted his best mile rate of 1:56 when he won over 1660 metres at Albion Park in Brisbane on 28 July.

The hardy son of Panspacificflight won one race at Addington for Tim Trathen before being sold to Australia. There he’s notched up another six wins and has now topped $40,000 in career earnings.

He’s part of Panspacificflight’s stellar first New Zealand crop, who’ve now won more than 85 races here, in Australia and in North America.

And from his third crop here, Reciprocity opened her account across the Tasman with a win over a mile in 1:57.1 at Newcastle on 29 July. She was a hot favourite, went straight to the front and led all the way. The speedy three-year-old filly was overdue after three seconds in her four Australian starts.

She won one race here for breeder Lester Smith and trainer Lauren Pearson.

Panspacificflight

FORMER OPEN class pacer Franco Ledger is available to southern breeders at Macca Lodge this coming season.

The horse’s owners, Hamish Hunter and the Whatever Syndicate, persuaded Brent McIntyre to look after the stud duties. There is no service fee.

Franco Ledger was retired after fracturing a pedal bone during last year’s Hannon Memorial at Oamaru. He had returned to Hamish’s Ryal Bush stable after racing in Australia, where he won the Group I Bohemia Crystal at Menangle and placed second in Arden Rooney’s Hunter Cup in Victoria in 2015.

Altogether the Falcon Seelster stallion won 25 races and $682,000 in stakes.