CASUAL OBSERVERS of North American harness racing might be puzzled to see a horse by the name of Jd’s Macca Lodge going around in Indiana.

Closer inspection of the breeding of the three-year-old colt points towards the origins of the name. He’s by Panspacificflight.

The stallion’s owner, Jacob Miller, has taken to naming some of his horses after the New Zealand stud that holds the Australasian rights to Panspacificflight’s frozen semen, as well as principals Brent and Sheree McIntyre. So not only is there Jd’s Macca Lodge, but also Brentandsheree and Shereeandbrent — all by Panspacificflight, of course

Jd’s Macca Lodge was a hot favourite in a maiden race at Hoosier Park on 12 May, but was nosed out by another Panspacificflight three-year-old, Pistopackinpiper, in 1:54.2.

Panspacificflight continues to leave a host of winners — both sexes, all ages — in the United States, complementing what he’s doing both here and in Australia.

In the same week, for example, he sired these other winners:

Last Flight In, a four-year-old mare, in a $US12,000 race in 1:55 at Scioto Downs in Ohio on 05 May.

Firstclassflight, a seven-year-old mare, in a $US13,000 race in 1:55.2 at Yonkers Raceway in New York on 07 May.

Makeoutlikeapandit, a four-year-old entire, in a $US14,000 race in 1:54.3 at Yonkers on 12 May.

The McIntyres enjoy a close relationship with Jacob and Doris Miller and were in the US in May for daughter Eva Miller’s wedding. They also caught up with Net Ten EOM’s owners and inspected his first progeny.

FOOTNOTE: Jd’s Macca Lodge posted his first win at Hoosier Park on 28 July in the fast time of 1:52. The three-year-old gelding is out of an Artsplace mare, Southwind Diana.

Did you know Panspacificflight is a half-brother in blood to Art Major? Click here to read about Panspacificflight’s remarkable Artsplace relatives

SIX STARTERS for two wins, a second and three thirds.

That was the record for progeny of Panspacificflight racing in both Australia and New Zealand over Anzac weekend — Little Rascal, first, and Arden’s Choice, third in a Group 1, on premier night at Alexandra Park on Friday, 24 April; Glenisla third at Newcastle in New South Wales on the Saturday; The Manipulator second at Rangiora and Last Flight In third in Tasmania on the Sunday (both badly checked); and, to round off Anzac weekend, Southern Pursuit first, on debut, at Gore on the Monday.

Southern Pursuit was one of the more impressive maiden winners of the season in Southland. The three-year-old gelding was six lengths off the pace when he started his run at the 800-metre mark and was caught three-wide without cover from that point. The final half was cut out in 57.6 off the front.

Take a look at his run here: Southern Pursuit wins on debut

BACK IN 2003 Brent McIntyre took a neighbour along to a promotional evening in Southland for a new North American stallion shuttling to New Zealand.

They both bought tickets in a raffle with the prize of a free service to the horse concerned, Mach Three. And, you guessed it, the neighbour, Steve Sloan, held the winning ticket.

He didn’t have a broodmare at the time, but he borrowed Holmes Hanover mare Elleuro from his brother and got a filly from the mating called Mach N Elle. Brent took a half share and trained her at his Tussock Creek property. Mach N Elle didn’t win in eight starts but was good enough to run second on debut as a two-year-old and fifth in the big Cheviot fillies race at her next start.

Brent took her first foal, a Bettor’s Delight colt, who was born at Macca Lodge. Named Darcee, he was sold to clients of Tony Herlihy’s stable at the national yearling sales for $32,000. The four-year-old had the biggest win of his career in the $23,800 North Island Country Cup Final at Palmerston North on 16 April, taking his record to six wins from 18 starts and $61,000 in stakes.

Mach N Elle has proved to be a shy breeder. A year after foaling Darcee she left Machjagger (by Justa Tiger), a winner for Brett Gray this season, but has not been back in foal since.

Last Flight In wins her first race in Tasmania

HOW’S THIS for a record.

Panspacificflight has had only three starters in Australia, all bred at Macca Lodge in Southland, and they’ve won 11 times between them from just 25-odd starts.

The latest winner across the Tasman is Last Flight In, who bolted in at Hobart over 2090 metres on 19 April. She won the way hot favourites should, blasting to the lead from the outside of the front line and coasting to an easy victory in a $7500 three-year-old race. Last Flight In won by 11 metres in a mile rate a touch over 2:00. She’s now unbeaten in two starts, winning on debut at Wyndham in February for Southland trainer Clark Barron before being exported.

New Zealand filly shines on Australian debut : Harnesslink

Just three nights earlier at Kilmore in Victoria, Sir Macs Man embellished his fine record in Australia, sweeping from last to first on the final lap of a 2180-metre event to win easily.  Racing here as Macs Man, he placed twice from Kirk Larsen’s Southland stable before being sold. Now trained by Jodi Quinlan, he has won four from six in Australia and is destined for better things.

And Panspacificflight three-year-old filly Glenisla, formerly trained by Tony Herlihy, has won five times for New South Wales trainer Shane Tritton.

Interestingly, Last Flight In is a daughter of Washington VC mare Orse M Denario. Panspacificflight has clicked remarkably well with Presidential Ball mares in North America, so he looks a good match with mares by Washington VC, the Southland-based son of Presidential Ball.

FOOTNOTE: Last Flight In won again in Tasmania on 22 May and now has a record of three wins, two seconds and a third from six life-time starts.

THE CLARK BARRON-trained Southern Pursuit furthered the fine start Panspacificflight has made as a sire in New Zealand when he qualified at the Invercargill trials on 08 April 2015.

The three-year-old gelding became Panspacificflight’s 19th qualifier from a first crop of just 23 live foals — a startling 82 per cent. It’s understood that at least two of the four horses not qualified have died.

Clark went on to win on debut with Southern Pursuit at Gore on 27 April.

Here’s a list of all Panspacificflight’s qualifiers (with the race winners highlighted) from his first crop:

Arden’s Concord, 3 b g, 2.06.5Q,S (Madam Maroussia, by Artiscape)
Dakota Fred, 3 b g, 2.05.4Q,D (Happy Bromac, by Falcon Seelster)
First Flight In, 3 b g, 2.01.5,D (Sharjanter, by Christian Cullen)
Glenisla, 3 b f, 2.05.6Q,1M (Touche Franco, by Holmes Hanover)
In Full Flight, 3 b g, 2.03.1Q,S (Scherger Rein, by Sir Vancelot)
Last Flight In, 3 b f, 2.04.4Q,S (Orse M Denario, by Washington VC)
Little Rascal, 3 br g, 2.00.9,S (Evita Franco, by Live Or Die)
Mac’s Man, 3 b g, 2.04.4Q,S (Galleons Testimony, by Elsu)
Miss Stella, 3 b f, 2.03.4Q,S (Troyella, by Holmes Hanover)
Oh Em Gee, 3 b f, 2.04.3Q,S (Millwood Salli, by In The Pocket)
Pacific Hilight, 3 ch g, 2.05.5Q,S (Julie Arden, by Julius Caesar)
Schwartz Denario, 3 b f, 2.05,D (Ergo Denario, by Bettor’s Delight)
Shipshewana Flight, 3 b f, 2.08.5Q,S (Falcon Magic, by Falcon Seelster)
Southern Pursuit, 3 b g, 2:03.6Q,S (Relentless Storm, by Live or Die)
Straight Thru Blue, 3 b g, 2.05.1Q,D (New York Franco, by Badlands Hanover)
The Manipulator, 3 b g, 2.01.7,D (Luckisaladytonight, by Presidential Ball)
Violet Hill, 3 b f, 2.04.9Q,S (Undeniably Bromac, by Falcon Seelster)
Wattlebank Flyer, 3 br g, 2.04.2Q,1M (Careful Seznicki, by Courage Under Fire)
Wick, 3 br g, 2.00.2Q,1M (On The Double, by Holmes Hanover)

PANSPACIFICFLIGHT has now joined the $10 million club in North America.

Panspacificflight

The son of The Panderosa has left 356 foals of racing age who have won an average of just over $US28,000 in stakes. Even if you exclude his biggest winner (Fridaynightflight, $US580,000), his average is still more than $US26,000.

Panspacificflight has left a total of 156 winners, 100 two-year-old winners, 78 sub-1:55 milers and 28 horses who have won more than $US100,000 in stakes.

And 2014 was a big year for him. His two-year-olds won $US440,000 in stakes, placing him second among Indiana-based sires behind Rockin Image, but ahead of other prominent sires Always A Virgin and Real Desire.

This year Panspacificflight is standing in North America at Schwartz Boarding Farm in Ohio.

MACCA LODGE-BORN Mister Lennox, the winner of the $A30,000 Tasmanian Derby in Hobart in March, is the latest feature race winner bred by the famed Tuapeka Lodge at Lawrence.

Known here simply as Lennox, the Changeover colt was educated by part-owner Dan Cummings before being put through the first Macca Southern Geared Yearling Sale in 2013.

Tuapeka Lodge subsequently sold him for $22,000 as an early two-year-old to prominent Tasmanian owner Barry Cooper, who was delighted with his biggest win in harness racing in the Group 3 derby. “I set out to pick what I hoped would be my best horse to race with my children and it looks like I succeeded,” he said.

Mister Lennox, 2015 Tasmanian Derby winner

Trained by Juanita McKenzie, Mister Lennox has now won four in a row and takes his record to eight wins and $A56,000 in stakes from 14 starts.

He’s out of the Falcon Seelster mare Tuapeka Osprey, who has been resident at Macca Lodge along with her half-sister Letatalk for several years.

They are out of Seamoon (Smooth Fella-Maureen’s Dream) and descend from the Light Brigade mare Mains Lady, one half of the Tuapeka dynasty that has produced winners from juvenile champion Tuapeka Knight (probably best-remembered these days as the sire of an unlikely quinella in the 2002 New Zealand Cup) to Ideal Scott (who has won five Group 1 races, on both sides of the Tasman, and about $750,000 in stakes).

The two mares at Macca Lodge have been doing their bit to keep the family to the fore with $100,000 earners in West Australia —  Tuapeka Osprey’s Bettors Delight gelding Tuapeka Kahu has won a dozen races, while Letatalk is the dam of four-year-old Mach Three gelding Machtu, a likely Interdominion contender in Gary Hall’s Perth stable.

Tuapeka Osprey was leased to Macca Lodge for two seasons and produced Panspacificflight filly Pantastic, who has had one start as a two-year-old, and an American Ideal filly. The mare was sold late last year to Paul Bielby, who once bred a horse you may have heard of called Christian Cullen.

Another mare at Macca Lodge from this family is Jamie, who won seven races for the McIntyres. She has produced a promising Panspacificflight two-year-old, Ted Cady, who qualified in November and has been put aside until next season.

Footnote: Mister Lennox wasn’t the only good winner to go through the 2013 Macca sale.  Two others have become multiple winners in Australia — Glenisla, the Panspacificflight filly, who has won five times for stakes of close to $A25,000, and Beaudiene Bill (Changeover-Beaudiene Rarity), who has won six races and stakes of $A34,000 in New South Wales. (The latter was named Beaudiene Barret here, but the new Australian owners, probably not All Black fans, may not have appreciated the play on words).

PANSPACIFICFLIGHT  three-year-old filly Glenisla continues to fly the flag for her sire in Australia.

Bred by the McIntyres, Glenisla had three starts as a two-year-old from Tony Herlihy’s Auckland stable before she was sold to clients of New South Wales trainer Shane Tritton. There she has won nearly $A25,000 from five wins, a second and three thirds. Her biggest win came in the $A15,000 Nevele R Stud Star Maker Three-Year-Old Final at the 750-metre Tamworth track on 25 January.

This was a game run. She settled last but made an early run around the field before settling in the parked position, took the lead on the turn and held on for a narrow win in the 1980-metre event. Glenisla has since won over a mile at Newcastle in 1:55.5 on 06 February.