Net Ten EOM has been running hot across Australasia recently.
Macca Lodge’s great value son of the champion Somebeachsomewhere has gone on a run of leaving impressive winners all over Australasia in the past few weeks.
They include:
Wavethebill – Net Ten EOM – Wave Runner (Live Or Die)
The Big Yin – Net Ten EOM – C J Galleon (Falcon Seelster)
Van Niekirk – Net Ten EOM – Rosie Lindenny (McArdle)
Dont Need An Excuse – Net Ten EOM – Silky Franco (Holmes Hanover)
Macca Lodge clients Mike Atkins and Greg Adlam featured in the Harness Xpress publication recently.
Check out the article written by Garrick Knight:
Courtesy the Harness Xpress
Wavethebill, a maiden winner at Alexandra Park last Friday night, is the first progeny of his sire, Net Ten EOM, to race in the North Island.
Given the oldest crop are now five-year-olds, that’s a fairly bizarre trend, but one that trainer, Derek Balle, is happy to have broken.
“He’s always been a nice pacer; lovely gaited right from the get-go. And he’s just gotten better and better every time he’s come back,” he said.
“He’s a tough little bugger, but he’s got some speed, too.”
Net Ten EOM’s frozen semen is offered by Southland nursery Macca Lodge so it’s no surprise that it’s there that Wavethebill was conceived, born and raised.
He is a descendent of Maureens Dream, meaning he’s a close relative of the reigning horse of the year, Ultimate Sniper, and his illustrious siblings, Major Reality and Ultimate Machete.
“The owners sent him from Macca Lodge to us.The mare, Wave Runner, which they bought off Father Dan Cummings, is still based there.”
Wavethebill is raced by Pukekohe’s Mike Atkins along will Greg Adlam, the Porirua-based brother of Wave Run- ner’s former trainer, Simon Adlam.
Greg Adlam also owned the 2008 Taylor Mile winner, Second Wind, prepared by his brother.
“Mike and Greg have been mates for years and actually raced Wave Runner together on lease with a few others,” said Balle.
“They were breeding her foal-about with Dan Cummings before he got crook and bought them out.”
Wave Runner, by Live Or Die, won eight races and was Group 2-placed behind Kiwi Ingenuity at Addington.
She’s proved to be an excellent breeder at stud, her first five foals all winners under 2.00, including the brilliant Bonnie Joan and recent export, Kilowatt Kid.
Wavethebill is her seventh foal and his older sister, Second Wave, will soon make it seven foals for seven winners when Balle lines her up.
“She’s just qualified and has got a motor on her.so I don’t think it will take long for her to win one.”
Atkins hasn’t had much luck with Balle, so the trainer is happy to see him get a decent horse.
“He’s a local guy that lives around the road from us, next to Paulette Screen.
“One day he rung up out of the blue with a horse to train called Idle Eyre.
“Mark Jones and Tim Butt had had him and he looked alright but then fell over and lost his way.
“We gave him a few starts but couldn’t get him going either so gave him away as a riding horse.
“Then I got Mike into another couple of horses – Tanzanite and Miss Taken, but neither worked out either “He’s a hell of a nice guy, he just hasn’t had any luck with us so far.
“But this fella will change that.”
Wavethebill would likely have raced back in March, but the worldwide pandemic has probably turned out to be his friend, Balle reckons.
“I thought he would be a nice two-year-old, but Covid came along right when he was ready to qualify.
“So we had to turn him out and bring him back up, then when he got to the workouts, straight after Covid, he copped a stone bruise.
“But it worked out well for him because every time he’s had to have a let-up, he’s come back better.
“The other night he’s run 2.41.8 and didn’t turn a hair. You wouldn’t have known he’d had a race the next day.”
Wavethebill debuted in Krug’s Sires Stakes Heat on September 3 before going AWOL on the bend in his next start, a maiden on September 18.
“That was a bit of a hiccup; we put the murphy on him but around the last bend he ran off the track.
“Josh (driver Dickie) said don’t worry about it, take the murphy off and he’ll be fine.
“So we turned the page, followed his advice and this last week, when he hooked him out, he steered like a toff.”
Next up is Cambridge on October 15 for another Sires Stakes heat, this time the usual spring edition for three- year-olds that culminates with the final on NZ Cup day.
“There’ll be a couple of smart ones there like American Dealer and Hot And Treacherous, but if he draws good, he might be able to run second or third.
“After that, we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what offers come rolling in for him.”