By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
It might have taken 7,897 days, but Sunshine Coast owner/breeders, Neil Badcock and Max Lago, have nailed their second race-day double.
The Australian and Germany-born mates won races three and five at Redcliffe Paceway on Thursday (November 30), when the Wayne Graham-trained and Shane Graham-driven The Ex Horseist, and Shakalakaboomboom got up by half-a-neck, and a neck respectively.
“It was a great thrill to own and breed two winners for the Grahams again. We have stuck with them over the years, and they are great horsemen, and did us proud again on Thursday. We have maintained both a professional and personal relationship with the Grahams over the years.
“One thing I have learnt in this game is to never mix pleasure with business. If we are having a beer, we never talk horses. It’s just the way we are, and that’s why we have stuck with the Grahams over the years. They are both friends and business associates – and it’s very important that the two never cross,” Badcock said.
He said winning one race on Thursday was great, but two was a bonus.
“Our first double with Wayne and Shane was when Yahoo Buckaroo and Rapt In Red both won at the Gold Coast meeting on April 17, 2002. Yahoo Buckaroo (1:56.6) has been one of the best I’ve bred, and Max and I have owned and bred.
“He was a hand-reared 1998 Fake Left – Kentucky Bye Bye (Alba Bye Bye) gelding, who won 26 races ($183,067), including the 2-year-old Qbred Triad final in 2000. Kentucky Bye Bye, who was bred my mother actually ended up being a ‘Triple Crown Champion’, also claiming the Qbred Triad at ages three and four as well. We sadly lost Kentucky Bye Bye while giving birth to Young Buckaroo.
“As for Rapt In Red (1:57.3), she was a 1996 Fake Left – Cashmere Cate (Land Grant) mare, who won 13 races ($52,832). We didn’t breed her though, but we bred both of our Thursday winners from her line,” Badcock said.
The 65-year-old retired farmer explained that Shakalakaboomboom, was a 4-year-old Mr Feelgood gelding, who has now won four of her 45 starts. He is the fourth of five foals out of Rapt In Red.
As for The Ex Horseist, who is a 4-year-old by Betterthancheddar, he has won three of his 20 starts. His mother, the 2010 Elsu – Rapt In Red (Fake Left) 10-win mare, Il Cavalino, is a half-sister to Shakalakaboomboom. She was the first of Rapt In red’s five foals.
Badcock said he relocated from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast five years ago, but had known Lago since about 2000, and then after his mother, Edna passed away in 2001 they opted to form a racing partnership.
“Yahoo Buckaroo and Rapt In Red were two of our first winners after Mum passed. I wanted to carry on with harness racing after my parents passed away. They were big influences on me, and they raced horses with Wayne Graham as well.
“Dad (Ted) died in 1993, and like Mum, he loved the trots just as much. They raced a nice pacer named Eruption (Soky’s Atom – Eagles Three – Crockett), who won 21 races in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was trained by Alan Donahue, and they were setting him for the Inter Dominion before his untimely death. I think he still holds the record at Albion Park for winning from a stand, 50-metres behind.”
He explained that he was about 17 when his parents converted from thoroughbred to standardbred racing.
“We lived on a farm at Redlands Bay, and I remember the first harness horse my parents bought was a Rod Belford trained pacer named Mountain. I sold up our family farm five years ago and love it here at Noosa.
“When Dad passed away, Mum and I raced a very nice pacer named Grants Finito with Bill Dixon. He was also a very nice horse, who won 17 races ($151,115), including the Group Two 2yo Triad in 2001,” Badcock said.
Badcock said he had four horses racing at present. The best of them being The Ex Horseist.
Badcock was born in Brisbane and boarded at St Joseph’s Nudgee College in Boondall.
