Andover Hall records first NZ-bred winner

[Chief Stipe]

Top North American trotting sire Andover Hall recorded his first true New Zealand-bred winner, at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Anditover, a three-year-old trained locally by Ross Paynter, cleared maidens in the hands of David Butcher to get his father off the mark.
Andover Hall made waves early on in his siring career when leaving champion trotters Donato Hanover and Pampered Princess in his first two crops.
He’s come back to the pack with age but has been well supported by New Zealand breeders with a good calibre of mare.
He had 24 foals in that first crop and Paynter was thrilled to get his hands on one of them.
“I think he’s one of the top sires of trotting millionaires worldwide.
“He’s a top sire and it’s nice to have one in the barn by him.”
Anditover got a ‘clayton’s win’ as a juvenile as the only starter in a Breeders Crown heat back in July and Wednesday’s tote win came at his second start on this, his sophomore campaign.
Paynter is optimistic about the horse’s future, too.
“I’ve always had quite a bit of time for him.
“He’s promised to be quite a nice horse for a while, just a bit of a dummy that doesn’t know a lot.
“The motor is there though and he’s quite nicely put together, as well.”
Anditover descends from broodmare gem Chiola’s Lass, meaning his extended family includes performers the likes of Cabaletta, Allegro Agitato, Skyvalley, Gershwin and Everybody Knows.
He was bred by Denis Lauren and Pip Gerard and raced by them along with some friends, including HRNZ Board member and Cambridge local, John Coulam.
Paynter believes the horse could, in time, perhaps justify a trip south for the Harness Jewels later in the season if he continues to trend in the right direction.
“We’ll let him find his feet and try and race him at Auckland a little bit.
“He’s on the way up but has a bit to learn about racing.
“I think we got ‘half points’ for that win so it shouldn’t hurt him too much.
“We’ve just got to be careful where we place him.”
Andover Hall’s first and only other New Zealand winner was the imported American mare, Luby Ann, in 2011, when trained by Mark Purdon and Grant Payne.
Her first two foals were the Group 1 performing fillies, Luby Lou and Tickle Me Pink.
Andover Hall’s sire sons include Creatine, The Pres, Monkey Bones and Quite Easy.

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