Our Col Dominant In Northern Trotting Oaks

Following two stakes placings, promising trotter Our Col (NZ) (Father Patrick) broke through for a deserved maiden stakes triumph when taking out the Group Three Woodlands Stud Northern Trotting Oaks (2200m) at Alexandra Park last Friday night.

From her outside draw, Our Col was pushed forward early by trainer-driver Tony Herlihy and entered an early speed duel with Petite Amour (NZ) (What The Hill), but eventually found the front after 500m.

Their early injection of pace strung out the small field, with several of their rivals throwing their toys out of the cot early, leaving Mechanica (NZ) (What The Hill) the only danger. 

However, it was a two-horse race a long way from home, with Mechanica struggling to hold Petite Amour’s back when Herlihy applied more pressure down the back straight the final time.

Petite Amour stuck on and tried to reel in the pacemaker down the home straight, but it proved to be in vain, with Our Col running out a comfortable three length victor, with a further 33-½ lengths back to Mechanica in third.

Bred by Breckon Farms, Our Col is by Father Patrick and out of four-win Muscle Hill mare Cheeky Babe, a half-sister to multiple Group One winner Bet N Win (NZ) (What the Hill) . It is also the same family as Group One winners Stress Factor and Have No Fear, and Group One performer Prince Fearless.

Our Col was offered through Breckon Farms’ 2024 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft at Karaka where she was purchased by Tony Herlihy for $27,500.

She showed plenty of early promise, winning her first three starts before running third in the Listed NZB Standardbred 3YO Trotters Harness Million Mobile Trot (2200m), and was subsequently runner-up in the Group One NZ Sires’ Stakes 3YO Trotters Championship (2200m) behind gun three-year-old Kyvalley Ray (NZ) (Bold Eagle).

Our Col has now won four and placed in two of her six starts to date, and earned more than $95,000 in prizemoney.