Progeny of Father Patrick dominate Young Guns Final

It was an impressive siring feat for Father Patrick in the Group 3 Young Guns 2YO Trotters Series Final at Alexandra Park on Friday night with his progeny filling the first four spots home.

It was the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained, royally bred Higher Power who took the honours, getting the better of his stablemate Meant To Be in the last few strides to score by a half neck, with the filly Pretty In Pink rounding out the trifecta and Illicit Love taking fourth spot.

Higher Power has now won two of his three starts to date and earned $41,600 in stakes.

Bred by Breckon Farms Ltd, Higher Power is out of the multiple Group 1 winning Muscles Yankee mare High Gait, making him a full brother to not only the Group 1 Ace Of Hearts winner and 2022 NZ 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year, High Energy, but also to last seasonʻs Group 2 Redwood Classic winner High Step.

All four of the Father Patrick youngsters were out of either Muscles Yankee or Muscle Hill mares, and amazingly all four were bred by Breckon Farms Ltd.

It was almost a complete sweep of both of the trotting age group stakes races at the meeting for Father Patrick, with his sons Father Barry and Paramount Kiwi finishing second and third respectively in the Group 2 Sires Stakes 3YO Trotters Championship later in the night.

Father Patrick is currently the leading sire of both 2-year-old and 3-year-old trotters in New Zealand.