Auckland bred reigns Supreme in Perth

Almost given up as a breeding proposition after she failed to breed for seven years, Supremacy, a good racemare by the New Zealand champion Christian Cullen, has produced one of the most promising young stayers in Western Australia since gaining a reprieve.

It is the four-year-old gelding South Side Story, who last Friday notched his fourth win at Gloucester Park and his fifth from 12 starts in WA, leading from end to end for trainer Aiden De Campo at a career-best 1:55.2 rating for 2130 metres. The success improved his lifetime stake total to $63,596.

Prior to his sale to Perth last year, the Always B Miki gelding raced four times as a three-year-old for champion Clevedon trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan for an Alexandra Park win and a placing.

A daughter of the 1994 NZ 4YO Mare of the Year Victor Supreme, Supremacy was bred by the late Charles Roberts, the co-founder of breeding conglomerate Woodlands Stud.

“She was a lovely mare who won nine races and more than $100,000,” Purdon’s wife Katrina, who raced her, said.

Supremacy’s first foal was Bounty Lady, who won three races for Purdon before being sold to North America, where she took a mile record of 1:51.6 and earned $44,713 in stakes.

“We had trouble getting her into foal after she left Bounty Lady, so we decided to send her to a younger sire and South Side Story is the result,” Katrina said.

Supremacy has since produced the three-year-old Buddy Guy (by Bettor’s Wish) and a yearling colt by King Of Swing named Born Supremacy. Buddy Guy won on debut as a two-year-old at Alexandra Park in June 2025, while Born Supremacy has had one preparation so far.

“We’ve stopped breeding from her now,” Katrina said. “We were breeding from two mares, Supremacy and Better Rose, but they were both getting a bit old.

“We’ve got a nice filly named Fly High who we might breed from later. She’s going down to Christchurch for the Nevele R Fillies Series Final at Addington on Cup Day.”

Fly High (by Bettor’s Wish) has won five of her 11 starts this season including a heat and the Final of the Silk Road Mares Series at Cambridge Raceway and two heats of the Nevele R Series at Auckland.