Prince Naseem KO's rivals in Queensland

Prince Naseem, a two-year-old gelding named after the British former world boxing champion Naseem Hamed, delivered his opponents a one-two punch at his debut at Albion Park last Saturday night.

Prince Naseem, a two-year-old gelding named after the British former world boxing champion Naseem Hamed, delivered his opponents a one-two punch at his debut at Albion Park last Saturday night.

Sent out as the public elect on the back of some excellent trials form, the son of Tiger Tara mixed his gait soon after the start and gave the leaders a 40 metres start. With 1000 metres to run he was still 20 metres from the leaders, and his chance could have been written off.

But Prince Naseem mounted a four-wide challenge nearing the straight entrance, reached the front inside the last 100 metres and finally won by almost a length. The gelding rated a slick 1:54.7 over 1660 metres with the last two quarters in 28.3 and 27.5.

Prince Naseem's performance was a memorable one in every respect.

The gelding was bred off Macca Lodge, one of Northern Southland's premier standardbred breeding nurseries, semen bases and training establishments.

Brent McIntyre, the principal of Macca Lodge, said: "Prince Naseem broke in nicely and was a nice horse all the way. We turned him out, then we qualified him and then we got an offer to sell him from Queensland."

Prince Naseem is the sixth and last foal of the deceased Mach Three mare Beaudiene Brilliance, a mare bred by noted Southland breeder David Kennedy and raced by Brian Duggan, a client of Macca Lodge.

"Beaudiene Brilliance won two races for trainer Murray Brown before being involved in an accident," McIntyre said.

Duggan bred the first two foals out of Beaudiene Brilliance in Paddyproudfoot (by Washington VC) and Lila Rose (by Sportswriter), the former winning six races including the Riverton and Tuapeka Cups and $57,715 in stakes.

"He was quite smart but broke down," McIntyre said.

Lila Rose, who was unraced, is now being bred from by McIntyre.

"Her first foal, a Fear The Dragon filly, died soon after being broken in. She has since produced a weanling filly by Perfect Sting," he said.

Macca Lodge is gearing up for another strong breeding season.

"We were up 50 odd mares last season at the farm," Brent said.

Macca Lodge has three stallions on its roster this season, namely the North American bred frozen semen pair Perfect Sting and Six Pack and the colonial bred Lord Forbes.

"Perfect Sting is an awesome frozen horse. He's as good as fresh," Brent stated.

A Breeders Crown champion and USA 2YO and 3YO Colt of the Year, Perfect Sting has left the winners of more than $5 million from his first two North American crops. He has 59 in 1:55 and 10 in 1:50 including the Adioo Volo winner Be Perfect BG (1:48.8), the Kindergarten Classic and New Jersey Classic victor Bookie J (1:48.8), Perfect Thought 1:49.6 (New Jersey Classic) and the Bluegrass Stake winner Be Sting.

He finished eighth on last year's 2YO Sires' Premiership with $1.7 million and is currently sixth on the two-year-old list and seventh on the three-year-old table. His stock has earned $3.3 million this year.

"We have quite a few of his stock on the ground here and we really like the ones that have been broken in," McIntyre said. "We sold a couple at the weanling sale last year. Ray Green has got a nice filly by him."

Six Pack, a triple world champion, USA 3YO Trotting Colt and Aged Trotter of the Year and the winner of almost $2 million, has progeny earnings of $9 million from just three racing crops.

His stock are headed up by last year's record-breaking $1 million Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S (1:50), the multiple Stakes winner Mr Bluebird, Sugar Packet (Peaceful Way), the New Jersey Classic winner Camera Man and Four Sixes (Old Oaken Bucket).

Completing the Macca Lodge lineup is the Live Or Die horse Lord Forbes, who, from only a handful of foals, is the sire of Louie's Girl (1:48.8), North America's richest stakes-winning racemare this year with $398,837 and runner-up in the Grade 2 $255,000 Milton Stakes in Canada last Saturday.

Macca Lodge, which was founded by the McIntyre family in 2008, is a breeding base for chilled and frozen semen stallions from leading stud farms across Australia and New Zealand including Alabar, Woodlands Stud, Empire Stallions, Nevele R Stud and Yabby Dam Farms.