A new stable has joined Racing SA’s Dare To Dream initiative – and owners are unlikely to forget their horse’s name anytime soon.
Whitchety Grub arrived at Travis Doudle Racing from NSW last weekend and should be racing in South Australia in a matter of weeks.
The four-year-old mare is cleverly named, being by Wandjina (an Aboriginal word referencing cloud and rain spirits depicted in rock art) and Ice Creme.
“Yes, it’s certainly an eye-grabber,” said Stephen Theodore, racing manager for Travis Doudle Racing.
“It’s a playful name and let’s hope that it’s the start of many horses for the Dare to Dream syndicate and first-time owners, and they can have the photo on their wall for many years to come.”
Stephen said the stable was pleased to get involved in the Dare To Dream initiative, which gave 25 competition winners a chance to experience racehorse ownership via a share in two horses for themselves and nine friends.
“The stable’s very excited and very grateful for this opportunity,” he said.
“It’s been up and running for over 12 months now and it’ll be a real honour for the stable to have the colours on one of our horses.
“We’ve searched long and hard around Australia to find a suitable candidate for the syndicate and we’re very pleased with what’s arrived.
“She seems very smart, she’s got great manners and she’s a very big, strong mare.
“She looks suitable for the races we’ll be targeting in the coming months for the Dare To Dream syndicate.”
Stephen said the stable would ensure Dare To Dream syndicate members were kept up to the date with the horse’s progress and plans.
“We feel like we’re the leaders in the state with our communication to owners, with video updates,” he said.
“It’s a personal touch. A lot of people have now followed suit through COVID, but we’ve been going since before COVID was about and we’ve very proud of the service that we offer, not only to our clients, but also to the public, through our social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram.”
Whitchety Grub has had eight starts in NSW for two wins (at Bathurst and Mudgee) and two placings, and trialled at Rosehill on January 8.
Stephen said the horse could trial at Morphettville next week.
“We anticipate her being at the races in three weeks,” he said.
