The Essendon Football Club, through its two gaming venues at Melton and Essendon, has joined forces with Harness Racing Victoria to form the Bombers Harness Syndicate. Essendon Chairman Graeme McMahon and HRV Chairman Neil Busse today launched the unique initiative that will see the club’s two gaming venues - the Melton Country Club and the Essendon Football and Community and Sporting Club - lease and race a young pacer each over the next three years. The prizemoney earned will be donated to charity.

All training and associated fees are to be met by Harness Racing Victoria, the prizemoney raised will be donated to various Melton and Essendon chosen charities as well as being utilised in venue promotions.

“This is an excellent partnership between two major sporting bodies from the northern suburbs and one that we hope will benefit charity,” Essendon chairman Graeme McMahon said. “And while we are helping charity we are also giving our members some added value free of charge. We hope they will get involved in the fun of racing what we hope are two talented pacers.”

“We are delighted to be forming this partnership with the Essendon Football Club and its associated clubs that gives their 40,000 members an opportunity to experience the thrill of owning their very own harness horse”, explained Busse.

“We’ll be working closely to maximise cross promotional opportunities, enhancing profiles within both industries and positively influencing attendances. The two pacers are superbly-bred juveniles and have been hand picked by two of the World’s leading breeders, Alan Galloway and John Bagshaw”, added Busse.

Windyhillbomber is a Safely Kept-Anasazi colt who will be trained by Jayne Davies at Cranbourne and raced by the Essendon Football and Community Sporting Club. Bomber Dazzler, an Armbro Operative-Precious Franco filly being prepared in Bendigo by Bruce Morgan, will be raced by the Melton Country Club. Both horses have just turned two and will hit the racetrack in the first half of 2002, but early reports suggest they’re shaping up as two impressive racing prospects. They will race in the famous red and black colors – one with a Windy Hill logo and the other with a Melton logo.

Harness Racing Victoria last season approached two of Australia’s leading breeders, Alan Galloway of Alabar Bloodstock and John Bagshaw of Castle Family Pty Ltd, to select a yearling each from their books for the Essendon Syndicate to lease. Galloway selected the colt known as Windyhillbomber and Bagshaw the filly named Bomber Dazzler.

Windyhillbomber will be leased by Essendon on behalf of the Windy Hill Social Club, managed by Alan Burton, with Bomber Dazzler to be leased on behalf of the Melton Country Club, managed by Daryl Absalom.

All training, agistment, insurance and associated racing costs with the venture – approximately $20,000 per annum – will be paid by HRV. Stakes earnt, minus the trainers (7.5%) and drivers fee (5%), will be distributed as follows; 66.6% to the lessee, 33.3% to the lessor.

Windyhillbomber
Sire: Safely Kept USA, Dam: AnasaziBrown Colt, Foaled 3 December 1999
Eligible: Vicbred & Breeders Crown
Trainer: Jayne Davies (Clyde), Driver: Chris Alford
Colours: Black, White & Red “Windy Hill” logo Stable name: “Sheedy”
Comment: Will create history when he hits the track in Victoria as the first foal to race born using Alabar’s ground-breaking ‘embryo transfer’ technique. By the same sire as Safe And Sound, Persistency, Manifold Bay and prepared by four time Australian premiership winning stable.
Trainer says: “He’s a nice type alright. We’re very happy with the way he’s coming along. He’s a little nuggety horse, quite striking and has done everything we’ve asked of him. He’s now five weeks into a six week break and then he’ll come back and jog for a month before we step him up.”

Bomber Dazzler
Sire: Armbro Operative USA, Dam: Precious Franco NZBay Filly, Foaled 7 November 1999
Eligible: Vicbred & Breeders Crown
Trainer: Bruce Morgan (Bendigo), Driver: John Caldow
Colours: Black, White & Red “Melton” logo Stable name: “Essy”
Comment: Another daughter of boom imported sire who smashed the national record last season with 41 individual 2YO winners from his first crop. Bred and prepared by the same team as 1999 Australian 3YO Filly of the Year Mother Courage.
Trainers says: “I think she’s got what it takes. She’s a beautiful pacer, lovely gaited, great endeavour, great nature and a pleasure to drive, typical of the Armbro Operatives. She’s a little small at this stage, but I think she’ll mature into a nice type. We’ll turn her out four weeks off in December, but she’s been going along nicely”

Essendon members and supporters will be able to get regular updates on the progress of the horses and when they will next hit the racetrack on the website.