BY DAVID BREHAUT
Martin Hartnett with his wife Kaye
VALE MARTIN HARTNETT SALUTE TO HIGHLY REGARDED BREEDER
ILLAWONG IS A NAME SYNONYMOUS WITH Victorian trotting ranks. It was the racing handle of breeding icon Martin Hartnett. Sadly, Hartnett died in late August after a battle with cancer and the harness racing industry is much the poorer for his passing. Hartnett and his wife Kaye bred and raced hundreds of winners - almost exclusively trotters. His contribution to the standardbred breeding industry was recognised in 2015 when he received Harness Breeders Victoria’s Ian Daff Memorial Award. Ironically, it was a pacer - talented filly El Trafford -which contributed significantly to Hartnett developing a love for harness racing which would go on for four decades.
Jodi Quinlan shared a similar level of success as a trainer with Hartnett, with none better than Illawong Armstrong (Majestic Son Ca). He had 18 wins for $230,000 and took a career-best mark of 1:56, with a group 1 win in the 2014 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for 2yos. Illawong Armstrong was out of outstanding broodmare Lunar Landing, which also produced four-time group 1 winner Spidergirl (Yankee Spider US) 1:56.2, 20 win, $317,000; Illawong Moonshine (Yankee Spider US) 1:58.1, 10 wins; and Illawong Stardust (Muscle Hill US) 1:58.7, 4 wins. Quinlan has also had 2016 Redwood Classic winner Illawaong Byron (Muscle Mass US) 1:59.7. 15 wins, $173,000.
He gradually built his breeding empire and it was with trainer Ross Sugars that he had some of his most memorable moments on the racetrack.
Illawong Maestro (Grinfromeartoear US) 1:53.1, 16 wins, $137,000, and multiple group 1-placed Illawong Ian (Keystone Salute US) 25 wins, $21,000 are among the many others her gave Hartnett success.
Illawong Helios (by Majestic Son Ca) provided some of the best of them, beginning with victory in the 2014 group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Derby.
The Illawong name will continue in Hartnett’s memory for some years yet.
She would go on to complement other group 1 placings with group 2 and 3 wins in putting together career record of 19 wins for $272,000 in stakes. Trackbred October 2020 | 9
