VALE MARTIN HARTNETT

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.

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 Helios (by Majestic Son Ca) provided some of the best of them, beginning with victory in the 2014 group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Derby.

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. 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.

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.

The Illawong name will continue in Hartnett’s memory for some years yet.