Imported European trotter Callmethebreeze has made the Australasian harness racing community sit up and take notice by capturing the group 1 $300,000 Great Southern Star.
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In the battle for the ages, the Italian-bred and Ballarat-owned Callmethebreeze ($4) edged out champion Just Believe ($1.40 favourite) by a neck in an enthralling race to the line at Melton on Saturday night.
It was only the stallion's third start in Australia for trainer Anton Golino at the Cardigan-based Yabby Dam Farms.
Callmethebreeze and Just Believe had earlier in the night won their respective heats of the rich feature, with the Myrniong-based Just Believe (trained by Jess Tubbs) stretching his winning sequence to eight.
His better draw persuaded punters to install Just Believe as a short-priced favourite to defend his title, with Callmethebreeze starting from outside the front row.
Callmethebreeze's win headlined a complete domination of the Great Southern Star by Pat Driscoll, who owns the Yabby Dam Farms breeding and racing operation, as well as the pioneering Haras de Trotteurs stud.
In addition to owning the already European acclaimed Callmethebreeze, which became a racing millionaire in France, under the Haras des Trotteurs banner, he bred and owns Just Believe (which is raced on lease by Iona Trotter Syndicate) and bred third-placegetter Keayang Chucky.
Just Believe and Keayang Chucky are by French sires on the Haras de Trotteurs stallion roster.
Driscoll acquired Callmethebreeze from France with a view to racing the six-year-old and later standing him at a stud.
Driscoll said it was an "unbelievable" result.
"You go and spend a little bit of money on a horse from Europe and you hope that he comes across and does okay," he said.
"Anton and the team have done a great job, (and) Nathan (Jack) has driven him a treat."
Callmethebreeze gave Golino and Yabby Dam Farms their second success in the Great Southern Star - the only major race of its type with heats and final on the one program.
They won with champion mare Dance Craze in 2019.
