By Peter Wharton
Unclad, the very impressive winner of the Haras Des Trotteurs 2YO Trot at Melton on Saturday when having only his second start, is exploding the well-worn theory of a decline in the racing quality of foals born late in a broodmare’s career.
Starcus, the New Zealand-bred dam of Unclad, was 19 when she left him.
The Quaker Jet gelding is the 12th foal and 10th winner of his dam, who has left winners to nine different stallions – the mark of a truly outstanding matron.
“Last year she left three winners to claim the Victorian Square Trotters Association’s Broodmare of the Year award,” Craig Nott, who shares ownership of Starcus with good mate Vinesh Mehta, said.
The winners were Naked Ambition, the Vicbred Silver winner Link In Bio and Nakedtruth.
“Starcus is now in one of Chris and Alison Alford’s back paddocks. She deserves her time in the sunshine eating grass for the rest of her life,” Nott said.
“I’m not breeding any more horses. I have another two-year-old trotter called Narky Intellectual and these are the last foals that I’ve bred.”
Nott bought Starcus in foal to Andover Hall from well-known Swan Hill identity Gerard Moloney. The result was Naked Ambition, the winner of nine races including the Breeders Crown Graduate Final.
“She was pretty old at the time and I thought I might get a couple more out of her, but I got another five foals,” Nott said.
“It’s incredible that every one that I’ve had has won except for God Youre Good. She had talent but proved a bit of a handful for Chris, so we sold her.”
Three of Starcus’ offspring have earned in excess of $100,000 – War Dan Destroyer, Zhenya and Naked Ambition.
“I think Unclad will be the best one,” Nott stated. “Chris Alford really likes him. He’s paid up for all the major classics.”
Nott, a son of bookmaker, breeder-owner and Geelong club president the late Philip Nott, conducts the online cricket betting service Cricketbet.
“Dad and I started the business 25 years ago and it’s still ticking along,” he said.
“My true love is the trots. I have loved it ever since I was about nine. I was wagging school to catch the train to the Moonee Valley Monday meetings.
“When I turned 18, I was a professional gambler and when I was 19 I drove in two trials and quickly determined that I wasn’t going to have a career as a trotting driver!”
Craig and his father have bred and raced a number of good winners over the years.
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree….we’ve both had too many horses,” Craig said. “The difference is that dad had a couple that paid for all the slow ones.
‘’I haven’t got the fast one yet, so I’m hoping that one of the Starcus progeny might be the one to get to metropolitan class and pay for a few of the slower ones.”
