The win of Scandalman in the $A200,000 Victoria Derby at Melton on Saturday night thrilled Belfast co-owner Mary Thompson for the part played by her late husband, John, in the horse.
"I just think John's judgement has been vindicated," she said.
Scandalman is raced by the estate of John Thompson, comprising Mary, her daughters Catherine Butt (the Woodend Beach trainer), Michelle Trelaven, Deborah Lynskey and son Richard Thompson.
John died in March last year at the age of 70. Thompson began breeding and racing horses in the 1960s.
His best horse was Bad Luck, who numbered the 1979 Ashburton Flying Stakes, Kaikoura Cup, and heat of the Interdominion at Addington among his 12 New Zealand wins.
He was also successful in Sydney.
John bred Scandalman and qualified him at Ashburton as a 2yr-old in October, 2010.
He sent Scandalman and another 2yr-old, International Tough Guy, to Theresa Park (New South Wales) trainer Ian Wilson.
"Ian had bought International Playboy from us and he rang and asked us if we had any more. John said he had two nice 2yr-olds and agreed to send them across," Mary said.
Scandalman is by Live Or Die and the fifth foal of All In Vain, a Holmes Hanover mare who won a race for Thompson. All In Vain is out of Natural Elegance, a half-sister by Nat Lobell to Bad Luck (Scotch Abbe-Fordelle).
John Justice has retained the drive on Smoken Up for the opening round of heats of the Interdominion in Perth on Friday week, The New Zealand Herald reports.
Justice, the brother of Lance Justice, the injured trainer of Smoken Up, drove the horse to a track record win of a 1.51.1 mile rate for 1720m (mobile) at Melton on Saturday night. Smoken Up lowered the record by 1.4sec despite racing three wide for half the race.
Lance Justice has been in a wheelchair with broken legs since a race fall at Melton in December 23.
Smoken Up is second favourite at $4 with the New Zealand TAB for the Interdominion behind Im Themightyquinn ($3) with Auckland Reactor third favourite at $5.
Im Themightyquinn is also favourite in Australia.
"I know how hard this horse has to be driven and John is brave enough to drive him that way," Lance Justice said.
He has not ruled out being fit to drive Smoken Up at some stage during the Interdominion series.
The second round of heats is at Gloucester Park on Monday week and the third round four nights later. The final is on March 2.
John Justice trained and drove Shakamaker, winner of the the Interdominion Final in Melbourne in 2000. Shakamaker included six Interdominion heats in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney among his 46 wins for $2.29 million in stakes.
