Darkest time leads to biggest highlights
ONE of the darkest times of his life has ultimately led to Mat Day’s biggest highlights.
Although he persisted as long as possible, the time came when Day had to quit his passion of training standardbreds due to recurring pain from a car accident when he was 17.
Unwilling to leave the industry all together, Day switched his focus to breeding – a decision he has never regretted.
“I was just getting into training when I had a car accident as a 17-year-old,” Day explained. “Once I was able to get going again I was back training, but my back wouldn’t stand up to it.
“I tried to do the same as my brothers Neil and Michael, but was killing myself.
“So I got into the breeding sector about 15 to 20 years ago and haven’t looked back.”
After purchasing “a couple of mares” Day wasted no time expanding his broodmare band to “20 or so”.
Maintaining those numbers for more than a decade, Day has bred a host of top performers including classy modern day types Sicario and Anntonia.
Winner of the 2019 South Australia Cup, Sicario has earned more than $500,000 thanks to his 23 wins and 26 placings.
A multiple Group One winner, Anntonia boasts 14 wins, seven placings and a best time of 1:49.8 from 25 starts.
On the subject of Group One winners, two Day-bred pacers have experienced top shelf glory this season, including Captn Me which secured a New South Wales Breeders’ Challenge Final at Club Menangle last weekend.
“I breed from about 20 each year and have had a reasonable amount of success,” Day said. “I don’t keep a tab on them but I reckon I’ve bred about 10 Group One winners.
“Captain Ritchie won the Australian Pacing Gold Final earlier this year and then of course there was Captn Me last week.
“At this stage I would have to say Anntonia is the best I have bred.”
By Captaintreacherous, Captn Me is from unraced mare Glenferrie Elect, which Day sold as a package deal with her yearling son and a colt foal, which is now known as Captn Me.
“I had her colt by Somebeachsomewhere in a Sale and never got the price I felt was reasonable for him,” Day said. “So I decided to sell him with the dam and her foal as a package.
“There is nothing wrong with the family, but after the colt didn’t sell I felt the mare just wasn’t commercial enough for me.
“I breed to sell and therefore the foals have to be commercially attractive.”
- HARNESS BREEDERS NSW