Sal Ferraro, a businessman from Gisborne in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges where he produces safety equipment, has enjoyed his hobby as a breeder of standardbred horses and he delights in making spur of the moment decisions.
It was in September 2019 that he thought it would be a good idea to send his promising four-year-old Braeview Bondi to race in WA after the gelding had managed only one placing from his most recent eight Victorian starts which included nine wins on country tracks.
“I sent him to Mouse (Michael) Brennan to train,” he said. And it proved a wise decision, with Braeview Bondi racing 30 times in a 13-month period in WA for six wins, ten placings and $110,591 in stakes.
“I then sold him to America where he proved to be a very good horse,” said Ferraro, who bred Braeview Bondi with his wife Nicki and his father Joe. Braeview Bondi went on to win another 32 races in America before being retired with a record of 252 starts for 47 wins, 75 placings and earnings of $654,454.
Braeview Bondi is the first foal out of Ferraro’s Badlands Hanover mare Braeview Creation, who was an honest performer who was retired to the breeding barn after her 25 starts produced three wins, eleven placings and $53,000.
The Iron Duke is the fifth foal the Ferraro family has bred from Braeview Creation, and Sal wanted the young pacer to be strong, tough and determined, and after much researching he decided on naming him after Bobby Windsor, a working-class Welsh folk hero who rose from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s greatest rugby union players in the 1970s. Windsor, whose nickname was The Iron Duke, was a fiery and fearless hooker who never took a backward step.
And now five-year-old pacer The Iron Duke is showing similar toughness in his races, and he was a $3.70 chance when Deni Roberts, driving him for the first time, restrained him from the awkward barrier at No. 6 on the front line in the $50,000 Trotsynd Christmas Gift over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Captain Confetti, a $61 outsider, led for the first 400m before Blaze Away ($19) took over, with The Iron Duke well back in ninth position. The lead time was a scorching 35.4sec.
Roberts then dashed The Iron Duke forward with a three-wide burst after a lap and the gelding revealed his strength by working in the breeze and finally charging to the lead 250m from home and racing away to win by two lengths from Captain Confetti, with Rockandrollartist ($21) running on from seventh at the bell to be third.
The Iron Duke rated a smart 1.55.2 and improved his career record to 42 starts for eleven wins, eleven placings and $133,558. His eight WA starts for star Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice have resulted in five wins, two placings and $88,904 in stakes.
It is only by chance that Prentice is preparing The Iron Duke, with Ferraro explaining: “When we decided to send The Iron Duke to WA I didn’t realise that Mouse Brennan was in Queensland, so I looked up some WA trainers, and after viewing their records I decided to give Justin a call to see if he was interested, and the rest is history.”
Sal and Nicki Ferraro made a lightning trip to Perth to watch The Iron Duke in action. They arrived in WA at 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon and caught a 5.30am return flight to Melbourne on Saturday, thrilled with their second successful pacing venture in WA.
Prentice is more than happy that he took the opportunity to train The Iron Duke, saying: “Sal phoned me one morning when I was having brekky and asked if I would be interested in taking him.
“So, I thought I would take the horse who was on a pretty easy mark. He has taken a bit to get used to our style of racing, and now I think he can take the next step up. There is not a lot between him and Rolling Fire, who has got to Free-For-All company.”
While all honours were with The Iron Duke on Friday night, little went right for the $3.30 favourite Nathan Street, who was out of position at the start and was left about five lengths. Nathan Street was making a strong three-wide move approaching the bell when he contacted the sulky of Rockandrollartist, broke into a gallop and dropped back to the rear before finishing eighth.
