The Locomotive. Photo by Stephen Hunt
A group of New South Wales businessmen and harness racing identities has launched a major new breeding operation known as Rampant Standardbreds at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands, featuring a world class roster of fresh and frozen semen sires.
The quartet comprises Mick Boots, one of Australasia’s leading owners, Glenn Holland, who races the outstanding trotter The Locomotive, champion horseman Brad Hewitt and Josh Stapleton, the president of the Goulburn Harness Racing Club and a prominent owner.
It has left no stone unturned in building a breeding business around a single principle – quality, without compromise.
“We have assembled a roster of stallions with genuine standing, and building an operation that breeders can trust,” Rampant Standardbreds said.
The foundation stallions at Rampant Standardbreds are the Inter Dominion trotting champion The Locomotive, the NSW Carnival of Cups star Captain’s Knock and a trio of highly credentialled North American sires in the Canadian 2YO Colt of the Year Legendary Hanover, the USA 2YO Colt of the Year Monte Miki and the Grade 1 winning trotter Back Of The Neck.
The Locomotive, the 2022 2YO Trotter of the Year, has won 25 races including six Group 1’s with eight placings from 44 starts to date for $635,944 in stakes.
The winner of seven races at two including the Breeders Crown and Vicbred Super Series, six as a three-year-old including the Victoria Derby and Vicbred, The Locomotive put an exclamation mark on his career when he made a clean sweep of the Inter Dominion Championships at Menangle in 2024.
By the leading sire Muscle Mass, The Locomotive is out of the champion racemare La Coocaracha, who won 23 races – six at Group 1 level – and $428,911 and was the Australian and NZ Trotter of the Year, Grand Circuit Champion and Trotting Broodmare of the Year.
His service fee is $3,300 including GST.
A three-time NSW Breeders Challenge winner, Captain’s Knock announced himself as one of the foremost pacers in the country when he took out the NSW Carnival of Cups series in 2025, earning a $500,000 bonus.
The winner of 30 races and $1,459,260, Captain’s Knock holds a mark of 1:48.2, making him the fastest Australian bred son of supersire Captaintreacherous.
He has been a consistent performer at Grand Circuit level for the last three seasons.
Captain’s Knock’s introductory fee is $3,500 including GST.
One of the top colt pacers of his year, Legendary Hanover captured the Nassagaweya, Champlain and Dream Maker Series at two and the $650,000 Meadowlands Pace in a race record 1:46.6, Cane Pace in a record 1:46.4 and the Empire Breeders Classic at three.
He finished up with a stake tally of $1,088,681 from only 23 starts and took a lifetime mark of 1:46.4.
By the Direct Scooter line horse Huntsville, a prominent sire in both hemispheres, Legendary Hanover can boast equal distinctions on his dam’s side, being out of the dual 1:50 producer Lillian Hanover.
Legendary Hanover served a full book in his first season at the prestige Southwind Farms in New Jersey in 2025.
His service fee is $7,000 including GST.
Racing only as a two-year-old, Monte Miki won six of his seven starts and a seasonal high $665,276 before being retired due to a tendon injury.
Monte Miki took home 2YO of the Year honours on the strength of two major stakes wins – the $650,960 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park in 1:52.4 and the $600,000 Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands in 1:53.4, beating Pebble Beach,
The son of the champion sire Always B Miki and the $700,000 earner Montenegro is the leading first crop sire in North America this year with progeny earnings of $720,000 and seven inside 1:56.
One of his progeny, Jette James, took out the $75,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old colts at Scioto Downs in 1:51.4 on Saturday night. He has won five of his eight starts for $154,185.
Monte Miki’s service fee is $5,500 including GST.
Back Of The Neck, a $1.4million winning son of legendary French sire Ready Cash, won 13 races including the $610,000 Maple Leaf Trot, the Stanley Dancer, Reynolds Memorial and Dayton Trotting Derby (twice) and was placed in the Hambletonian and Breeders Crown.
With his first crop racing as two-year-olds, Back Of The Neck is represented by 44 foals, 27 starters with five in 2:00.
An outcross stallion, Back Of The Neck’s service fee is $8,250 including GST.
Mares booked to Rampant stallions can be managed on-farm in the Southern Highlands or served at their home property by Newton Equine.
For all enquiries contact the farm manager Dr Sarah Gray on 0478 090 311 or Jessica Hewitt 0411 787 334 or visit the website rampantstandardbreds.com
