There isn’t much that Debra Lewis hasn’t experienced in harness racing. She is a trainer, a breeder, a stud manager – including artificial insemination, foaling down, weaning, handling youngsters – and a yearling preparer.
And she is the wife of champion reinsman Chris Lewis, who has driven 6000 winners, including two Interdominion final wins.
Chris Lewis became the youngest driver to win an interdominion final when he guided Carclew to victory in Adelaide in 1976. The horse started 40/1 and caused a major upset when he beat WA champion Pure Steel at Globe Derby Park.
Carclew was bred by the Lewis family from their outstanding mare Lulu’s Gem.
Five years later, Lulu’s Gem produced smart free-for-all pacer Pallaton, who was dominant in open class ranks in WA for the Lewis family in the mid-1970s.
In more recent years, Debra Lewis has bred the likes of Group 1 winner Eagle Rox (1.55.2, $225K), Goodfellaz (1.54.9, $182K) and Rumour Has It (1.53.7, $166K).
She has been breeding and preparing yearlings for sales for more than 20 years and will prepare 10 youngsters in the 2025 APG Perth Sale on March 2 at her Hollywood Park facility.
“We have bred a lot of nice horses - Eagle Rox, Carclew, Pallaton, Mitemptation, Slick Operator, Rumour Has It, Goodfellaz and Sea Me Smile, to name a few,” Lewis said.
“We have around eight broodmares at the moment.
“This year we are preparing some very nice yearlings. The filly out of Double Expresso by Always B Miki (Lot 324 offered by Jemma Hayman and Ross Olivieri) is an outstanding looking filly. She has good height good confirmation and an amazing temperament.”
Lewis will also offer two yearlings of her own at the sale.
Lot 363 is a colt by Huntsville from seven-time winning Art Major mare Innocent Affair (1.55.1, $51K), who is a full sister to Ballarat Cup winner Restrepo (1.52.4, $527K) and a half sister to Goodfellaz.
The colt’s grandam is champion filly Innocent Eyes (1.57.6, $421K), who won the Victoria and Australian Oaks as a 3YO and the Chariots Of Fire against the boys at 4.
Her second colt, Lot 385, is by boom sire Always B Miki from Christian Cullen mare Reklaw, dam of five winners including Our Corelli (1.50.5, $493K) and Rishi (1.50.6, $253K).
This filly’s full brother Radha has had three wins and two seconds from six starts in NZ and looks highly promising.
This is also the same cross as 2024 Interdominion finalist My Moonlite Dream (1.50.8, $145K).
Reklaw is a full sister to the dam of superstar NZ pacer Acuta (1.51.8, $1.1M), who was named 2YO, 3YO and 4YO NZ colt/stallion of the year after multiple Group 1 wins that included the 2YO NZ Sires Stakes, the NZ Derby and the Auckland Cup.
For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Perth Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today!
