Beaudiene Rocknroll the latest winner for Babe - and the Kennedys are in on the fun

Nobody enjoyed Beaudiene Rocknroll’s all-the-way win at Cambridge more than his Otautau breeders Dave and Dawn Kennedy.

Had the powerful looking colt been by a more commercial stallion than A Rocknroll Dance, their names wouldn’t still be among the owners’ list.

It’s rare for the Kennedys to keep their colts, especially given the prices they have commanded at the yearling sales over the years, but after the stock of A Rocknroll Dance sold so poorly the previous year they decided to keep him.

“He was a lovely cut of a horse, real showy and strong, very much like his mother Beaudiene Babe, and looked like he’d make a racehorse,” Dave Kennedy said.

“So we thought we’d send him north to Ray Green to see what he could do with him.”

Dave and Dawn Kennedy in 2016 with Themightynadal, a brother to their champion (Im) Themightyquinn.The Kennedys were keen to reward Green and Lincoln Farms for being great customers of Beaudiene Breeding, having bought, raced and onsold three half brothers, Harness Jewels upsetter Beaudiene Boaz (25 wins, A$1.25 million), Beaudiene Beaufighta and Beaudiene Western.

“Ray obviously gets on well with the family and we’d had no luck with the first one I sent him.”

Green tried Beaudiene Blinkz, a full sister to Beaudiene Boaz, but she first fractured a hock then, when brought back into work, was found to have a suspensory ligament issue in the same leg and was retired.

Her replacement, Beaudiene Rocknroll, was also top of the pops for Green when shaping up for his two-year-old season. He liked him so much, big Melbourne owners Merv and Meg Butterworth bought a quarter share in the horse, joining the Kennedys and John and Lynne Street in the partnership.

But after only two starts he, too, ran into trouble, breaking a pedal bone which sidelined him for six months.

Beaudiene Rocknroll signalled he was back with two front-running workout wins in May but he got nowhere near the front in his first two comeback races.

Until Friday night, when driver Zachary Butcher gunned him out of the gate, the hot favourite Over The Top galloped inside him, and he found an uncontested lead.

The result was never in doubt afterwards and he cruised to the line three lengths clear in 2:43.8 for the 2200 metres.

Hale and hearty at the age of 22, Beaudiene Babe with her latest Always B Miki foal.“He’s pretty good in front and should have a bit more confidence now he’s won a race,” Kennedy said.

The Kennedys know he won’t ever be as good as the champion they bred (Im) Themightyquinn (58 wins, A$4.56million) and aren’t thinking he’s even a Beaudiene Bad Babe, Beaudiene Babe’s first foal who won 22 races and $404,000.

But it has given them the motivation to try breeding from the mare one more time.

Now 22, with 13 foals on her CV, Beaudiene Babe missed this year but has a lovely Always B Miki filly at foot, a sister to her yearling who fetched $180,000 in 2022.

“She’s still boss of the paddock, and acts like a 10-year-old. And she’s in such good order and does her foals so well.”