First came Scarlett, now Hampton, Ian’s sold on the Banner family

Canterbury’s Ian Kedzlie must have been fated to have a share in impressive Cambridge winner Hampton Banner.

Kedzlie, 69, is one of seven partners with Lincoln Farms in the talented Bettor’s Delight three-year-old, four of whom hail from Christchurch.

But while all the others have been in previous partnerships with John and Lynne Street, it’s Kedzlie’s first time - and it happened quite by chance.

Kedzlie was looking over the Lincoln Farms website earlier in the year when off the page jumped the name Hampton Banner.

The retired company director knew the family well, having had a share in his full sister Scarlett Banner, who won six races with trainer Gavin Smith.

“I knew the horse went through the sale ring because I was on to Gavin to buy him, but (at $60,000) he was out of his range.

“I loved the family - it’s the magic Bettor’s Delight over a Christian Cullen mare - and knew there would be no more as Surf And Sand died giving birth to her last foal.”

Kedzlie lost track of what happened to the yearling - until quite by chance he saw it listed under Lincoln Farms’ two-year-olds being partnered, with shares still available.

Hampton Banner and Zachary Butcher in the winner’s circle - but there are no owners in sight. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.It was very timely as Scarlett Banner had just been retired, on the point of succumbing to the niggles which dogged her throughout her career.

When Scarlett Banner lost confidence pacing in 2018 Smith switched her to trotting and she scored three more fantastic wins.

“Gavin thought if we’d been able to keep her sound she’d have gone to open class.

“It’s a shame we never got to see her real ability,” says Kedzlie. “But I’ve bought a little more of her and she’s due to foal any day to Vincent.”

Kedzlie, who these days spreads his time between Akaroa, Timaru and Ashburton, was amazed watching Hampton Banner cruise home at Cambridge last night.

“He looked so much like Scarlett Banner so let’s hope he can go on with the job.

“Now I’ve just got to get up to Auckland to see him.”

Kedzlie is hoping that might happen on December 15, Interdominion Final night at Alexandra Park, when Chase Auckland, whom he has a tiny piece of, will be competing.

There he might also meet his fellow owners in Hampton Banner, fellow Cantabrians Steve MacDonald, Robert Seebeck and Chris Prutton, and Aucklanders Dennis Ebert and Kevin and Annette Crosswell.

MacDonald, Seebeck and Prutton are four-time owners with Lincoln Farms, having been in the partnerships that raced Royal Lincoln then Rocknroll Lincoln who both won four races before being sold.

They joined the Crosswells in Tigers Watching who didn’t make it to the races but under the special partnership deal were then transferred, free of charge, into Hampton Banner.

Ebert has been a regular Lincoln Farms supporter in recent years - he was in Royal Lincoln, Rocknroll Lincoln and Thephantomtollbooth - and presently races Tommy Lincoln and three gallopers in Singapore, Cru Bourgeois, Rock Me Easy and Miracle Time.

Ray Green … the raw ability has always been there.More quick wins in store

The team won’t have to wait long to see Hampton Banner win again if trainer Ray Green and driver Zachary Butcher are right.

Butcher told Green afterwards that Hampton Banner had his ears pricked and was cruising at the line, reeling off 2200 metres in 2:44.6 to win by two and three-quarter lengths.

“He was in a different class to that lot,” says Green. “They never got near him and Zac reckons he’ll win two or three more races pretty quickly.

“He’s a nice type of horse, always has been. The raw ability was always here, but he’s just been dogged by developmental soreness.”

Green says Hampton Banner, like his predecessor Recco Lover, simply couldn’t cope with the workload for a long time because of soft bones.

“You just have to wait for those type of horses and he seems to be holding up well this time in.

“He’s never been sound - mostly in his stifles - but we recently injected them and he’s turned the corner.”