ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Long-time Australian Keith Binney was born in 1933 at Hamilton, New Zealand. While a prominent corporate executive in the property industry, Keith has contributed historical articles to the Australian Bloodhorse Review and Australasian Gaming Magazine.

As small-scale owners, Mr Binney’s family raced the John Morish trained STC Winter Handicap stakeswinner Alsvidor (NZ) by Straight Strike (USA). Also, Volcanic (NZ) by Pompeii Court (USA), a $NZ12,000 purchase which won Gosford’s Belle of the Turf in record time, the SAJC Ansett Australia Stakes and placed 3rd in the Queensland Oaks.

As hobby breeders, they have successfully tested one of Bruce Lowe’s theories; that of returning to a sire the best female lines in his pedigree. A mating of Volcanic (NZ) with Kenmare (FR) representing the Nasrullah sireline, returned the blood of Nasrullah’s dam Mumtaz Begum, both through Nasrullah and his full-sisters Rivaz and Malindi. This planned mating produced Lahar (AUS), which in Mr John Thompson’s Black with Silver Fern colours won $631,476, including prize money for 3rd in the 1999 Melbourne Cup.