Rangal Park homebred Down Under Boy is a duffer when its wet but improves his own weight on a dry track.  He had conditions made to order at Caulfield yesterday and responded with a narrow victory in the Mal Seccull Hcp (2000m).

Down Under Boy is trained by John Simons and Sheila Laxon and raced 13 times last year for a lone victory in the Elmore Cup at Bendigo on a Good 3.  “He just needed a dry track,” Laxon explained.  “He worked better than ever this week.”

Earlier in his career, Down Under Boy lost the 2007 SA Sires’ Produce Stakes (G3) on protest and later that year was beaten a neck by Pillar Of Hercules in the Norman Robinson Stakes (G3) at Caulfield.  Saturday’s win sent his earnings past $376,000.

Down Under Boy (6g Ne Coupez Pas – Up Over Girl by Western Symphony) hails from a very successful family developed by Rangal Park owners Eric and Marlene Buttler.  His dam is a half-sister to the stakes winners Northeast Sheila (Keltrice), Kablammo (Marauding) and Dashing Granada (Keltrice).

Northeast Sheila was a precocious winner of the G3 Blue Diamond Preview and Listed Maribyrnong Trial in 1998-99.  Eagle Farm stakes winner Jacqueline Rouge (Ne Coupez Pas) is her best foal to date although Daintree Duke (Royal Academy) would have also made the grade at Group level.  He was prepared by Symons and Laxon but died after winning 5 of his 7 starts in 2008.

Down Under Boy has a 2yo full sister by Ne Coupez Pas and his dam has since foals two colts by fellow Rangal Park sire Danerich.

Besides Ne Coupez Pas (Nijinsky), Danerich (Danehill) and Keltrice (Kenmare), the Euroa based stud was also home to relocated Independent Stallions sires US Ranger (Danzig) and Kempinsky (Danehill) in 2010.