Kinetic’s Te Awamutu Cup success rekindled the Rayner family’s long association with the mare’s illustrious female line descending from the one-and-only Eulogy.

Kinetic (Jetball-Star Lore, by Wiganthorpe) is raced by the Tracktalk Fillies’ Syndicate on lease from the Fell family’s Fairdale Stud at Longburn.

She is trained at Wanganui by Evan Rayner and his daughter JJ, who, with her cousin Paul Belsham, represents the Rayner clan’s fourth consecutive generation as licensed horse trainers.

The Rayners have been in New Zealand through a five generation span, the thoroughbred affinity starting with the patriarch Walter Rayner, who prepared horses at Gonville, Wanganui, between 1918-1940 for the late G M Currie.

Born about 1876 Mr Currie was a highly successful grazier operating the Koatanui Stud at Kai Iwi just north from Wanganui.

A progressive breeder, G M Currie first produced -yearlings for the Australian market and when the coffers spiralled he elected to invest in stock from Britain.

He imported the stallion Absurd (Sundridge-Absurdity, by Melton) and with the change from the deal he purchased a three-year-old 1911 filly Eulogy (Cicero-Kelibia, by Upas).

For 21 years Eulogy resided at Koatanui leaving 14 foals, all of whom raced, and all but one were winners. The most prolific were Commendation (17 winners), Esteem (12) and the brother and sister Humbug (eight) and Epitaph (nine).

Koatanui also imported the stallion Limond (Desmond-Lindal, by Kendal) in 1921 (seven years after Absurd and Eulogy).

The Currie stallions dominated the country’s stallion premiership with Absurd taking five titles and Limond (one). Their progeny were in great demand but many fillies, in particular, were retained and prepared by Walter Rayner from his Gonville headquarters.

Just prior to World War II Wanganui dominated New Zealand’s thoroughbred breeding industry. Following the Absurd—Limond triumphs John Donald’s Westmere Stud won premierships with Chief Ruler (two) and Beau Pere.

In the Rayner saga Walter Rayner’s son GS (Bub) Rayner trained at Wanganui and was succeeded by his son Evan, who was later based at Marton for several years before returning to Wanganui to train in association with his daughter JJ.

Kinetic, who scored her ninth win from 42 appearances in the Te Awamutu Cup, hails from a notable Eulogy branch, descending from Eulogy’s first foal Pennon.

In more recent times Kinetic’s fifth dam Cassiopeia left Lady Sybil (Caulfield Gns, VRC Oaks), fourth dam Skylit was a top winner for the late WR Stead and third dam Devante won the New Zealand Oaks.

The Fells put together a beautiful pedigree when they mated their sire Jetball with Star Lore (Wiganthorpe-Windrift, by Sir Tristram). The union carried Round Table through a son and daughter, a triple Wilkes presence and the half siblings Hyperion and All Moonshine and Nasrullah and Sun Princess all within the first six removes.