12 starts, 2 wins $14, 433 stake money to date
Racing Name and Breeding: "Loki Brogden" 2007 3 bg Continentalman / Local Choice
Owner(s): G E Chilcott, Mrs J J Bowen and G M Bowen
Breeder(s): G E Chilcott
"...the big dummy who knows nothing but has the potential to be anything..."
Local Choice was a mare with an attitude! But at her fifth race day start on 2 July 1993, she gave Nicky Chilcott her first ever driving success (trained by her father Graeme) and first winning drive at Alexandra Park. Local Choice went on to produce nine foals, five of those being winners including Loki Brogden.
On retirement of the mare from racing and later in her breeding career, Graeme Chilcott went into partnership with Graham and Judy Bowen of Brogden Lodge, Cambridge, to breed and sell the progeny. The idea was for the Continentalman foal (Loki) to go to the sales. But when he was born he was the real ugly duckling “….big over‑grown, ugliest foal you have ever seen…he had a big ugly head like a camel, ears like a mule….” and thoughts of putting him through the sale ring quickly evaporated and it was decided by the partners to retain him and try him on the race track for themselves.
He was broken in by Brent Donnelly of Cambridge and went into the White Star Stables barn with Nicky and the team who just pottered around with him. At two-years old, he enjoyed the stable life and continued there for about nine months. If it was bad weather, he might not get worked, if it was fine he would jog with the other horses. There was no programme mapped out for him and on any fast work days, he would be accompanied by a galloping pacemaker. All he wanted to do was trot. Gradually his fitness improved until he was ready to be tried at the workouts and ultimately the qualifying trials.
Peter Ferguson drove him to qualify at Cambridge on 29 April 2010. He commented that “….he was a big dummy but with plenty of ability”. Loki did not press on to the races immediately because of an injury so his preparation towards his three-year old year, was interrupted.
……Loki was on the move!!!......
Loki had his first start at the Manukau Trotting Club meeting at Alexandra Park on 20 January 2011 finishing unplaced. His second start was on 13 February 2011 at Stratford on the grass where he won by one length. All the owners were there to enjoy the thrill. The thought of a possible start in the Jewels was way back in the minds of the owners. He would certainly have to prove much more to warrant that and even qualify for Ashburton. Another couple of starts yielded a 4th and a 2nd.
Loki Brogden winning at Stratford - 13 February 2011
At Easter time Nicky took a team of seven down to Hawera and based herself there for a period of 10 days while competing at the New Plymouth meeting and the Hawera grass track meeting at Easter. Loki was borderline for the Jewels. However, this gave Nicky an opportunity to take him down as part of the team, work him up and race him on the second day of the Easter meeting at Hawera which would always hold him in good stead. When she travelled from Hawera with the team to race at New Plymouth she loaded him on the truck as well so he would not have to spend his time on his own back at Hawera Race Course. Loki loves company. He might be dumb but he does not get upset as long as he has a mate.
The Jewels was still a distant possibility. On 20 May 2011 he won again at Alexandra Park and this placed him 14th on the eligibility list. Indications were that a local horse in the field would not be going so Loki Brogden was going to be eligible. Nicky made tentative arrangements. However, the local horse was not withdrawn as expected but the southerner King Kenny was scratched so Loki was in. Fast track those arrangements for both horse, driver and owners.
The horse travelled to Ashburton accompanied by Graeme Chilcott and they stayed with Doug and Susan Breed, long time Chilcott family friends. Nicky, Graeme and the owners could not have wished for much more and the hospitality of Doug and Susan was much appreciated. Loki Brogden mated up with one of Doug’s horses and he was happy. The owners packed their bags for Christchurch - earhquakes or not.
The Jewels was run and won by Paramount Geegee and Loki Brogden ran a creditable 7th in only his 10th start. On his return from the South Island, he had a short break in the paddock at Brogden Lodge owned by Graeme and Judy Bowen but was bouncing around after about 10 days so he has subsequently brought back into the stable and has raced another couple of times since that trip to Ashburton for a 2nd and a 9th.
He will have a break again soon and maybe there is a possibility for another attempt at the Jewels as a four-year old on his home track at Cambridge in 2012.
