Michael Puleio has bred some very good dogs over the last two decades, including recent Group performers Boris Fields and Xtreme Knocka (pictured), but he doesn’t often train them himself.
However his decision to keep unbeaten youngster Harry Fields, which will be striving to improve his perfect record to three from three in Thursday afternoon’s Vic Bred Maiden Series Final at Shepparton, at home is looking like an extremely wise move.
Harry Fields, a son of Barcia Bale and Tatty Fields, bred by Michael and his son Darren, could not have been more impressive in winning his heat and semi-final of the $7,500 to-the-winner Shepparton series.
After a runaway ten-length heat victory on debut, Harry Fields stormed home from what looked to be an impossible position to win his semi-final (Replay) and Puleio is understandably upbeat about the youngster’s prospects in the final, despite drawing box six.
“We’ve been pretty lucky with the breed. The best we’ve bred would be Xtreme Knocka and Boris Fields but Harry Fields is definitely the best I’ve kept for myself,” Puleio said.
“The whole litter can run – three of them have won already – but not compared to Harry Fields. He’s a very good pup.
WATCH: Harry Fields win his maiden from box two in the heats of the VIC Bred Series at Shepparton
“Drawing box six might cause him a bit of a problem on Thursday but I can’t ask any more from him at this stage. He’s very strong – I can’t believe how strong he is – and I reckon if he gets anywhere near them he’ll give it a good shake.”
The Puleios bred Harry Fields out of Tatty Fields, which enjoyed a rags to riches racing career, having started off in Broken Hill after originally being deemed not good enough for Melbourne.
“Tatty Fields broke in the slowest of her litter so I sent her up to Broken Hill,” Michael explained.
“She ran second at her first start and then won her next three so I brought her home. She won her first start at Sandown in 29.83 and paid $33!
“Harry Fields is from Tatty Fields’ first litter and I’ve got to thank Jason Thompson because he told me to go to Barcia Bale. Every time I breed a litter Jason always puts me on the right track. We’ve put Tatty Fields in pup again to Dyna Double One and she’s just starting to show.
“It all comes from when Paul Hogan, who was a fantastic breeder I spent a lot of time with, gave me a bitch called Walking Portrait. I remember Paul saying to me one day ‘don’t you ever give up, your time will come’. And it looks like it might’ve come now!”
