Now winner in 12 starts of nine races including his last five, all in Sydney, Border Rebel is trained at Tamworth by veteran horsewoman Sue Grills and is owned by Veronica Scott-Mason of Dorrigo.

Also owner of a stud near Toowoomba in Queensland, Veronica was something of a border rebel herself. At one time she and her late husband farmed in troubled Kenya and at the same time she was a prominent trainer and flew small planes in air races.

She bought Border Rebel as a yearling from his breeders, Jonel Park Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Allora, Qld at the Magic Millions mammoth mid year National sales at the Gold Coast for $26,000.

He is from Frontier, a winner of four sprints at Canberra bred on a cross of two Golden Slipper winners, Flying Spur and Marscay and inbred 3x3 to breeding giant Mr. Prospector.

Border Rebel's sire Johannesburg was also represented at the weekend by Star Lass, a long head second in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong Slipper.

The source of over 100 winners to date from visits to Coolmore in the Hunter Valley, Johannesburg has been in the news lately as the sire of a Melbourne spring star, Turffontein.

He won the Rupert Clarke Stakes and was runner up in the Caulfield Sprint and the Salinger.

Johannesburg has also had good winners from use at Coolmore's Kentucky stud, Ashford, including Scat Daddy, a performer who won five of nine outings, including Group 1's at two and three. Retired to Ashford in 2008, Scat Daddy is from a Mr. Prospector mare.

A son of one of the leading Storm Cat sires and successful Coolmore shuttlers, Hennessy, Johannesburg was himself one of the world's most brilliant racehorses in his time, claiming champion juvenile title for Europe and American racing in 2001.

He was unbeaten in seven starts at this age, winning Group1s in four countries, England, Ireland, France and America. His daughters could be prospects to produce Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Golden Slipper candidates.