Poster Boy was the centrefold – now watch his pin-up progeny!

Longtime harness racing breeders and owners Bill and Anne Anderson enjoyed a sensational ride with superstar pacer Poster Boy not all that many years ago – and are thoroughly thrilled to be watching his progeny.

“We’ve got a list of the ones that have qualified to race, and we try to get to watch them. And there’s some smart ones going around,” Anne said.

Without doubt, at the very top of the list of what is shaping to be the best crop of youngsters seen for many years in Victoria is The Highlight Reel, prepared by Clayton Tonkin.

The colt took his brilliant trials form to Melton on debut (March 2) to score an awesome victory in the prestigious Shakamaker Classic.

“He’s certainly inherited the high speed that his dad possessed. I remember (driver) Chris Alford telling me one night after winning on Poster Boy that it was like he’d just slotted into a Ferrari and kept going up a gear,” Bill said.

The Highlight Reel was a $10,000 purchase at last year’s Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sale. Out of the unraced Rockin Diva (Rocknroll Hanover), The Highlight Reel is a half-brother to Call Me Diva, a 1.56-4 winner.

The Andersons, who operate under the moniker Lauriston Bloodstock, are also upbeat about Its Confidential, a brilliant winner of two-from-two for Shepparton father and son team Russell and Nathan Jack.

“We reckon he’s probably the closest looker to Poster Boy and he certainly has some natural high speed,” Bill said.

The Jacks produced Its Confidential, a son of Group One winning mare Speak No Evil (Well Said), at Cobram on March 4 and he impressed with an all-the-way win in 1.57-3.

Nearly four weeks later, the striking colt went to Wagga Wagga and streeted his rivals by 31 metres in a brilliant 1.54-2.

Watch the Wagga race replay by clicking here.

Poster Boy, who earned $803,000 in his career, has now sired three individual winners from 10 starters in his first crop. He certainly has all the credentials to become a successful stallion with the good judges pointing to a race record and pedigree that sits him in the top echelon.

“In four seasons of breeding to a total of 521 mares, his fertility rate is near 85 percent. He has attracted some quality mares including Group One winners – three in his first season were Queen of the Pacific winners,” Bill said.

Poster Boy’s race record of 30 starts for 22 wins and seven placings included a VicBred final, the NSW Derby, a Tatlow Stakes and Youthful Stakes at Melton and a Breeders Crown heat. He ran third in the Miracle Mile to Spankem, but his best run was winning the Chariots of Fire that same year after coming from second last.

“The only time he was unplaced was at his first start,” Bill said.

“Clayton was keen to go to Sydney for a big race after he was smashing them at the trials. He had no luck, got planted three wide and they ran an Australian record time. After that, as a 2yo he recorded seven wins and two second placings.

“Toward the end of his career he got crook in 2019 and he was out for nine months with pneumonia. It was around the time we had optimistic plans for the USA, but Clayton got him back on track and he had three straight wins in April-May 2020.”

In mid-2020 the Andersons elected to send their superstar to stud, standing at Kath McIntosh’s Llowalong Farms at Kyabram. Although Poster Boy has all-American blood, his progeny is eligible for a Victorian $12,000 bonus as Poster Boy was born and bred in Euroa.

“Clayton told us Poster Boy was his Leap To Fame – and that’s a big wrap,” Bill said.

“We’re certainly excited about the youngsters we are seeing, and Clayton has another two that are coming along very nicely that he expects we will see at the races in the next six or eight weeks.

“It’s an exciting thing to watch the next generation and start to see the Poster Boy qualities that we enjoyed so much coming through in them.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink