Leading NSW duo making Gold Coast debut

A pair of leading lights in the NSW harness racing breeding industry, Joanne Andersen and Dyanna Thommeny, will be represented for the first time at a Queensland yearling sale with a single entry in the Australian Pacing Gold sale at Gold Coast on Sunday, January 28.

Andersen, a former president and life member of Harness Breeders NSW, remains active in the sport as Group Convenor of The Breeders’ Voice, principal of the Trading Ring website and a breeder and owner.

Thommeny, who has been involved in harness racing since 2010, formerly served as secretary of Harness Breeders NSW and the NSW Standardbred Owners Association. She is now secretary of The Breeders’ Voice.

The close friends will offer the first progeny of former Victorian superstar Ride High, whose first crop are yearlings, at any sale in Australia this year.

It is Lot 31, a bay filly out of the A Rocknroll Dance mare Gleniss Mama NZ, and is her first produce.

Gleniss Mama, who was unraced, ranks as a half-sister to four sub 2:00 winners and two $100,000 earners including the WA Oaks winner Our Major Mama, the NZ Kurow Cup winner Bite The Bullet and a sister to the NZ Group 1 placegetter Rocknroll Mama.

The filly belongs to the same family as Cash N Flow, the winner of a record 28 races at Menangle, the 2YO Filly of the Year Katy Perry, the NSW and Victoria Derby heat winner Major Perry and the exported Ilikemebettor (1:48.4).

“She’s a nice type, has good size and is very smart. A typical Art Major type,” Joanne said.

Former NSW Group 1 winning reinsman Ricky Thurlow and his wife Sharon are singly represented at the Gold Coast sale by a bay filly by the American import Rock N Roll World as Lot 77.

A royally bred son of Rocknroll Hanover, Rock N Roll World was the second leading first crop sire last season with 16 individual winners and almost $330,000 in progeny earnings.

Shezagaga, the race-winning dam of the filly, ranks as the dam of last season’s juvenile winner Sheza Lenny (1:57). She is closely related to the VicBred semi-final winner Cobargo Magic, Remember May ($155,383) and the $100,000 earners Grinfaron and Johnny Redcoat.

“She’s a lovely type with a nice head and a good walker,” Thurlow said.

Another NSW vendor at the Gold Coast auction is Taree dairy farmer and hobby breeder John Polson.

He is represented by Lot 36, a well grown bay colt by the highly regarded first season sire Capt Midnight, a 1:48.6 son of Captaintreacherous, out of the Grinfromeartoear mare Idle Spirit, dam of the Menangle winner Spirit King (1:53.8).

Idle Spirit is from the Soky’s Atom breeding influence Spirit Of Beth, the grand-dam of the mighty Lazarus and a member of the same tribe as Stars And Stripes, Light And Sound, Spirit Of Zeus and so on.

Polson, who has been involved in the sport for 45 years, has bred and raced horses the calibre of the Albion Park track record holder Blacksadance, Big Wheels and Pas De Cheval.

The colt is eligible for QBred, NSW Breeders Challenge, Breeders Crown and Bathurst Gold Crown.

Laidley (QLD) enthusiast Robert Brumm is offering a bay colt by Warrawee Needy at the Gold Coast sale and he’s the only progeny of the former world champion at the sale.

The colt, Lot 68a, is out of the Presidential Ball mare Presidential Night, a half-sister to four $100,000 earners including the VicBred champion Maggies Son ($368,719) and The Quiet Village ($424,225).

“I bought the mare as a hobby and the first foal she left for me was Uncle Shank,” Brumm said.

Uncle Shank, also by Warrawee Needy, was a Group 3 winner at Albion Park and is still racing successfully in North America where he has taken a record of 1:49.4.

“He’s an exceptional type, well-mannered and just a lovely colt,” Brumm said. “If he’s anything like his brother, someone will have some fun with him.”

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the 2024 Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales, Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer now.

From APG Ltd