Spurr yearlings toughened by fire

Josh Spurr’s yearlings are lucky to be alive, let alone being able to strut their stuff in the Perth sales ring on March 2. 

Spurr was preparing two yearlings for the 2025 APG Perth Yearling Sale on his family’s farm near Arthur River when a fierce fire ripped through the property on January 24, wiping out their 100-year-old homestead and everything around it. 

Spurr said they had just moments to release the horses before the family had to flee the blaze with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. 

“We managed to let all the horses in the stables loose just seconds before the flames came and they managed to run away. Thankfully we didn’t lose any,” Spurr said. 

“The clean-up is going pretty slow. Still a lot of stuff to do. There’s no stubble left in the paddocks now, so the wind is blowing all the soil away. It was a dust storm there all day, today. Couldn’t do anything because it was so bad.” 

Spurr said the family had received a lot of support from the community, with truckloads of hay donated and almost $25,000 raised through a Go Fund Me page but he said the rebuild would still be tough. 

“I hope the support keeps coming in. We definitely need it,” he said. 

Spurr said the sales youngsters had bounced back and were on target for the Perth sale. He will offer a colt and a filly by his resident stallion Shoobees Place. 

Lot 311 is a colt out of Sportswriter mare Sappho, who is a half sister to five winners. 

The colt’s grandam is a three-quarter sister to iron horse Franco Catapult (1.49.4, $629K), a winner of 59 races, and Qld 4YO Championship winner Franco Conquest (1.53.4, $265K). 

“My standout yearling would have to be the Shoobees Place colt out of Sappho,” Spurr said. 

“He’s a very nice looking horse and he’s built like a tank. He’s got the Artsplace/Artsplace cross, being out of a Sportswriter mare. 

“It is a cross which has been very successful for the progeny of Shoobees Place. 

“He also comes from the very successful N1 maternal family. I think he’s going to be a good horse.” 

Spurr’s second offering, Lot 449, is a filly out of handy Bettors Delight mare Abetta Tiny Dancer (1.58, $53K), winner of 10 races. 

“The filly by Shoobees Place out of Abetta Tiny Dancer is also nice. She has the same cross as (NSW Derby winner) Better Be The Best (1.49.8, $395K) and is from the famous U30 family.” 

Shoobees Place has an outstanding record from limited opportunities at stud. His progeny average $43,000 per starter in Australia and his nine top earners have banked almost $2 million between them. 

“The best horse I have bred was the first horse I bred, Shoobees Double,” Spurr said. 

“I sold her at the 2023 yearling sales for $8000 and she went on to win the $30,000 2yo Westsired Fillies Pace. 

“I knew she was going to be a good horse and I told quite a few people that. I was surprised she didn’t sell for more. 

“I didn’t breed her, but Shoobees Place filly Shoo Boozy recently won her 2yo trial. She’ll be one to keep an eye on.” 

Spurr hails from a respected Wheatbelt harness racing family and seemed destined to become involved in the sport. 

“My family has been involved in harness racing for a long time, since the 1970s,” he said. 

“So I grew up around the horses on the farm and my family took me to the trots quite a lot when I was younger.  

“I always wanted to get involved myself, so I bought some broodmares when I was 19 to breed my own horses and I’ve gone on from there.  

“I have 11 broodmares but I’ve had a bit of trouble getting them in foal. I hope I can solve that issue soon and start breeding a lot more foals.” 

For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Perth Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today! 

From APG Ltd