First crop sires add interest to Nutrien sale

The progeny of exciting harness racing first season sires Huntsville, Downbytheseaside, Vincent and trotter What The Hill will be showcased at the inaugural Nutrien Equine Standardbred Sale to be conducted at Oaklands Junction on April 10 and 11, 2021.

The frozen semen stallions Fear The Dragon, Control The Moment, Centurion ATM, En Solitaire and Uniclove will also have their first progeny go up to auction.

In all, there are nine pacing and trotting sires to be represented by their first crop at the sale.

Huntsville 3, 1:47.8 ($1,802,162), a son of the great Somebeachsomewhere and the 2017 USA Broodmare of the Year Wild West Show, won 15 of his 25 starts including the Breeders Crown, Meadowlands Pace and Cane Pace, equalled the world two-year-old record of 1:49 and was named the USA 2YO Pacing Colt of the Year.

Huntsville has the largest representation among the ‘new’ sires with 11 lots – five colts and six fillies. They include colts from Sheeznot Perfect (dam of The Archduchess), LampedUSA (sister to Maestro Bellini), Four Zoe (half-sister to Mohegan Sun) and J K Luckbealady USA and fillies out of Hectic NZ (half-sister to Bling It On and Baby Bling), Magical Molly NZ (half-sister to Mysta Magical Mach) and the APG 2YO Consolation winner War Dan Bad Girl.

Downbytheseaside 1:48.6 ($2,283,068), a world champion son of Somebeachsomewhere, was the top three-year-old in North America of his year, numbering among his 14 successes at that age the Messenger, Progress Pace and Carl Milstein Memorial.

The brilliant, young stallion, who stands at Woodlands Stud, has five colts from his initial crop in the sale. The draft includes progeny of Eily Lou Lou (half-sister to Gotta Go Cullen), Soho Moody Blue (half-sister to Sirletic) and the race-winning mares Soho New York, Bella Sainz and Illawong Joyful.

Vincent 1:50.2 ($598,803), a son of Art Major and the Group 1 winner Kept For Pleasure, was a four-time Group 1 winner, 3YO of the Year and Australia’s fastest ever three-year-old. In a career cut short by injury, Vincent won 16 of his 19 starts including the NSW and New Zealand Derbies, NSW Breeders Challenge and the Auckland Cup.

The young Alabar Bloodstock stallion has seven yearlings nominated for the sale. The offering includes a half-brother to Make Mine Cullen, a filly out of the Victoria Ladyship Cup winner Pembrook Caesar and colts from the race-winning mares Our Santa Catalina NZ, Shakeilah NZ and Mamselle Telf NZ.

What The Hill Tr 3, 1:51.8 ($1,263,864), a son of supersire Muscle Hill from the family of Majestic Son, was the best three-year-old trotter of his year in North America, winning nine races and earning $948,178 including the Breeders Crown and Canadian Trotting Classic.

A member of the Woodlands Stud roster, What The Hill has five entries headed up by a colt from the NZ Trotters Derby victor Shezoneoftheboyz, a half-sister to the Vicbred champion Vincennes, a filly from the Group placed Ballyronan NZ and a filly out of a half-sister to Kyvalley Clichy and Needabacardi.

The frozen semen stallions Fear The Dragon and Control The Moment both have single representation.

Fear The Dragon 1:48.8 ($1,578,547), the 2017 North America Cup and Adios Stake winner, has a half-brother to the Boort Pacing Cup winner Pay Rise, while Control The Moment 1:48.4 ($1,227,832), the Metro Pace and Meadowlands Pace winner and Canadian 2YO Colt of the Year, will be represented by a filly from Heavenly Scent, a half-sister to seven winners including the top Queensland filly Miss Moneybags.

The French stallion En Solitaire, a son of the mighty Ready Cash, has two fillies – both out of Sundon mares – entered in the sale, one a half-sister to the dual Oaks winner and 3YO Filly Trotter of the Year Royal Charlotte, and the other a half-sister to the very promising Brandlo Prince.

Centurion ATM Tr 1:53.4 ($731,374), a multiple Stakes-winning son of SJ’s Caviar, will be represented by a half-sister to former Australian trotting queen Claudy’s Princess, while Uniclove (Tr 1:54.1), a grandson of Coktail Jet and a multiple Group winner in France, has a filly from the French-bred mare Beautiful River, a $193,000 winning daughter of Quaker Jet.

Peter Wharton