American boost for Volstead

The stocks of the American-bred, European-trained Group 1 star Volstead Tr 1:51.5 ($773,903), the only chilled son of world champion Cantab Hall available to Australasian breeders, have received a terrific boost with the results of Breeders Crown racing in the US last weekend.

Cantab Hall sired the winners of both $600,000 two-year-old trotting finals in On A Streak (colt) and Lady Chaos (filly), while his champion son Father Patrick produced the winner of the $500,000 final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in Amigo Volo.

Volstead, who is located at Haras Des Trotteurs, Cardigan (near Ballarat), is proving one of the most popular stallions among trotting broodmare owners in both Australia and New Zealand. Last year he served 74 mares including a number of ‘black type’ winner and winner-producing mares.

“His first crop of foals are delighting the breeders with him stamping his foals with his athletic type and with numerous breeders re-booking this season after their foals are hitting the ground,” Louise Toulmin, General Manager of Haras Des Trotteurs, said.

“Yabby Dam Farms are supporting him again with bookings for mares the calibre of Amore De Frere, Another Player, Glenferrie Unixa, Im Ready Set, Sassy Pinevale, Egee Money, Arboe and Beautiful River.”

Another three members of the Haras Des Trotteurs’ sire roster in Orlando Vici, Quaker Jet and Love You, were all represented by winners in Victoria this week.

Beau Garcon, a four-year-old gelding and one of the first crop of Orlando Vici, won for the seventh time this season at Terang, coming off a 30 metre handicap to win by 4.5 metres.

Im Ready Jet ($112,270), the richest Australian-bred progeny of Quaker Jet, posted her seventh success from only 14 starts when she captured the Gold Bracelet at Maryborough’s Redwood carnival in a sparkling 1:56.8.

While Queen Elida, a NZ bred two-year-old filly by Love You, was a most impressive winner at Ballarat, clocking 58.6 for her last 800 metres after sitting parked and soundly trouncing older, more experienced rivals.