Durham Park draft rises from the ashes

One of the shocks that hit the harness racing industry in Victoria late last year was the fire that engulfed the well known Durham Park Standardbred nursery.

Even though all the buildings and fences were burnt to the ground, by some miraculous luck, not one horse lost their life in the inferno that swept over the property.

Proprietors Bruce and Vicki Edward were swamped with offers from within the industry with Alabar Bloodstock especially prominent, offering free grazing for all the stock and facilities at Alabar Stud from which the couple could have their yearlings prepared for this years Australian Pacing Gold at Oaklands Junction on February 7th.

Durham Park has twelve yearlings catalogued this year and it presents an opportunity for Bruce and Vicki to get back to doing what they are best at which is selling yearlings with a truly international pedigree into the Australasian market.

Seven of the twelve yearlings being offered at Oakland by Bruce and Vicki are from mares imported from North America and the star of the show is undoubtedly Lot 99.

A son of American Ideal, he is a full brother to last seasons brilliant three year old Ideal For Real 1:55.8 ($182,485) and looks a potential sale topper for the Edwards.

Others with a North American maternal family that have plenty to recommend them include

Lot 41 – A Western Terror colt from the Bettor’s Delight mare Molly’s Lucky Star 1:54.2 ($96,700) who is from a half sister to the successful sire Pacific Fella 1:48.2 ($1,064,631)

Lot 48 – A colt by  Courage Under Fire from the very quick Western Ideal mare in O Narutac Bella 1:51.2 ($154,536)

Lot 156 – A filly by Courage Under Fire from the Artsplace mare Catapult 1:53.4 a half-sister to the Cane Futurity winner Lyonssomewhere 1:48.2 ($571,148) from the talented mare in Miss Kitty Hanover 1:51.1 ($461,684)

Lot 175 – Another Bettor’s Delight colt out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Diva DeVie USA, who is a  half-sister to the Stakes winner Sand Shooter 3, 1:49.4 ($471,957).

Lot 188 – an Art Major filly from the Stakes-winning mare Garden Gate Tina Ca 1:53.2 ($146,804) who is from a half sister to Life Is A Cabaret 1:50.2 ($869,280).

Lot 195 –  a colt by sire sensation Bettor’s Delight  from a daughter of American Ideal in Hawaiian Hottie USA (3, 1:55.2).

The colt’s dam ranks as a half-sister to world champion and multi-millionaire Maltese Artist 1:48.6 ($2,340,872) and Artesian 1:49.2 ($987,884)

The Durham Park yearlings are available for inspection at Alabar Bloodstock, Echuca.

The chances of those twelve yearlings being sold at this years Australian Pacing Gold sale when the fire swept through Durham Park in December would have been next to zero but with the help of a lot of people within the industry it is now a reality.

To view the twelve yearlings, you can do so by contacting either Kim Farnsworth on 0424 397 040 or Bruce Edward on 0412 951 633 

To view the Catalogue click here.

Harnesslink Media