Feature treble for Aldebaran Park

The Victorian-based Aldebaran Park stud had close breeding links to important harness racing winners in three different States in October.

Aldebaran Zeus (Muscle Hill USA – Zoia Boko Swe), who was bred and is owned by Aldebaran Park and raced on lease with Tracey Cullen and Melinda and Danny Thackeray, won twice over the flying mile at Menangle in 1:53.2 and 1:54.4. In the latter win, the Listed Tony and Jill McGrath Trot, the six-year-old entire earned a golden ticket to the 2024 Sydney Inter Dominion in December.

Aldebaran Zeus has now won 21 races with 18 placings from 67 starts for $532,592 in stakes.

Brilliant Aldebaran Eagle USA two-year-old filly Gatesy’s Gem notched her biggest win to date when she took out the $25,000 Aldebaran Park Tatlow Stakes at Melton. One-week later Gatesy’s Gem finished a close second in the Group 1 $75,000 Aldebaran Park Redwood Classic at Maryborough and with a stake tally of $53,701, she is the second richest for her age, sex and gait in the country this season.

My Bad Habits, a gelding by resident sire Skyvalley NZ, overcame a 10 metre handicap to capture the Kapunda Trotters Cup, his sixth success from 13 starts this year and his 13th lifetime.

He was one of five Skyvalley NZ winners for the month, the others being Patched (Gloucester Park), Picket Wire (Bendigo 1:59.1 and Geelong 1:59.3), Floating Mountain (Ballarat) and Skybreeze (Globe Derby Park).

Skyvalley NZ also figured as the damsire of the three-year-old winner Straight To Thetop.

The defunct stallion Aldebaran Eagle USA was represented by six individual winners for the month.

Besides Gatesy’s Gem, he left the Melton winner Rockinwithattitude, the SA Parker Classic heat winner Reoffender, who has now won two of his three lifetime starts, two ‘new’ three-year-old winners in Flyin Time (Shepparton) and Keayang Brandy (Hamilton) and Aldebaran Boyd, who broke the track record with a lifetime mark of 1:57.8 at Geelong.

Aldebaran Park bred or raced seven winners of 10 races in October.

They were Aldebaran Zeus, Aldebaran Boyd (Aldebaran Eagle USA-Aldebaran Revenue), Keayang Brandy (Aldebaran Eagle USA-I’m Princess Sophie), the two-year-old Aldebaran Abel (Father Patrick USA-Aldebaran Aliza), the dual Albion Park and Marburg three-year-old victor Aldebaran Fonz (Majestic Son Ca-Sultry Lady USA), the 1:58.3 Albion Park winner Hammer Son (Majestic Son Ca-Jingling Silver) and the three-year-old filly Aldebaran Susanne (What The Hill Ca-Cold Sister USA).

Foalings in October at Aldebaran Park were:

• Wannabeamaori – Dancinginthedark M USA – Filly – Aldebaran Minnie
• Excellent Boko Swe – Dancinginthedark M USA – Filly – Aldebaran Bronte
• Aldebaran Revani USA – Walner USA – Colt – Aldebaran Raptor
• Aldebaran Savannah – Dancinginthedark M USA – Filly – Aldebaran Sienna
• Aldebaran Misty – Dancinginthedark M USA – Colt – Aldebaran Mitch

The frozen semen for Aldebaran Eagle USA, who has sired four winners from only five foals in NZ, will be available only in New Zealand in the 2024 stud season. 

Bookings and further information from Andrew Fitzgerald on phone NZ 027 367 8264. 

Dancinginthedark M USA is available by chilled semen in Australia and NZ this season, while 

Skyvalley NZ can be accessed with fresh semen.

Brochures and booking forms for Dancinginthedark M USA, Skyvalley NZ and Aldebaran Eagle USA are now available at the Aldebaran Park website www.aldebaranpark.com 

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink