From the heart of Bunbury to the auction ring

Wonnerup breeder Terry Ferguson is hoping the APG Perth Yearling Sale starts with a bang, when he presents a striking colt by boom harness racing sire Tall Dark Stranger as the first lot of the sale on March 3. 

The colt (Lot 401) is out of Northern Luck mare Ultimate Package and is a half-sister to WA Oaks winner Sports Package (1.56.9, $151K) and WA Diamond Classic victor Cimorene (1.55.9, $117K) from the family of his WA Pacing Cup winner Saab. 

Sportswriter, sire of Sports Package, is a three-quarter brother to the dam of Tall Dark Stranger – so the bloodlines have already had success. 

Tall Dark Stranger’s first crop of yearlings was highly sought after in the US. Sixty of his progeny sold for $5.5 million at the Lexington sale last year. 

“He is an outstanding colt. The mare has produced four winners from her first four foals and two of those are Group 1 winners,” Ferguson said. “His second dam is a full sister to Saab (1.57.1, $577K) and Talladega (1.57.8, $411K). It is a family that keeps producing classic winners.” 

Ferguson grew up in Bunbury helping out in the stables of his father Len and had a huge run of Group 1 success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Saab took out the four WA jewels in successive years, winning the Golden Slipper at two, the WA Derby at three and the Golden Nugget and WA Pacing Cup as a four-year-old. 

Talladega followed two years later, winning the APG Gold Bullion final at two and the WA Derby the next season. 

Saabella won the Group 1 Vicbred 4YO mares final in 2001. 

“Dad was always a hobby trainer but he often had up to 12 horses in work and he dominated racing in Bunbury for quite a while,” Ferguson said. “It was great times in the early days when you had bookmakers and trainers like Bill Prentice, Jack Retzlaff and Ronnie Buswell all trying to outdo each other.” 

“I had an earth moving business for about 18 years which gave me the resources to go the yearling sale and buy Saab, which really started a run with that family” he continues. “I went back and bought Saabrina, Talladega and then we acquired Saabella after the sale. A few years later, I went to America and bought five mares – Beach Madam, who was a half-sister to Fake Left, and Walkin The Line, who produced (WA Pacing Cup runner-up) Backina Falcon (1.57.3, $149K) and (2YO Sales Classic winner) Backina Jiffy (1.58.2, $107K).” 

“A lot of the broodmares we have today come from those three families. We have moved away from the racing side to some degree and decided to focus on breeding to sell.” 

Ferguson will offer five colts at the Perth sale and said Lot 425 should also attract attention in the ring. 

He is by boom sire Stay Hungry from Bettors Delight mare Bettorgrinanbarit (1.56.6, $98K), who is a half-sister to four winners, including Daintys Daughter Classic winner (G3) Captains Beachbabe (1.56, $65K) 

This is the same cross as Stay Hungry’s top earner in the US, Seven Colors ($700K). 

For full details of all catalogued yearlings in the 2024 Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales please visit our Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer now.

From APG Ltd