Half-sister to star pacer to sell at Nutrien Melbourne sale

Many of the Australia’s best harness racing yearling offerings for 2024 have been confirmed for what is shaping as a stunning Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale on April 13 and 14.

In a mouth-watering collection of domestic and international bloodlines, the catalogue of more than 200 lots features siblings to a myriad of Group 1 and feature race winners of both gaits.

One of the many highlights of the sale will be the American Ideal half-sister to sensational pacer Leap To Fame, the nominal favourite for the Victoria Cup and the Brisbane Inter Dominion.

Consigned by Wagga breeder Justin Kahlefeldt, the filly also ranks as a half-sister to the recent Blacks A Fake winner Swayzee and a full sister to the high class former NSW pacer Maximus Red.

There’s brothers and half-brothers to horses the calibre of Expensive Ego, Ride High, Our Princess Tiffany, Jilliby Kung Fu, Cruz Bromac, Fly Like An Eagle, Tough Tilly, Milly Perez, Im Ready Jet, Arcee Phoenix, Kyvalley Clichy and Banglez and half-sisters to The Lost Storm, Hurricane Harley, Tam Major, Petacular, Spidergirl, Claudy’s Princess, Une Belle Allure, Always Ready and Valtino.

The sale includes progeny from top racemares such as Bamako Mali, Rocknroll Magic, Tell Me Tales, Queen Of Pop, Dancing Diamonds, My Sweetchilliphilly, Nickle Miss and the trotters Dance Craze, Aleppo Midas, Shes An Image, Kinvara Sue, Heavenly Sister, Aldebaran Eve, My Valerie, Pretty Majestic, Pizza Queen USA, Beautiful River Fra and Illawong Helios.

The sales big hitters Downbytheseaside (13 lots), Art Major (12), Always B Miki (11), Bettor’s Delight (10), Rock N Roll Heaven (9), Captaintreacherous (8), American Ideal (7), Stay Hungry (6) and Majestic Son (6) will form the backbone of the sale.

First crop sires with quality offerings include Tall Dark Stranger (8), Ride High (8), Bettor’s Wish (3) and the trotting sires Classic Connection (12), Elite Stride (6) and Bold Eagle (5).

Yearlings will be eligible for the $1.25million sales-race series for two and three-year-old pacers and trotters. The trotting series has been invaluably underpinned by Haras Des Trotteurs for the last three years, while Alabar Bloodstock and Woodlands Stud have also provided valuable support and sponsorship for the race series.

Nutrien Equine standardbred manager Mark Barton said: “The Nutrien Team are thrilled with the numbers for all sales, with a 200 strong catalogue set for the weekend of April 13 and 14 in Melbourne. The sale will coincide with the running of the third Nutrien Race series, which is sure to create a ‘must attend’ weekend for breeders, buyers and racing connections.

“The Melbourne catalogue does host a number of high profile yearlings set to go under the hammer on Sunday, April 14 including five trotting yearlings by the international sire Bold Eagle.”

The Melbourne sale is the final stopover for the 2024 round of Nutrien Equine yearling sales. The round will kick off at Albion Park on February 11, followed by Sydney on March 10 and Bathurst on March 24.

Benstud Standardbreds, one of the country’s largest nurseries, bred their first ever Group winning trotter when Shes Ruby Roo saluted in the $50,000 Aldebaran Park Need For Speed Princess Final at Melton.

By Creatine, the filly is out of the Down Under Muscles mare Princessa Ruth, a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Princess Phoenix.

Petracca (Captaintreacherous) and Celebrity Royal, who quinellaed the opening heat of the Woodlands Stud Victoria  Derby, are close relatives.

Petracca’s grand-dam Lifeline (by Classic Garry) and Celebrity Royal’s grand-dam Celebrity Ball (by Presidential Ball) are half-sisters, both being out of the Vicbred champion and prized matron Larrakeyah Lady

Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll bred rather a notable double at the all-trotting meeting at Melton. His winners were The Locomotive (Muscle Mass), who took out the $50,000 Aldebaran Park Need For Speed Prince Final, and Keayang Chucky (Love You), winner of the $30,000 IRT Tornado Valley Trot Final

by Peter Wharton, for Harness Racing Victoria