McIntosh excited by 2025 Llowalong Farms Nutrien yearling sale draft

Llowalong Farms principal Dr Kath McIntosh is excited about the prospects for this year’s Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale and the draft they have assembled from the property that first came into existence in 2009 as the Northern Rivers Equine Veterinary Clinic.

The Llowalong Farms’ prepared entry of 14 quality yearlings – six colts and eight fillies – is one of the largest for the sale to be held at the Inglis Complex, Oaklands Junction on Sunday, April 13.

 “We have a real variety of sires represented in the draft, including lots eligible for the $100,000 Bonus, plus a combination of trotters and pacers – there is literally a horse here for everyone!” Kath said.

The draft includes three yearlings by Poster Boy, Century Farroh and Pastor Stephen, two by Raging Bull and one each by Always B Miki, Captain Crunch, Lather Up and Yankee Rockstar.

Ten of the Llowalong prepared yearlings are eligible for the Llowalong Farms $100,000 Bonus to be awarded to the owner of a horse that wins a two-year-old Vicbred Final in 2026.

One of the most sought after youngsters will be Lot 322, an Always B Miki half-sister to the very promising Birkirkara, a winner of six of his seven starts to date including a 1:50 effort at Menangle.

The filly is one of the two-pronged entry of Dennis and Brenda Bice’s Yorkshire Park Standardbreds, who have also nominated a Captain Crunch colt out of the Art Major mare Carrera Mystic NZ, a close relative of Maheer Lord ($515,470).

Popular Bathurst breeder-owners Wayne and Julie Loader have nominated two fillies for the sale including one from the first crop of the Canadian Horse of the Year and USA Breeders Crown winner Century Farroh out of a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Glenferrie Blade ($347,615) as Lot 216.

The other half of the Loader entry is Lot 341, a filly by last year’s leading first crop sire Poster Boy from a sister to the 3YO Colt of the Year and Auckland Cup winner Vincent ($598,803) and a half-sister to My Mackenzie ($520,161) and Keep Rockin (1:48.6).

Melbourne breeder John McHugh is represented by a powerfully built filly by the USA 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year Pastor Stephen from a half-sister to the Vicbred Super Series 3YO Final winner Stretch The Budget. She is Lot 243A.

Renee Keaveny, Llowalong’s yearling manager, and Ashley Greeves, have nominated a Raging Bull filly out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Beach Box, a half-sister to the Tasmanian Sweepstakes winner Majestic Emperor and the Australian Oaks placegetter Queen Of Fire.

Llowalong Farms have entered nine yearlings for the auction including two as agent.

Their draft will be spearheaded by a Poster Boy colt from the 100 percent producer Majoress, an Art Major daughter of the Australian Pacing Gold winner Let’s Thank Heaven (Lot 248).

There is a Century Farroh colt from the American Ideal mare Ideal Energy NZ (Lot 221) and two Pastor Stephen’s comprising a colt from the NZ Trotting Derby winner Shezoneoftheboyz (Lot 298) and a filly from the $100,000 earner Frances Annie (Lot 214).

Others from the Llowalong Farms’ draft are a Poster Boy filly out of the 1:56 mare Whata Glimpse (Lot 323), a Raging Bull half-brother to three sub 2:00 winners including the Group 3 placegetter Go Home Jo (Lot 226) and a Yankee Rockstar colt out of a sister to the APG winner Rosa Mach (Lot 240).

Llowalong is again offering a ‘charity filly’ at the sale with all proceeds going to the Pancare Foundation, an organisation supporting people affected by gastrointestinal cancers. 

The filly is Lot 220, a daughter of the world champion and emerging, young sire Lather Up (1:46) from the Fake Left mare Holdthatdream, the dam of three winners including the Vicbred heat winner Holdonsu ($142,597).

“This is the third year that we’ve have held this promotion. So far we’ve raised over $50,000 for the Pancare Foundation through the yearlings and other initiatives,” Kath said.

To arrange an inspection of the Llowalong Farms’ draft phone (03) 5852 2845.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink