Son of APG winner offered at Melbourne sale

Bungal (near Ballarat) breeders Steve and Chelsea Dickson have high hopes for their striking colt by the world harness racing champion Downbytheseaside at the Australian Pacing Gold sale at Oaklands Junction on Sunday, February 4. 

Listed as Lot 189, the bay colt is the only yearling in the catalogue out of an Australian Pacing Gold Final winner.

He’s from the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Park Life, who numbered the Group 1 $322,000 APG Final at Menangle in 2016 in 1:53.2 among her eight successes. 

“She was the equal fastest two-year-old filly of her year. She was going to be a superstar,” Steve said. 

“The colt in the sale is the only live foal out of her. Her first two foals have died.” 

Park Life was a half-sister to four sub 2:00 performers and belongs to the same family as the former NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Classical, the Bendigo Cup winner My Kiwi Mate, My Sweetchilliphilly (Bathurst Gold Tiara) and Our Max Phactor (1:49.6). 

The colt is one of only two colts at the Melbourne sale by the double millionaire Downbytheseaside, whose first two Australasian crops have produced the classic winners Aardiebytheseaside (NZ Oaks), Between Two Thorns (WA APG Gold Bullion), Coastal Babe (NZ Harness Million), Mr Bondi (MIA Breeders Plate) and the WA 2YO Sales Classic winner Waverider. 

The second half of the Melfield Estate draft is a lovely, athletic filly by the 2YO Colt of the Year Poster Boy from the Rocknroll Hanover mare Treading Water, a half-sister to the Newcastle Oaks winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Ocean Diva (1:51.1) and Jay Bracken (1:52.4). 

The Dickson couple have been involved in harness racing most of their lives. 

Steve is an agronomist and a member of a well-known northern Tasmanian trotting family, and Chelsea, also a horse enthusiast from a young age, is the owner of the company, Black Horse Naturals horse supplements. 

The husband-and-wife team purchased the 200 acre property, Melfield Estate in 2022, aiming to produce elite offspring which include a broodmare band of five exceptionally bred mares. 

Treading water has a positive test to Art Major, Park Life has been bred to Catch The Fire, Heavenly Scent is in foal to Pebble Beach and Rock Post Scissors to Cobbitty Equine Farms’ For A Reason.  

They are the excited for the future to breed, sell and race horses in Victoria and interstate with horses currently trained by Joe Pace, Jess Tubbs, Jason Hackett, Rickie Alchin and Kristy and Marc Butler.  

The undulating hills and improved pasture at Bungal are perfect to grow and raise quality standardbreds.  

The best horses they have bred include the Gloucester Park winner All Is Well ($112,223), the Breeders Crown runner-up Interpretation and the dual VicBred finalist Celestialfragrance. 

The Melfield Estate yearlings are being prepared by Monique Burnett at Grand Lodge, Kilmore. For full details and 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