Trotting titans right on top of their game

Victorian breeder-owners Duncan McPherson and Pat Driscoll, two of the biggest players in the Australasian squaregaiting ranks, experienced success on the racetrack and the sale ring last weekend.

McPherson, the principal of Aldebaran Park, owns the North American-bred mare Aldebaran Acrux (Chapter Seven), who took full advantage of a perfect trip to outsprint a smart field including the Great Southern Star winner Watts Up Partytime at Melton.

It was her fourth success on Australian soil and lifted her stake tally to just shy of $100,000.

McPherson purchased Aldebaran Acrux on the advice of respected New Jersey horseman Jonas Czernyson for $US77,000 at the Black Book Yearling Sale at Harrisburg in 2020.

“We raced her as two, three and four-year-old in America and then brought her down to Australia. She took a mile record of 1:55.

“I wanted a Chapter Seven in the southern hemisphere because there were none of his progeny down here and his semen was unavailable to Australian breeders. Chapter Seven over Muscles Yankee is a great cross.

“She’s another northern hemisphere genetic that’s unique to Aldebaran Park.”

McPherson plans to race Aldebaran Acrux for the remainder of the season and put her to stud next year.

“She raced most of last year with a winter coat and never really settled into her new surroundings. She’s settled in now and Chris Svanosio is very optimistic with her for the next 12 months.”

Aldebaran Acrux will be among the leading fancies for the Group 3 $30,000 Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Gold Series Final at Melton on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll consigned the top priced trotting yearlings on both days of the NZ Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in New Zealand.

At Auckland, the Yabby Dam Farm’s consigned Face Time Bourbon Fra colt from the crack racemare Dance Craze realised $240,000, while at Christchurch the Bird Parker Fra colt out of Nieta sold for $180,000.

In all, Driscoll sold six lots, averaging $97,500, with a Village Mystic Fra-Muscles N Blues USA colt making $65,000, an On A Streak USA-Amour Fraternelle filly $50,000, an On A Streak USA-Arboe NZ colt $30,000 and an On A Streak USA-Arya colt $20,000.

Bay Of Biscay, winner of the $50,000 Hondo Grattan Stakes and one of four sub 1:50 winners at Menangle, was bred by Alabar Bloodstock. He’s the first foal of the great NZ racemare Nike Franco.

Horsham breeders Barry and Yvonne Dunn landed a double at the Menangle midweek meeting with Forty Love and Jazzy Melea. The pair are both by Downbytheseaside out of half-sisters.

Kimcando, a winner at Echuca on Sunday night, is a daughter of the Victoria Ladyship Cup and Warragul Cup winner Jazzam. She was bred by Gippsland identity Greg Fusinato and his family.

by Peter Wharton, for Harness Racing Victoria