Yankee Rockstar, a harness racing Group or Listed winner from two to five years and the richest Australian-bred son of deceased champion sire Rocknroll Hanover, is to do stud duty at one of New South Wales’ leading studs – Yirribee Pacing Stud, Wagga – where Warrawee Needy (1:46.8) heads a select sire list.

He was a champion juvenile pacer in his own right. He won his first six starts as a two and three-year-old including the Victoria Sapling Stakes and Premiere Stakes, while at four he won seven out of nine highlighted by the Victoria 4YO Bonanza, defeating Hectorjayjay, Yayas Hot Spot and Major Crocker.

Yankee Rockstar put an exclamation mark on his career during the summer of 2015/16. In the space of three months he captured three of the jewels of the Victorian country cups circuit – the Kilmore, Cranbourne and Stawell Pacing Cups.

Among the horses he defeated were dual Inter Dominion winner Beautide, Ohoka Punter, Nike Franco, Messini and Im Corzin Terror.

Possessed of speed and stamina, Yankee Rockstar won over all distances from 1609 to 2690 metres and he took his lifetime mark of 1:52.2 over 1720 metres at Melton, ripping home in 26.3 – one of the fastest closing sectionals ever recorded at Melbourne headquarters.

In all, Yankee Rockstar had 35 starts for 22 wins and seven placings and was only three times further back than sixth. He amassed $329,048 in stakemoney.

Yankee Rockstar is a quality young horse bred on a classic cross of blood – that of Rocknroll Hanover his sire and Artsplace his maternal sire.

A champion pacer himself, with a record of 1:48.6, Rocknroll Hanover was a world champion at 2 years, was the first pacer to win three $1 million races and he ran up a record tally of $2,754,038 to the end of his two and three-year-old racing.

Rocknroll Hanover has matched his greatness as a racehorse in the siring field, and now his sons are achieving distinctions of the same order.

Aston Villa (1:58.1), the American-bred dam of Yankee Rockstar, is one of the many grand producing daughters of a champion sire in Artsplace (1:49.4), being out of the Storm Damage mare Villa Storm, a half-sister to the Canadian Mare of the year Art’s Secret (1:51.4), the Stakes winner Cam’s Secretary (1:52.6) and to the dam of millionaire Secret’s Nephew (1:48.8).

Aston Villa is the dam of four winners from four foals of racing age, three of whom took records of 1:55 or better including last season’s outstanding two-year-old Poster Boy 1:54.1, a dual Group winner.

Yankee Rockstar has everything in his favour to distinguish himself as a sire – an impeccable background of blood, a brilliant race record and he looks the part.

His introductory fee is $2,200 including GST and his progeny are eligible for the NSW Breeders Challenge, Colonial Bred Bonus, Bathurst Gold Crown and Breeders Crown.

Yankee Rockstar – 2016 Kilmore Cup

Yankee Rockstar wins the 2016 Cranbourne Cup

Peter Wharton