31% of Volstead juveniles head to Maryborough for 2YO Vicbred glory

There’s a saying in harness racing that one swallow doesn’t make a summer when it comes to a stallion-producing progeny who are success stories on the track.

Fortunately for Swedish Group One winner, Volstead (Cantab Hall), despite producing small books from his limited early opportunities at stud, it hasn’t prevented him from stamping himself as a trotting sire on the rise.

With multiple G1 winners and two juvenile fillies of the year on either side of the Tasman with his first Australasian crops in 2023, Volstead has simply picked up where he left off in 2024 with the next wave of juvenile talent now starting to make their mark.

On Wednesday afternoon at Maryborough, a whopping 14 of the 45 eligible Volstead juveniles will contest the first round of heats for the 2YO Vicbred Series.

Seven colts & seven fillies to be exact. Here are the runners listed with their broodmare sire in brackets.

2YO Colts & Geldings | Heat One

• Aldebaran Denbay (Skyvalley)
• Lotus Louise (Quaker Jet)

2YO Colts & Geldings | Heat Two

• Sam Nien (CR Commando)
• Vytis (Orlando Vici)
• Itsgetbetter (Keystone Salute)

2YO Colts & Geldings | Heat Three

• Bootlegging (Wind Cries Maori)
• Voldhaga (Pine Chip)

2YO Fillies | Heat One

• Sky Flair (Skyvalley)
• Nipotina (Trixton)

2YO Fillies | Heat Two

• Kinvarra Kate (Yankee Spider)
• Prohibited Grace (Majestic Son)
• Giggle Water (Eilean Donon)
• Keayang Minnesota (Majestic Son)
• No Money No Honey (Love You)

The best performed of the Volstead progeny is the above pictured Prohibited Grace who is unsighted since sitting parked back in April when taking out the Listed $75,000 Nutrien Equine 2YO Fillies Final in her only race day start.

While the $10,000 heats are merely stepping stones to the $100,000 finals to be run on the 14^th of September at Melton, the fact he has so many offspring is a great sign for those who have supported the stallion since becoming available again last season.

It must be also said that leading North American sire, Father Patrick, another son of Cantab Hall is also to be commended on this front with seven starters (six colts, one filly) across the five heats with just 32 eligible to race in this crop of juvenile trotters.

With the pair locked in a battle to chase down Majestic Son as the leading 2YO sire of the year, a forward showing would help both Volstead (2^nd) and Father Patrick (4^th).

And while the battle for juvenile siring supremacy heats up, the 3YO money list looks well and truly locked away with Volstead now over $400,000 clear of Majestic Son with $576,613 in progeny earnings.

With three months effectively left on the calendar year, the sum is already more than any of the leading three-year-old sires in each of the last five seasons.

The record for any trotting sires 3YO progeny earnings in a single season is $771,218 set in 2017/18 by Majestic Son, a record that could well be in jeopardy by the end of the year!

For complete Maryborough fields, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink