Alabar consigning yearlings for 50 years – this time the Nutrien Sale

Alabar Bloodstock, which has been consigning yearlings to Sales for the past 50 years, has a draft of 18 beautifully grown and prepared yearlings heading
to the Nutrien Melbourne sale on 14th April. The draft will feature 7 yearlings by the debut Stallions Ride High [3] and Elite Stride [4]. In their brief racetrack careers both displayed rare speed, taking several Track records with them. Alabar is also preparing 5 yearlings for clients and 3 of these are sired by Ride
High.

The following is a brief description of each yearling’s pedigree with photos.

Lot 184 Always B Miki / Art Critic filly

There are some Families in the Stud Book that seem to thrive on producing outstanding or even champion females and this Lot 184 is a member of one of those Families [Krina]. You can see the likes of Amore Vita 1.50.5 and Under Cover Lover 1.53.8 on the page whilst Bettor Cover Lover 1.53.8 $1,026,420 , Amongst Royalty 1.55.1 $570,820 and Happy Hazel 1.57.6 $236,622 are a chosen few amongst many other outstanding females that descend from this Family.

Always B Miki, the sire of this Lot 184 , is not a stranger to siring champion fillies as well – Grace Hill 1.47.8 , Sylvia Hanover 1.48.2 and Niki Hill 1.48.8 are all millionaire fillies in North America whilst Taking The Miki 1.54.2, Joyful 1.54.6 and Aardies Express 1.52.6 are all Stakes winners in our part of the world. There is also something else in this filly’s pedigree that shines a light – the 3 X 3 cross to Artsplace. Remarkably four of the top five earning progeny of Always B Miki bred in Australia carry this double cross of the champion sire Artsplace. This filly can give you any amount of fun on the racetrack and then become a diamond in the Broodmare barn.

Lot 197 Vincent – Bespoke colt

Most participants in Harness Racing in Australia would love to boast that they own a relative of the champion mare Tailamade Lombo 1.55.3 $1.355 million. Has there been a better mare to grace our racetracks over the past 25 years? It might be debatable but only a short debate. She was one of those rare females who could race the boys at the highest level and beat them …… on numerous occasions.

Not to be forgotten because it doesn’t fit on the pedigree page is the fact that a half sister to Tailamade Lombo in Madam Butterfly produced a champion 2 year old colt by the name of Disco Force 1.53.8. He was undefeated in 8 starts as a 2 year old and collected a cabinet full of Trophies to complete a perfect 2000 season. So lot 197 , a lovely colt by the Sire on the rise in Vincent gives you a rare opportunity to buy into a Family made famous by Tailamade Lombo. Nice to know also that the Art Major blood works nicely over the Bettors Delight mares – Its Merlin and the recent NSW Derby winner Soho Spectre are fine examples as well as the millionaire mare Our Princess Tiffany.

Lot 208 Ride High – Come Dance With Me colt

This is the first offering by Alabar of the progeny of our exciting debut stallion Ride High. This Colt represents one of 61 foals in that first crop.

To say we are excited about the Stallion career of Ride High is really an under statement. The speed he possessed is a rarity on Southern Hemisphere tracks and most of it was on display during the winter months, when weather conditions are not conducive for fast times. Then you add the fact that the first three Dams of this colt, all race winning, are by the Champion sires Bettors Delight, Christian Cullen and Vance Hanover.

This pedigree can unearth a champion male pacer such as Surprise Package 1.52.4 or Christopher Vance 1.54.6 $1.747 million. Lot 208 could be the next one to add to the page. He is Eligible for VicBred Pure as well as Bathurst Gold Crown and Breeders Crown Series.

Lot 210 Rock N Roll Heaven – Crystal Stride colt.

The first thing you notice when you open the page for this Lot 210 is the 3 X 4 cross to Artsplace and the 4 X 4 cross to Cam Fella.

This immediately puts you in a favourable position, if you purchase the colt, as the double up of the Artsplace / Abercrombie blood has been the dominating factor in the bloodlines of Australia’s Group One winners for the past 3 years at least. It also doesn’t take too long in reading the page to discover the best horse in the immediate pedigree is Wolf Stride 1.49.1 $558,650, by Rock N Roll Heaven …… just like this colt.

Another factor in this colt’s favour is the fact he is bred exactly the same way as the richest son of Rock N Roll Heaven bred in the Southern Hemisphere in
Let It Ride 1.48.2 $1,003,915. Often the first foal of a mare can be the best she will produce – King Of Swing , Better Eclipse , Encipher and Copy That are recent examples of this. So you had better pay some attention to this first foal of the Bettors Delight mare Crystal Stride.

Lot 215 Captain Crunch – Digital Art colt

This colt was born on Boxing Day but with such a strong pedigree he won’t be sold at a bargain basement price. He has that dominant Somebeachsomewhere / Captaintreacherous sireline and with a dam by Art Major , you would struggle to find a more modern pedigree.

Captain Crunch sired a USA Breeders Crown winner in his debut North American crop whilst he is away to a flying start in Australia siring two nice 2 year old winners to date. Of course this no surprise really as Captain Crunch was the 2018 USTA 2 Year Old Pacing Colt of the Year. This Family has been delivering brilliant 2 and 3 year olds in both Australia and New Zealand for the past 30 years at least. The brilliant Kiwi 2 year old Tuapeka Knight was one of the first of the Family to raise its popularity. The pedigree page for this LOT 215 spells out so many of these ready made young stars. The page however doesn’t show that Seamoon , the third dam of this colt , is a half sister to the dam of the Mark Purdon trained brothers Ultimate Machete 1.51.9 and Ultimate Sniper 1.52.6.

This colt is loaded up with Artsplace blood , so that is a recipe for Group One success.

Lot 224 Ride High – Five Star Rocker colt

This is the second of our Ride High colts and it made so much sense to breed Five Star Rocker, a half sister to Kept For Pleasure, to either Art Major or his rocket fast son Ride High. Maybe time has dulled our memories, so its worth reminding everyone of the explosive and consistent speed of Ride High. In his last six victories in the winter of 2020 Ride High paced 53 and change last halves in 4 of those wins and in addition won at Melton in June pacing a 52.7 last half.

This pedigree has a strong affinity with Artsplace with horses such as Vincent 1.50.2, Nowitzki 1.54, Its My Pleasure 1.55.9, Egodan 1.51.3 and Kept In Play
1.55.3 all by sons of Artsplace and all with Stakes performances as either 2 or 3 year olds. This colt is VicBred Pure so a $12,000 Bonus for his first win in Victoria will be a welcome addition to your Bank account.

Lot 234 Elite Stride – Glenferrie Dash colt

This colt is one of 37 foals in the debut crop of the former Australian 3 Year Old Colt Trotter of the Year, Elite Stride. Elite Stride was bred to be an Award winning colt as his sire Muscle Hill is a world wide leader as a stallion and his Dam and Granddam won in excess of $1.65 million between them.

Elite Stride is also inbred [2 X 3] to the breed changing stallion Muscles Yankee so this blood will inject some speed into this Lot 234, whose fist two dams are by Kadabra and Sundon. Glenferrie Dash finished either first or second on 8 occasions in a 13 start career. She has trotting speed all around her with her Dam winning a Victorian Trotters Oaks amongst 16 victories, whilst her half sister and brother Glenferrie Burn and Glenferrie Dreamer won over $567,000 between them. This Lot 234 is Vicbred Pure as well as being Eligible for numerous Stakes races in his State of birth.

Lot 251 Bettors Wish – Inna Spring colt

The progeny of Bettors Wish have been selling like “hot cakes“ at Australian Yearling Sales this year. This colt is from his first Southern Hemisphere crop which in Australia number just 28. He is one of only 2 colts in this Nutrien Melbourne Sale and being from a half sister to the Inter Dominion winner Smolda 1.50.6, he surely will be in hot demand.

It is not too difficult to think that Bettors Wish may well be the son of the mighty Bettors Delight to keep that sire line alive in both hemispheres. He was one of those rare North American 3 year old’s not to be retired after winning 3 Year Old Colt honours. He gave his stature a much higher ranking by dominating the FFA ranks as a 4 year old and became the first male horse in 18 years to win back to back Dan Patch Trophies at both 3 and 4. This colt, Lot 251, has a 3 X 3 double cross of Western Ideal blood so that will give him some extra firepower to find the winning post.

Lot 275 Elite Stride – Miss Blissful colt

This is the second Colt in our draft by the 2020 Australian 3 Year Old Trotting Colt of the Year and this one the first foal of the Group One placed mare in Miss Blissful. Elite Stride certainly hit the headlines in his brief 14 start career winning on 9 occasions and setting three Track or Race records. His sire , by Muscles Yankee, won $3.27 million and his granddam also by Muscles Yankee, won $1.226 million so there is some ammunition in Elite Strides pedigree.

There is some firepower in the female side of this colt’s pedigree as well with the half million dollar winning geldings Paramount Geegee 1.57.3 and Muscle Mountain 1.53.2. The dam of this colt, Miss Blissful, was a very consistent mare when racing at Melton. In 16 starts at this track, she only finished further back than fourth on 2 occasions. Another colt who is Vicbred Pure so that $12,000 Bonus when you win your first race in Victoria will sweeten the bank account.

Lot 282 Majestic Son – Illawong Moonshine colt

We are very proud and indebted to the Late Martin Hartnett to be breeding from one of his favourite Trotting mares in Illawong Moonshine. This colt is by Majestic Son who has achieved everything possible as a Sire in the Southern Hemisphere. Siring 40 Group One winners is a Gold Star achievement and his Stakes winners to starters ratio of 12.5% is quite remarkable.

Lot 282 is a full brother to the brilliant Trotter Cover Of Darkness, who won his first 8 starts in succession. He competed in 8 Group Finals in his 18 start career so we know he was destined for lofty heights in the Trotting ranks. The Dam could trot and she is a full sister to the exciting and super star filly Spider Girl 1.56.8 …… as well as a a half sister to Illawong Armstrong 1.56. There are no weak links in this Colt’s make up – even his Dam is a 100% producer. He must be on any Trotting buyers shopping list.

Lot 310 Art Major – Precious Stride colt

This colt is the first foal from a mare who looked like she was heading for a nice career – 5 starts for 1 win and 2 second placings.  Do Art Major colts need an introduction – of course not with the likes of Field Marshall, For A Reason, Major Crocker, Vincent, Ride High and the recent NSW Derby winner Soho Spectre.

Then you have some exquisite breeding in the first three Dams of this colt – Somebeachsomewhere, Western Ideal and Artsplace. It could hardly be any better. That Western Ideal granddam is a half sister to the $2 million winner and the USTA 3 Year Old Pacing Colt of the Year Dorsoduro Hanover 1.47.8.

The colt has a 2 X 4 cross to the mighty Artsplace. This in itself is a big plus with the following outstanding horses all having close double ups of Artsplace blood – Spirit Of St Louis, Jewel Melody, Tough Tilly, Tricky Miki, Captain Ravishing, The Lost Storm and Taking The Miki.

Lot 331 Captain Crunch – Shesa Killer Queen colt

Captain Crunch certainly has a license to be a highly successful Stallion. He is a son of the freaky sire Captaintreacherous, he was voted the USTA 2 Year Old Pacing Colt of 2018 and his dam is a three quarter sister to the outstanding Sire Sweet Lou. He returned to the track at 3 to win the prestigious North America Cup ….. an impressive performance as he came from a wide draw to take home the prize. Three of his six leading performers in his first North American crop last season were from Western Hanover line mares.

Now take a look at the breeding of this Lot 331. This handsome lad is from the $155,000 winning Rock N Roll Heaven mare in Shesa Killer Queen 1.52.1. And Rock N Roll Heaven is of the Western Hanover sire line and from an Artsplace mare. The pedigree is stoked up with 4 crosses of Artsplace blood and this should only be an asset when this Colt steps out onto the racetrack.

by John Coffey