Denis and Jo Howe from Mataranka Park Standardbreds take particular pride in producing quality stock for yearling sales and will offer seven lots at the 2024 Nutrien Sydney Sale on March 10th.

There is an important point about the Mataranka draft in that a number of the mares with yearlings in the sale have 2yos starting to trial so while potential purchasers are looking at the pedigrees they need to keep an eye on the trial results.

The pedigrees will be updated with trial information in the coming week so it will be available on the Nutrien website from next Monday and on Sale Day.

Lot 77 is a stunning American Ideal colt out of the New Zealand bred Artsplace mare Runaround Rhonda which is already the dam of three winners.

This is a cross that produced Great Vintage p,1:49.2 $1,510,226 in America but more importantly there are 15 Southern Hemisphere winners bred on the cross including three $100,000 earners headed by Lynbar Rose p,1:51.8 $250,563 and Its Mr Clooney p,1:52.3 $159,735.

Lot 84 is a Sweet Lou filly out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Soho Montelena p,3,1:56.7. Soho Montelena is already the dam of the 2023 3yo winner Soho Matisse p,3,1:58.9.

Sweet Lou’s richest offspring in North America is Confederate which, as a 3yo in 2023, took a record of p,1:46.2 and has banked $2,077,554. Confederate is out of a mare by a son of Rocknroll Hanover in A Rocknroll Dance.

Lot 92 is a filly by Always B Miki from The Blue Lotus NZ p,3,1:56.6 and this filly is a half-sister to three winners including Amazon Lily p,1:57.6 $97,727 which had a yearling by Downbytheseaside sell at last week’s Christchurch sale for $31,000.

The Blue Lotus is a half-sister to former New Zealand Horse of the Year Tintin In America p,3,1:53.2 $934,305 and she is also a full-sister to Destination Moon p,1:52.0 $229,075.

Lot 100 is also by Always B Miki and is a colt from the Forbury 4yo Championship winner The Crystal Star which is the now the dam of five winners including My Ultimate Star which won his 22nd race at Yonkers last week and now has earnings of $235,318.

The lightly raced Sportswriter mare Bang Bang Molly is the dam of Lot 125 which is a colt by Sweet Lou.

This makes this colt a full-brother to both 2yo Group Three APG Gold Sovereign winner Smaltese p,1:51.9 $115,256 and 2023 3yo winner Kerbang p,3,1:54.7 $46,209.

Lot 137 is an American Ideal filly out of the Life Sign mare Consummation which produced her fifth individual winner when the 3yo American Ideal gelding Axe And Deez won at Melton on 24th January.

Axe And Deez became the 29th winner bred on the cross in Australia. It is a list which includes the three-time Group One winning filly Pelosi p,1:52.2 $466,602.

A half-sister to Consummation in the Bathurst Gold Tiara winner Distant Memory is the dam of Lot 145 which will be the last of the Mataranka draft to enter the ring.

Distant Memory also won the 2yo Vicbred Super Series final as a 2yo on her way to a record of p,3,1:55.1 and $173,155 in stakes.

She is the dam of four $100,000 earners which include Delightful Angel p,1:49.9 $173,578 and her full-brother Something Bettor p,1:50.6 $170,893.

Lot 145 is by Fear The Dragon which is now the sire of 14 Australian winners.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the three remaining Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

By Alan Parker

Star New Zealand gelding We Walk By Faith is heading back to his country of birth and is expected to start in a heat of the NSW Derby on March 2nd for trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon.

The $200,000 Group One final of the NSW Derby is set down for Miracle Mile night on March 9th.

The $150,000 Nutrien Equine Classic scheduled for decision at Melton on 20th April is also marked in on We Walk By Faith’s programme.

Bred by the Judd family and sold by Benstud to Mark Purdon for $70,000, We Walk By Faith commenced his 3yo career at Auckland on Friday night after a short spell.

With Mark Purdon at the reins, We Walk By Faith overcame a wide draw to lead before handing up to his stablemate Treacherous Baby and then using the sprint lane to draw away in the concluding stages for an impressive win.

The win took his record to four wins and two seconds in seven starts which have garnered $127,502 in stakes. His major win came in the Group One Ace Of Spades at Addington in December when he sprinted home in 26.9 seconds to take the $65,313 first prize ahead of stablemate Major Hot and Dreams Are Free.

Benstud will offer a Bettors Delight full-sister to We Walk By Faith as Lot 113 in Nutrien’s Sydney Yearling Sale on Sunday March 10th.

This pedigree, which has already been updated on the Nutrien website following Friday’s win, shows that the filly which is being sold, and We Walk By Faith, are in fact three-quarter relations to South Australian Derby winner and dual Inter Dominion placegetter Flaming Flutter p,1:49.2 $899,341.

Flaming Flutter and his full-sisters Two Times Bettor p,1:52.0 $222,555 and Fiamma p,1:53.8 $101,090 are by Bettors Delight from Twice As Hot which is the dam of We Walk By Faith’s dam Wicked Nights.

Lot 113 is being prepared for the Sydney Sale by Benstud NSW and they can be contacted on 0458 658 273 to arranged a pre-sale inspection.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the three remaining Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

By Alan Parker

The Karaka session of the 2024 New Zealand National Standardbred Yearling Sale was headlined when the first foal from the former Australian and New Zealand 2yo Pacer of the Year Our Princess Tiffany went under the hammer on Sunday.

The filly, by Captaintreacherous, was sold to Canterbury trainer Mark Jones for $270,000 after a spirited bidding duel with fellow South Island trainer Mark Purdon.

Nutrien’s Melbourne Yearling Sale on the weekend of the 12th through 14th April will offer a full-brother to Our Princess Tiffany as Lot 212.

This Art Major colt is being offered by Jake Stockton’s Wingate Farm and in addition to Our Princess Tiffany he is a half-brother to the Group Two WA 4yo Championship winner Rock Diamonds p,1:50.0 $796,364.

Dancing Diamonds, the dam of Lot 212, is by Bettors Delight and won at Group Three level and was twice placed at Group One level as a 2yo on her way to a career record of p,3,1:57.8 and earnings of $343,276.

Dancing Diamonds is a full-sister to the Group One 2yo WA Golden Slipper Stakes winner Ohokas Bondy p,1:53.6 $388,148.

Like Rock Diamonds, Ohokas Bondy was trained by leading WA trainers Greg and Skye Bond.

Jake Stockton would be delighted to arrange for a pre-sale inspection of Lot 212 and he can be contacted on 0428 527 998.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the three remaining Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

By Alan Parker

On Wednesday night at Bathurst trainer/driver Bernie Hewitt produced the unraced 3yo Novanta Rising and the Betting Line gelding coasted home a comfortable winner rating 1:57.5 for the 1730 metres.

Novanta Rising started very short in betting markets at $1.22 on the back of five straight wins in trials at Bathurst since the start of 2024.

Lot 44 in the Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sale on the weekend of March 9th and 10th is a half-brother to Novanta Rising and is being offered by Brooklyn Lodge and clients.

This colt is by A Rocknroll Dance from the Somebeachsomewhere mare My Bankers Pride which now has a 100% producing record as her first foal, Barbados, won six 3yo races in 2023.

The cross of A Rocknroll Dance over a Somebeachsomewhere mare is the same cross responsible for Curly James p,1:51.3 $211,559. Curly James won the $75,000 Group Two Shepparton Gold Cup on January 13th.

My Bankers Pride was unraced but she is a half-sister to five winners including Ideal Warrior p,1:50.9 $183,368, Bathurst Gold Crown runner-up Bebrave p,3,1:54.3 $182,620 and Perfect Penny p,2,1:58.8.

Perfect Penny is the dam of NSW Oaks winner Anntonia p,3,1:49.8 $411,835 and the 2yo NSW Breeders Challenge winner Miss Halfpenny p,3,1:55.0 $235,403.

Brooklyn Lodge can be contacted on 0438 683 280 to arrange an early inspection of Lot 44.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

Cobbitty Equine Farm may be situated in New South Wales but they have strong ties to Queensland and this weekend they will offer three yearlings at the Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale.

Luke McCarthy, a son of Queensland legend John McCarthy, and his wife Belinda established Cobbitty in 2011 and in 2021 they stood seven stallions at their stud.

Three of those stallions are represented in this weekend’s sale.

The unraced Rock N Roll Heaven mare Selfie is the dam of Lot 12 which is a colt by the McCarthys former champion Bling It On which was voted both Australian 2yo Colt of the Year and Australian 3yo Colt of the Year.

Selfie is a daughter of Australian 2yo Filly of the Year Self Denial p,2,1:57.6 $446,069 and Lot 12 is her second colt foal.

Selfie’s first colt, a full-brother to Lot 12, Mondos Bling qualified to race as a 2yo this season when third in a trial at Newcastle on 17th January.

Also hitting the race-track in 2024 are the first Australian crop of the world’s richest pacing stallion McWicked.

McWicked had his first starter Gelsomino is a 2yo race at Narrogin last night and the filly finished fourth in a 2:00.5 rate over the 1823 metres.

Cobbitty Equine Farm have a McWicked colt on offer this weekend as Lot 36 and he is a half-brother to three-time winner Dream To Dance p,1:57.0.

Lot 36 is out of the unraced Art Major mare Dreamy Art which is a half-sister to Group Two Nights of Thunder winner Soho Lennon p,1:51.0 $913,310.

The third of the Cobbitty offering is Lot 41 which is the first foal from the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Forever Rocking p,2,1:55.9.

Forever Rocking is a daughter of the Queensland Oaks winner Forever Gold p,1:51.7 $700,593 and is therefore a half-sister to 2023 Group One 2yo Qbred Triad runner-up Ever Art p,2,1:56.4 $46,620.

Lot 41 is by the well-performed US import Capt Midnight p,3,1:48.6 $662,286 whose first Australian crop are being sold at yearling sales across the country this year.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

Benstud Standardbreds have Standardbred breeding properties in both Victoria and New South Wales and a pair of their NSW Benstud prepared yearlings will go under the auctioneers hammer at the Sunshine Stars Sale this weekend.

The first of the Benstud offering is Lot 37 which is a colt by the well-performed first-season sire Bettors Wish p,1:47.6 $2,601,233.

A son of super sire Bettors Delight, Bettors Wish was USTA 3yo Colt and Gelding Pacer of the Year and his first American crop raced as 2yos in 2023.

Despite having less than half the number of 2yo foals Bettors Wish finished second on the USTA’s First Season’s Sires List to Captain Crunch with 11 2yo winners of $1,211,481 headed by Bluegrass Stake winner Better Is Nice p,2,1:50.6 $510,120.

Lot 37 is out of the lightly raced Christian Cullen mare Ohana and is a three-quarter brother to the 2023 3yo winner Keayang Ladybug.

Ohana is a full-sister to New Zealand 2yo Colt of the Year Gotta Go Cullen p,2,1:58.3 $1,173,343 while her grand-dam My Sparkling Burgundy is a half-sister to another New Zealand 2yo Colt of the Year in Il Vicolo p,1:56.7 $1,580,948.

The second of the Benstud prepared yearlings is Lot 45 which is a filly by the recently deceased American Ideal from the Mach Three mare Emerging Force p,3,1:58.7.

A total of 33 Australasian winners are bred on this cross including the star New Zealand mare Allamericanlover p,1:53.0 $238,175 which won the Group One Queen Of Hearts at Addington on Australia Day.

Lot 45 is the third foal from Emerging Force and her first two foals have been 2yo winners in Keayang Santiago p,2,1:57.9 and the 2023 Nutrien Sales Classic heat winner Force Full p,2,1:57.1.

To arrange inspection of the Benstud yearlings contact Benstud NSW on 0458 658 273.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

While King Charles has been in the spotlight this week due to his health, this weekend the focus at coming weekend turns to a Monarch of a different kind.

Margaret Donohoe and her team at Monarch Farm are offering three yearlings at the 2024 Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale.

The first of the Monarch Farm draft into the ring on Sunday is Lot 17 which is a filly by Tintin In America from the Presidential Ball mare The Dreamliner p,2:00.0.

The Dreamliner is already the dam of four winners including The Hummer p,1:56.2 $67,550.

The grand-dam of Lot 17 is a 100% Producing half-sister to Drop Dead Gorgeous p,1:54.4 $345,836 and Australian Oaks winner The Red October p,3,1:57.8 $175,639.

The second of Monarch Farm’s offering is an Always B Miki colt out of the Art Major mare Artonarock p,1:58.8. This colt is a half-brother to the Queensland Goldstrike Series winner Gleneagle Warrior p,1:52.0 $137,141 and Boulder City p,3,1:54.0 $52,429.

The Always B Miki x Art Major cross has produced 21 Australasian winners topped by the Queensland Be Good Johnny Sprint winner Future Assured p,1:50.9 $216,119.

Also bred on a successful cross and being offered by Monarch Farm is Lot 69 which is the first foal from the lightly raced Bettors Delight mare Promise Me Please.

Promise Me Please is a full-sister to Amillion Promises p,3,1:54.5 $100,662 and a three-quarter sister to 2023’s star 3yo trotter Not As Promised tr,3,1:59.6 $131,310.

Pacing bred by a son of Bettors Delight in Betting Line, Not As Promised made those south of the Queensland border sit up and take notice with a pair of Group One wins in the 2023 Victoria Trotters Derby and 2023 Australasian Breeders Crown at Melton.

Lot 69 is by Downbytheseaside whose star 2yo in 2023 was Coastal Babe p,2,1:56.6 $152,325 which took out the New Zealand Caduceus Club Classic at Group One level.

Like Lot 69, Coastal Babe is out of a mare by Bettors Delight.

Margaret Donohoe can be contacted at Monarch Farm on 0428 627 432 to arrange for inspection of any of the above yearlings before Sunday’s sale.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

Over the past 12 years Bettors Delight has established himself as the king of Australia’s sires topping the Australian Sires List each of those 12 seasons.

That trend shows no sign of stopping as his Australian-bred sons Leap To Fame and Max Delight finished first and third in the $500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton last Saturday.

For good measure a New Zealand bred son of Bettors Delight in Don’t Stop Dreaming split the Aussie bred pair.

There is just one yearling by Bettors Delight in the Sunshine Stars yearling sale on Sunday and that is Lot 57 on account of Alf Laspina Pty Ltd.

This colt is a half-brother to Bathurst Gold Crown winner Tardelli p,2,1:53.0 $167,597 but wait, as they say in the classics, there is more.

Lot 57 is bred on the same cross as the aforementioned Leap To Fame and Max Delight being out of an Art Major mare.

Both Leap To Fame and Max Delight have 1:50 miles to their credit with Saturday’s win taking Leap To Fame’s earnings to $2,103,957 while Max Delight is knocking on the door of becoming a millionaire with his earnings now reaching $942,424.

Prospective purchasers wishing to inspect Lot 57 should contact the preparers Monarch Farm on 0428 627 432.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

Every so often pedigree followers find a mare who has provided inspiration to owners in the naming of their offspring and there is no better example of this than Lot 47 in this weekend’s Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale.

Being offered by Gayle Garrard, Lot 47 is a filly by Wishing Stone out of the unraced mare Hips which is already the dam of a 3yo winner.

Hips is out of the Group Three George Gath Memorial winner Thunder Thighs and is a half-sister to Victorian Trotters Oaks and New South Wales Trotters Oaks runner-up Gluteus Maximus tr,1:59.6 $104,855.

Other winners produced by Thunder Thighs include the Nyah Trotters Cup runner-up Gluteus Major and the Tontine Series runner-up Broadacrossthebeam.

Carrying the naming theme further, Gluteus Maximus is the dam of the Group Two Vicbred Platinum Trotting Mares Sprint runner-up Derrie Aire tr,1:58.1 $68,730.

Gayle Garrard has three lots in Sunday’s Sale and two of the three are trotters.

Lot 4 is a trotting-bred filly by Wishing Stone from the winning Skyvalley mare Ruby Pinevale tr,2:01.0.

This filly is a half-sister to last month’s Menangle winner One Pinevale Hill tr,1:58.4 while the dam Ruby Pinevale is a half-sister to Duchess Ella tr,1:57.2 $126,934 whose first foal We Can Have It All tr,2,2:01.4 $46,397 was runner-up in the 2yo final of the Group One Vicbred Super Series at Melton.

The third of Gayle Garrard’s yearlings on Sunday is a filly by Franco Nelson from the Falcon Seelster mare Kylie Bromac p,1:55.6.

While Kylie Bromac is a pacer she is a half-sister to the Group Two New Zealand Challenge Stakes winner Una Bromac tr,2:05.2 $85,222.

Una Bromac is the dam of New Zealand 3yo Colt Trotter of the Year Winterfell tr,1:58.1 $429,917 and New Zealand 2yo & 3yo Filly Trotter of the Year Escapee tr,1:57.4 $272,783.

All three yearlings are being prepared by Burwood Stud and inspection can be arranged by a call to the stud on 0428 718 533.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred

There are four yearlings by former USTA 2yo Pacer of the Year Captain Crunch among those next generation stars being offered at Sunday’s Nutrien Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale.

Captain Crunch’s first crop of 2yos hit the trial circuit earlier this month as they prepare to race in the coming weeks.

A son of Captain Crunch in Ukraine was an impressive winner of a Rangiora trial on January 17th winning by three lengths coming off the speed with a last half in 57.5 seconds.

On Monday 22nd January another Captain Crunch filly in Golden Shooz qualified for racing with an impressive come-from-behind win at the Geelong trials. She covered her final quarter in 29.5 seconds.

Two days later at Pinjarra, on January 24th, the Captain Crunch colt Captain Stirling made his public debut winning a trial at a 2:00.6 rate over 1684 metres and the last half mile went by in 57.4 seconds and the last quarter in a very slick 26.9 seconds.

Captain Crunch had his first USA crop race as 2yos in 2023 and he produced 33 winners of $1,331,603 including the colt Gem Quality p,2,1:50.0 $438,940 and the filly Beantown Ace p,2,1:55.8 $102,560.

With those figures, Captain Crunch topped the list of Leading First Season Sires in North America last year.

The four yearlings on Sunday are spread across four different vendors and the first enters the ring early as Lot 6.

Being offered for sale by Michael Taylor’s Trotters Australia, Lot 6 is a filly from the lightly raced McArdle mare Spirit Of Fun and this filly is a half-sister to four winners including Sea Hawke p,1:56.2 $126,798 and the filly Darby Brights p,3,1:55.8 $117,342.

A pre-sale inspection of Lot 6 can be arranged by contacting Trotters Australia on 0410 565 244.

Lot 21 is being offered by Lindsay and Mary Vagg and is a colt from the seven times winning Art Major mare Victree Bonita p,2,1:56.0 which won the Group Three Qbred Breeders Classic as a 3yo.

Victree Bonita has produced five winners from her first five foals of racing age with her sixth a recently qualified 2yo – My Ultimate Sassy.

Lindsay and Mary have eight yearlings in Sunday’s sale and would love for prospective buyers to call them on 0419 714 122 to arrange a pre-sale inspection.

The third of the Captain Crunch yearlings to be offered on Sunday is Lot 56 – a filly being offered by Solid Earth Pty Ltd and being prepared by Egmont Park Stud.

This filly is from the 3yo winner Laceys Legacy which is a half-sister to Australian 2yo and 3yo Pacer of the Year Majestic Mach p,1:53.9 $796,397 and is out of the 100% Producer Midnight Lace – six foals for six winners.

Egmont Park are preparing 14 yearlings for Sunday’s sale and Peter Bell can be contacted on 0418 885 033 to arrange a pre-sale inspection.

The fourth of the quartet of Captain Crunch yearlings being offered on Sunday is a filly from the smart 2yo winner Ourark p,2,1:57.1 $40,939 and will go under the hammer as Lot 66.

Ourark’s first foal died and her second is the recently named 2yo Zaras Special and Sunday’s filly is her third foal and is being offered by Rickie Alchin Harness Racing.

Arkareena, the Queensland Ladyship Stakes winning grand-dam of Lot 66, produced her seventh winner when Pushbutton Rock won in January. Her previous six winners included the Redcliffe Derby winner Monarkmac p,1:53.0 $313,002.

A half-sister to Arkareena in Ark Monroe is the dam of recent winner Dangerous p,2,1:54.9 $116,201. Dangerous was runner-up in the inaugural Nutrien 2yo Sales Classic.

Rickie Alchin can be contacted on 0400 122 281 to arrange pre-sale inspection of Lot 66.

For full details and catalogued yearlings in the four Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.

by Nutrien Equine Standardbred