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.