The Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sale on March 10th provides potential purchasers with a choice of yearlings by 35 different sires and those sires represent the cream of stallions.
For example there are eight yearlings by the super dual-hemisphere sire Bettors Delight and in 2023 he was Leading Sire in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
His son Akuta was last week named New Zealand’s 4yo Horse and Gelding Pacer of the Year and his daughter Lady Of The Light was named New Zealand’s 4yo Mare Pacer of the Year.
His son Leap To Fame looks set to take out a swag of 2023 Australian Awards when they are eventually announced.
There are eight yearlings by eight time Australian leading sire of 2yos in Art Major.
In 2023 Art Major headed the 2yo Sires List in Australia with 38 individual winners of 83 races and $1,527,936 in stakes with average earnings per starter of $18,863.
He was second only to Bettors Delight on the 2023 All-Age Sires List with 342 winners of 861 races and $9,792,600 and average earnings per starter of $18,653.
Art Major is now the sire of 1937 Australasian winners with 399 (20%) of that figure having $100,000 in earnings to date with six millionaires headed by Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshall with $1,493,182.
There are seven yearlings by last season’s Leading Sire of 3yos in Australia in Sweet Lou.
Sweet Lou was second on the 2023 USTA 2yo Sires List with his 93 foals producing 77 starters that earned $3,433,717. His son Confederate was this week announced as both the USTA 3yo Colt & Gelding Pacer of the Year and the USTA Pacer of the Year.
There are nine yearlings by 2022 and 2021 Australian leading sire of 2yos in Captaintreacherous. He was also the North American Leading Sire of 2yos in 2023 with his 85 starters amassing earnings of $4,184,671.
His unbeaten 3yo daughter Millwood Nike dominated the 2023 New Zealand awards announced last week taking out the 3yo Pacing Filly of the Year, Pacer of the Year and capped it with the Harness Horse of the Year Award which is rare for a 3yo filly. His son Chase A Dream was named New Zealand’ 2023 2yo Pacing Colt & Gelding of the Year.
There are 12 yearlings by Downbytheseaside – the sire of the 2023 New Zealand 2yo Pacing Filly of the Year Coastal Babe. He already has three millionaire pacers in North America headed by the 2023 USTA Aged Pacer of the Year Bythemissal.
There are 14 yearlings by Always B Miki which is now the sire of 263 USA-bred winners with five millionaires headed by the stallion Perfect String p,3,1:48.2 $1,808,147.
Always B Miki is the sire of 173 Australasian bred winners with his 18 $100,000 earners headed by Tricky Miki which in December 2023 joined an elite group of four Western Australian horses to win the Group One Golden Slipper Stakes as a 2yo, the Group One WA Derby as a 3yo and the Group One Golden Nugget as a 4yo.
Always B Miki is also the sire of the WA Oaks winning filly Taking The Miki p,2,1:54.2 $365,318 and in 2023 he sired 103 winners of 262 races and stakes of $2,822,887.
There are 11 yearlings by American Ideal who unfortunately died on January 29th and his passing will leave a void that will be difficult to fill.
American Ideal has rightly earned a reputation as the leading sire of quality Cup winners
In November 2023 the win of Magnificent Storm in the WA Pacing Cup gave American Ideal his fifth WA Pacing Cup win in the past ten years – no other sire has produced more than four WA Pacing Cup wins.
That is not to say that American Ideal is only a sire of Cup horses as he finished third on the Australian 2yo Sires List in 2023 with 35 individual 2yo winners of 65 races and $1,103,742 in stakes.
Rock N Roll Heaven has been a consistent sire of winners since his first crop began racing in 2015 and he has seven yearlings in the Sydney sale.
Rock N Roll Heaven now has 578 winners in Australasia including 130 $100,000 earners headed by the multiple Group One winner Let It Ride p,1:48.2 $1,029,475.
He continues to sire quality horses as evidenced by the 2023 New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee p,1:52.0 $899,314.
In 2023 Rock N Roll Heaven finished in sixth place on the list of Australia’s Leading Sires with 212 winners of 544 races and $5,896,410 in stakes.
The 76 yearlings representing those eight proven sires listed above account for 47% of the catalogue and then we get on to the new kids on the block.
For full details and catalogued yearlings in the three remaining Nutrien Standardbred 2024 Yearling Sales, click here.
By Alan Parker