The 2024 Nutrien Yearling Sales in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne catalogues were available on-line last Friday and feature race days at Menangle and Maryborough yesterday proved to be a celebration of the on-line catalogue launch.
No fewer than two of yesterday’s Group One winners have half or full relatives in the catalogue while another two have a yearling out of a half-sister.
In addition there were two winners of NSW Breeders Challenge finals that bettered the 1:50 mark in their wins.
Sensational 2yo filly Lux Aeterna clinched the 2023 Australian 2yo Pacing Filly of the Year title when she covered the mile of her Group One NSW Breeders Challenge win in an Australian Record (all sexes) 1:49.9.
The sensational daughter of Captaintreacherous, trained and driven by Rickie Alchin, remains unbeaten in her nine 2yo starts and the win lifted her season’s earnings to $316,223.
A full-brother to Lux Aeterna will be offered by Brooklyn Lodge as Lot 90 in the 2024 Nutrien Sydney Sale.
The Group One final of the 3yo Colts and Geldings Breeders Challenge at Menangle saw another sub 1:50 performance when the Captaintreacherous colt Captains Knock downed Waratah Lou and Montalbano for trainer/driver Brad Hewitt.
Captains Knock has now won 10 of his 19 career starts and has stakes of $284,870. He was unbeaten in a heat, semi-final and final of the 2yo NSW Breeders Challenge and repeated that feat this season as a 3yo.
Lot 77 in the Nutrien Sydney Sale is being offered by John Rutter and is a three-quarter brother to Captains Knock being by Downbytheseaside from Scarlett Finn.
Sweet Lou filly Eye Keep Smiling, which ran the mile in 1:49.9 when winning her semi-final of the Breeders Challenge last week, wasn’t required to run as fast yesterday when she beat the favourite Major Delight and Sky Blu in the Group One final.
Trained by Belinda McCarthy and driven by Luke McCarthy it was Eye Keep Smiling’s eighth win in ten starts and took her career stakes to $137,103.
Lot 109 in the 2024 Nutrien Sydney Sale is by young sire Bettors Wish from the winning Somebeachsomewhere mare Yes Eye See which is a half-sister to Eye Keep Smiling.
A filly, Lot 109 is being offered by Success Stud and prospective buyers would be well advised to keep an eye out for this particular lot.
The Group One Victoria Trotters Derby was taken out by the Queensland trained and driven gelding Not As Promised which is a son of the pacing bred sire Betting Line.
Not As Promised is trained by Graham Dwyer and driven by Australia’s leading driver this season Nathan Dawson.
Lot 69 in the 2024 Sunshine Stars catalogue is being offered by Monarch Farm and is out of a three-quarter sister to the dam of Not As Promised.
This colt is by the rapidly emerging gun sire Downbytheseaside and is the first foal from the placed Bettors Delight mare Promise Me Please. The grand-dam of the colt is the Queensland and Australian Oaks winner All Promises p,1:56.5 $220,685.