Pat Driscoll has been vigorous in the pursuit of improving trotting bloodlines in Australasia over the past decade.
Through Haras des Trotteurs, Driscoll has made a selection of Europe’s best-bred stallions and most successful bloodlines to Australian and New Zealand breeders.
The Haras de Trotteurs’ “French Revolution” has been headed by the likes Love You, Quaker Jet and Orlando Vici.
Then over the past few years he has added Classic Connection, as well as introducing a highly credentialed US bloodline through Volstead.
That is only part of the story for Driscoll though.
His Yabby Dam Farms breeding arm has also been influential in providing new trotting bloodlines to Australia with the importation of race mares and broodmares from New Zealand, Europe and North America.
This will be there for all to see at the Nutrien Equine Standardbred Yearling Sale at Oaklands Junction on Sunday, April 3.
Some 16 of the 23 lots being offered by Yabby Dam Farms have NZ (nine), French (four), United States (two) and Canadian (one) dams.
And of Yabby Dam Farms’ Australian-bred broodmares with foals at the sale, four are out of NZ mares and one has a US dam.
Let’s take a look at the dams of the Yabby Dam Farms lots:
LOVE YOU Fra-ACCESS TO SUCCESS US (Glidemaster US) Colt
Access To Success has had two foals to the races for two winners – group 1 placed Norquay (Majestic Son Ca) and Itsallandover (Andover Hall US).
Access To Success, which is bred to a Super Bowl US cross, had four starts in the US and arrived Australia as a broodmare.
FATHER PATRICK US-AMERICAN JEWEL NZ (Muscle Hill US) Colt
This is the first foal of unraced American Jewel – a member of a prolific-winning NZ family.
American Jewel is a half-sister to the dam of group 2 NZ Trotting Oaks winner Vacation Hill NZ (Muscle Hill US-Vacanza NZ) and Solar Storm (Majestic Son Ca) 3 wins.
Her granddam Sunny Action NZ (Sundon US) won 13 times, including the group 1 NZ Trotting Free-For-All and group 2 NZ Trotting Stakes.
She is also from the same family as group 1 Australasian Trotting Champion winner All Action Son (Sundon US) NZ and group 3 South Australian Trotters Cup winner Solar Active (Sundon US).
VOLSTEAD US-ANOTHER PLAYER NZ (Dr Ronerail US) Filly
Another Player is the dam of Australasian record holder Majestic Player (Majestic Son CA) – the fastest ever Australasian-bred trotter with 1:51.2 in the United States.
Another Player had nine wins, including in free-for-all class in New Zealand.
She was one of eight winners out of Fair Play NZ (Vance Hanover US), including group 1 Inter Dominion winner Play On NZ (Bellam NZ) 14 wins and $290,000.
LOVE YOU Fra-ASPIRING EVA NZ (The Pres Ca) Colt
This is the fourth foal of unraced mare Aspiring Eva – a daughter of Sundon US mare Aspiring Gal NZ.
Aspiring Gal has had 11 foals for 5 winners, including group 1 NZ Ruby 2yo Trot champion Royal Aspirations (Monarchy US) 1:56.5, 18 wins, $313,775 and group 1 Breeders Crown 3yo champion Triumphant Monarch (Monarchy US) 1:59.7, 10 wins, $161,112.
VOLSTEAD US-BOUTTEMONT (Ready Cash Fra) Colt
Bouttemont is out Showmethemaori (Lindy Lane US), which is the dam of 5 winners, including group 1 winner Vincennes (Ganymede Fra) 19 wins, $266,811.
Showmeathemaori is out of group 1 winner and former Australian Trotter of the Year Maoris Glory (Red Coach Glory US), which has Maori Miss as her granddam.
This is Bouttemont’s first foal and from Volstead’s first Australian crop.
VOLSTEAD US-COURCHEVEL NZ (Love You Fra) Colt
This is first foal out of free-for-all mare Courchevel (1:56.5, 11 wins, $105,878), a daughter of French champion sire Love You.
She did not race until she was a 3yo and finished third in the group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Oaks and group 3 Breeder For Speed Sliver Trot.
Courchevel is out of Kathy Galleon NZ (Sundon US), which has produced 4 winners as well as Top Of The Anvils (NZ), which has gone to leave 3 winners including Parisian Amore NZ (Love You Fra) 6 wins and Iron Love (Love You Fra).
LOVE YOU Fra-CUPID SEELSTER Ca (Angus Hall US) Colt
Cupid Seelster raced twice in Australia, winning on debut as a 4yo at Melton in 2016.
This is her second foal.
Cupid Seelster’s dam Charming To A Tee had 15 wins, trotting 1:56 as a 3yo.
She has left 3 winners from 5 foals to race, with Cadence Seelster US (Justice Hall US) having already produced a winner.
VOLSTEAD US-CYCLONE JETER NZ (Majestic Son Ca) Colt
Cyclone Jeter began her racing career in New Zealand with a win and then won 9 of 13 starts in Australia including the group 3 Lightfoot Laurels and group 3 Chris Howe Free-For-All.
Cyclone Jeter is out of Safely Kept US mare Cyclone Vance, which was a five-time winner and has gone on to have eight-winning foals from 10 to race.
Cyclone Jeter is a full-sister to group 1 Great Southern Star winner Glenferrie Typhoon NZ (1:53.5, 36 wins, $560,000) and group 3 winner Cyclone Lucky Seven NZ (1:56.3, 10 wins).
Her other siblings include group 1 NZ 3yo Ruby winner Cyclone U Bolt NZ.
LOVE YOU Fra- DONEGAL FLAT NZ (Pine Chip US) Filly
The combination of Love Fra and Donegal Flat NZ has already proved to be a winner.
This filly is a full sister to three winners – group 3 winner Kinsalough NZ (10 wins, $133,286), Backguards Corner NZ (8 wins) and Bearberry Stride NZ (2 win).
Donegal Flat is also the dam of Celtic Cash (Ready Cash) 1:56.9, 8 wins and group 2 winner La Serena (Quaker Jet Fra) 8 wins.
Donegal Flat’s dam Kahu Del NZ has produced 8 winners, including multiple group 3 and Inter Dominion heat winner Hartnett Creek (Sokys Atom US).
Her maternal family also features international superstar Lyell Creek (Roydon Glen NZ) 1:52.4, 56 wins, $1.296m.
VOLSTEAD US-DREAM ISLAND Fra (Sam Bourbon Fra) Filly
Dream Island Fra had a brief, but eye-catching racing career in Australia, winning her first two starts and then contesting the NSW Trotters Oaks.
This is her first foal.
Dream Island is out of group 1 winner Island Dream Fra (11 wins, $797,233), which is by Coktail Jet Fra – the sire of Love You Fra.
Island Dream is the dam of 8 winners from 8 foals to race.
VOLSTEAD US-DUCHESS ELLA (Earl Ca) Filly.
This is the second foal of Duchess Ella, which won 14 races for $124,934.
She is out of Sundon US mare Pinevale Ellason NZ (8 wins), a dam of 5 winners, including All Star Angus (Angus Hall US) 10 wins and Kyvalley Frank (Majestic Son Ca) 4 wins.
Her family features Galleons Assassin NZ (Earl Ca) 1:55.4, 33 wins, $495,411 and Temporale NZ (Monarchy US) 24 wins, $681,758, as well as Amour de Frere NZ (Love You Fra) 9 wins, $105,940.
FATHER PATRICK US-ELUSIVE JET Fra (Coktail Jet Fra) Filly
This is unraced Elusive Jet’s second foal.
Her dam Likely Jet Fra (Defi d’Aunau Fra) had 3 wins for $162,789 and is the dam of 10 foals for 7 winners from 7 to race.
Elusive Jet is a full sister to million dollar earning Dro de Jet Fra, which won the group 1 European Derby and several group 2 and 3 features, and two other winners.
FATHER PATRICK US-ALDEBARAN EVE (Skyvalley NZ) Filly
This is Aldebaran Eve’s second foal.
Aldebaran Eve won nine times for $158,508.
Her victories included the group 1 Vicbred Super Series 3yo Trot, group 1 Vicbred Super Series 4yo Trot and group 1 Used To Me@Haras Trotteurs Trot for 4yo/5yo mares
Aldebaran Eve is one of two winners out of Dream Vacation US mare Aldebaran Dream NZ, with her progeny also including Savvy Kyvalley (2 wins).
Legendary trotting sire Speedy Crown US is her fourth sire on both paternal and maternal sides.
VOLSTEAD US-FALAISE MADRIK Fra (Royal Dream Fra) Filly
Falaise Madrik has just two race starts in Australia and this is her first foal.
Out of Lady Madrik Fra, she is a full sister to French group 1 winner The Best Madrik (13 wins, $1.367m) and now successful sire. He was also a multiple group 2 and 3 winner.
Lady Madrik is the dam of 5 winners. Royal Dream is a son of Love Fra.
WHAT THE HILL Ca-GLENFERRIE UNIXA Fra (Onyx Du Goutier Fra) Colt
This is the fifth foal of the dam of former champion filly Une Belle Allure (Angus Hall US).
Glenferrie Unixa has also left group 3 winner Beau Garcon (Orlando Vici Fra) 10 wins.
LOVE YOU Fra-IM LADY ANGUS NZ (Angus Hall US) Colt
This is the second foal of Im Lady Angus NZ, a winner of 5 races.
Her dam Anreca Hes NZ (Pine Chip US) has left 8 winners from 8 foals to race.
They include 2009 NZ 2yo trotting colt of the year The Fiery Ginga (CR Commando US) 28 wins, $414,996.
LOVE YOU Fra-MY CHIMERA NZ (Sundon) Colt
This is the first foal of My Chimera – a 10-time.
She is out Lind Lane US mare My Dreamweaver NZ, which is the dam of 2020 Australian 2yo trotter of the year Dont Care and five other winners from six foals to race.
My Chimera has a Speedy Crown US cross through My Dreamweaver.
QUAKER JET Fra-PAR ICI (Ready Cash Fra) Colt
This is Par Ici’s first foal.
She was sparingly raced, winning 1 of 12 starts and also being twice group 1 placed.
Par Ici is out of NZ-bred mare This Way NZ to provide a Sundon US cross.
This Way’s only three foals to race are all winners, also including Honey Bourbon (Sam Bourbon Fra) and This Quaker (Quaker Jet Fra).
This Way is also a full sister to Idid It Myway NZ (1:56.6, 16 wins, $217,307) and Any Old Way NZ (15 wins, $153,834).
VOLSTEAD US-PIZZA QUEEN USA (Credit Winner US) Colt
This is Pizza Queen’s first foal.
Pizza Queen offers a Star’s Pride cross through Super Bowl US, had a distinguished racing career on Australian soil – winning 10 of 46 starts for $128,000.
She raced against the best open class trotters, taking out the group 3 RC Freestone Free-For-All and group 3 Join VHRC Free-For-All.
Pizza Queen was also group 2 and 3 placed seven times.
Her dam Armbro Domino US (Self Possessed US) is the dam of 5 other US-bred winners.
QUAKER JET Fra-PRETTY PEGGY SUE (Pegasus Spur US) filly
Pretty Peggy Sue has the distinction of being the dam of two group 1 winners – Kinvara Sue (Yankee Spider US) and Pretty Majestic (Majestic Son Ca). Another foal Rave On Hall is group1 placed.
Kinvara Sue won 13 times for $163,890 and Pretty Majestic had 10 wins for $170,000, including the group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Oaks.
She also raced in New Zealand, winning the group 3 NZ Northern Trotting Stakes and being named the 2020 NZ Aged Trotting Mare of the Year.
Pretty Peggy Sue is a member of one of Australia’s most prolific-winning trotting families with her fourth dam being the legendary Maori Miss – dam of the great Maori’s idol.
Pretty Peggy Sue is out of Maorimoon, the dam of four winners, including Master Maori (Extrovert US) 26 wins, $203,875.
QUAKER JET Fra-READY TO SHINE (Ready Cash Fra) Filly
Ready To Shine is out of Adellas Dash NZ (Sundon US), which won 16 races, including the group 1 Victoria Trotters Oaks.
The family also features champion NZ trotter Speeding Spur, which also raced with distinction in the United States in a career boasting 28 wins with a best 1:52.8 and $1.3m in stakes.
Adellas Dash is the dam of 4 winners, including Glenferrie Dreamer (Dream Vacation US) 1:52.8, $332.841 and Glenferrie Burn (Muscle Hill US) 1:55.5, 18 wins, $234,430.
This is Ready To Shine’s first foal.
VOLSTEAD US-ROXY MAGUIRE NZ (Bettors Delight US) Filly
This filly has a pacing maternal line, with dam Rox Maguire NZ winning as a pacer.
Roxy Maguire is out of Zenola Starbuck NZ (Christian Cullen NZ), which produced 5 winners.
They include Zach Maguire NZ (1:52.2, 23 wins, $332,460) and Lord Zin Zan NZ (1:49.6, 18 wins, $246,261).
She was also the dam of Jack Farthing NZ (McArdle US) 1:50.3, 18 wins, $195,867.
This is Roxy Maguire’s first foal.
VOLSTEAD-VAL GARDENA (Kadabra US) Filly
Val Gardena won 12 races, including the group 2 Breeders Crown 4yo Mares Championship.
She is out of US-bred mare Let’s Be Happy, which was a two-time winner in Australia and has gone on to produce five winners, also including Endsin A Party (Pegasus Spur Ca) 7 wins, Verbier (Dream Vacation US) 4, Menewa (Muscle Hill US) 4 and Chateaubriant (Used To Me Fra) 11.
Check out the live yearling parade at Yabby Dam Farms below.
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Contact Mark Barton on 0419 488 256