Inaugural Ladbrokes Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale attracts interstate support

A strong benchmark of Victorian and NSW vendors and a powerful contingent of local breeders will be represented at the inaugural Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale to be conducted by Nutrien Equine at Magic Millions, Gold Coast on March 11 and 12.

Of the 136 entries, 49 are from non-Queensland vendors. Tumby Park has entered 18 lots, while the leading NSW stud Cobbitty Equine Farm, Benstud Standardbreds and Michael Taylor’s Trotters Australia have five entries each.

Other interstate vendors with multiple representation include Wingate Farms’ Jake Stockton (3) and Aaron Goadsby’s Goozdolphin Harness Racing, Harvey Kaplan and Rickie Alchin with two apiece.

Kevin and Kaye Seymour’s Solid Earth has the largest draft from the local brigade with 16 lots. Burwood Stud has 13 entries, Lindsay and Mary Vagg (9), Trump Bloodstock (8), Greg Mitchell’s GSM Racing (7), Gayle Garrard (6), Monarch Farm (4) and Somerset Farms (2).

McWicked, the richest pacing stallion in history, USA 3YO Colt of the Year Downbytheseaside and the dual Derby winner Ohoka Punter have the joint largest entry with 10.

McWicked’s first crop includes colts from Shes A Lefty and Heavenly Hiraani and fillies out of Tralee Bromac NZ and Fon Design, while Downbytheseaside has colts from Treasure Me and Find Fake Cash and fillies out of Remember Ruby and Indigenous Art.

The Ohoka Punter entry is headed up by colts from Arkscrystal and Cherished Major and a filly out of Rich Ruby Red.

Stay Hungry, the leading first crop sire in America last year, and Always B Miki, one of Australia’s top juvenile sires for the last two years, will both have nine representatives.

Betting Line, whose first two crops have made an impact on the Australian racing scene,  and former NZ superstar Changeover have eight lots each, followed by Sweet Lou (7), trotting sire Up And Quick (6) and Art Major (5).

Other sires represented by their first crop are Captain Crunch (4 lots), Lather Up, Poster Boy, Soho Tribeca, Franco Nelson and the trotters Speeding Spur and Timoko.

There’s stock by the well known sires Bettor’s Delight, Captaintreacherous, Somebeachsomewhere, American Ideal, Rock N Roll Heaven, Sportswriter, Lazarus, Mr Feelgood, Well Said and Majestic Son.

Sixty percent of the listed entries are out of race-winning dams, 44 percent are from sub 2:00 winners, 56 percent are out of winner producers and 45 percent from sub 2:00 producers.

Among the dams represented are the Group 1 winners Courageous Annie (NSW Oaks), Once Bitten (WA Westbred 3YO Classic) and Amarula (SA Trotters Derby), the Group 2 winners Espeshlimade Lombo (Kaye Seymour Nursery), Shes A Lefty (QBred 2YO Triad) and Awesome Belmer (NSW Sibelia Stakes) and the Group 3/Listed winners Courageousnquick (NSW Pink Bonnet), Victree Bonita (QBred 3YO Breeders Classic) and Fon Design (Vic. Youthful).

The dams listed in the catalogue have left Group winners such as the dual WA Pacing Cup victor My Hard Copy, A Good Chance (QBred Triad 3YO), My Ultimate Levi (Brisbane APG Sales Graduate 2YO), the APG Gold Bullion winners Aurora Joy and My Ultimate Jacko, Corporal Luna (Seymour Nursery 3YO), Chamonix (QBred For Life), My Ultimate Chevron (NZ Sapling), Jimmy Locke (NSW Golden Mile), Parmesan (WA The Pure Steel), Aldebaran Ursula (NSW Trotters Oaks), Victree Hill (Breeders Crown Graduate Trot), the cups winning trotter Cold Sister and Atout (SA Trotters Derby).

All horses sold are eligible for both the Sunshine Stars Sale Race Series as well as the Nutrien Sales Race Series.

The Sunshine Stars Sale Race Series comprises Finals worth a guaranteed $125,000 for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and $125,000 for two-year-old pacing fillies and $50,000 for two-year-old trotters to be conducted in 2024, $100,000 series for both three-year-old colts and geldings and fillies in 2025 and $50,000 races for four-year-old pacing entires and geldings and mares in 2026.

The Nutrien Sales Race Series carrying guaranteed Finals prizemoney of $175,000 for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and $175,000 for two-year-old pacing fillies and

$62,500 races for both two-year-old trotting colts and geldings and fillies will be staged in 2024.

The three-year-old series, to be run in 2025, boasts separate $100,000 classics for pacing colts and geldings and fillies and separate $125,000 classics for trotting colts and geldings and fillies.

Both the two-year-old and three-year-old trotting series are sponsored by Pat Driscoll’s Haras Des Trotteurs’ stud in Victoria where Love You, Orlando Vici, Quaker Jet and On A Streak are part of a select sire list.

Yearlings sustained and paid up for the Nutrien Sales Race Series receive automatic entry into the draw to win a Tuza two-horse angle load float, generously donated by Matt Tuza from Tuza Floats.

Albion Park Harness Racing Club vice-chairman Greg Mitchell said: “The Sunshine Stars/Nutrien Equine Sale is the best value sale anywhere in Australasia where horses race for total prizemoney of $1,425,000. If your horse is eligible for QBred the value rises to over $2million.”

Besides QBred, yearlings are also eligible for the NSW Breeders Challenge, Vicbred, Breeders Crown, Bathurst Gold Crown, NSW Breeders Challenge Blue, Vicbred Platinum, Need For Speed Trot Series, NZ Sires Stakes and the NZ Nevele R Fillies Series.

For more information phone Mark Barton 0419 488 256 or visit the website www.nutrienequine.com.au

By Peter Wharton