Melbourne sale show stoppers

Sale Topper - 2021 Australasian Premier Trotting Sale

HBV’s newest member, Janice Bryant, represented Victorian breeders exceptionally well, topping the 2021 Australasian Premier Trotting Sale at Oaklands Junction with her one and only entry. The Muscle Hill (standing at Stallions Australasia) filly sold to astute buyers Aldebaran Lodge for $76,000, a nod to the quality and uniqueness of her maternal line.

Her Swedish-bred dam Swede Dreams – who raced successfully here in Australia from 2012 after being imported – is by Varenne, the Waikiki Beach champion considered to be one of the best square gaiters of all time. Her maternal grandsire won 62 of his 73 starts and amassed earnings of over USD$5.63M, his major victories including the Italian Trotting Derby, the Breeders Crown, the Prix d’Amerique, the Elitloppet twice and the World Cup Trot an incredible three times.

The filly’s immediate family is slim – after Swede Dream’s first foal by Muscle Hill died, leaving only a half-brother by Creatine, a 2YO named Fenomenal in the stable of Darren Hancock. What will the family bring to the Victorian trotting landscape? We can't wait to find out!

Janice caught up with Campbell’s Comments on Racing At Heart this month:

Sale Topper - 2021 Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sale

The clear top lot in the Australian Pacing Gold sale at Oaklands Junction was a colt by emerging sire, Captaintreacherous (standing at Empire Stallions) who brought $120,000 in the ring (below), purchased by Danny Zavitsanos. Zavitsanos is no stranger to good bloodstock, owning the Group 1 trotter Enhance Your Calm (2YO Ruby Harness Jewels), among more than 500 other winners.

Though a winner, his dam Art de Triomphe (Art Major, bred by HBV members Lauriston Bloodstock) did not have an overly successful racing career and had her first stint in the breeding barn in 2014 when she was joined with Mach Three by well-known breeders, Harshell Investments. The resulting filly was Goodtime Grace, a 1:54.6 winner of five races and over $34,000 in stakes, a tally she continues to add to, with a win over a mile at Geelong earlier this month.

Having first missed to Somebeachsomewhere the following season, she was again successfully matched with Mach Three to produce Annalise (three starts), now owned by Benstud Standardbreds. The mare changed hands, being sold to Cahillio Pty Ltd (managed by HBV member, Adam Cahil) and in 2018 Art de Triomphe took with Somebeachsomewhere and another filly resulted (unnamed 2YO with the Steve Cleave stable). Lot 278 was her next foal, and her last service was to Lazarus.

While the colt’s direct family has not had much opportunity to reach their potential, the proof is there in the second generation. Art de Triomphe is from gold American-bred broodmare, Smyrna Duruisseau (Cam’s Card Shark), bred by Hanover Show farms and being by Art Major, is a full sister to Follow The Stars ($707,000 and now at stud). They are two of Smyrna Duruisseau’s five winning progeny from six to race, along with Stefsbest (Sportswriter, $143,000). A further full-sister sold through APG Melbourne in 2018 for $160,000 (the unraced Follow Our Dreams, currently in the Russell Jack stable). Half-sister to Art de Triomphe, Moon Over Manhattan was retired to the barn following a number of wins on the track, and now has a 2019 Art Major colt and 2020 Control The Moment colt on the ground.