2024 marks an exciting milestone for our freshman sires Bettor’s Wish, Ride High and Elite Stride who will have their first Southern Hemisphere yearlings offered for sale at the APG Melbourne Sale.
Bettor’s Wish was the first male pacer since Art Major to win Dan Patch awards as both a three year old and a four year old.
His debut crop of two year olds raced in the USA last season and his average earnings per foal of $31,064 was the highest since Somebeachsomewhere’s first crop raced in 2001.
Ride High was the speed horse of his generation. He blistering speed was something that few horses could match.
His 1:49 track record performance at Bendigo was something to behold.
Elite Stride is a true blueblood and he race accordingly. In his only season of racing he won 9 of 14 starts and was named Australian Male Three Year Old Trotter of the Year.
He is by breed shaping stallion Muscle Hill out of the fast Donato Hanover mare Real Babe 1:52.4 – $386,103.
Born and raised in Tasmania, this filly also carries Tasmania’s finest bloodlines.
The third dam of this colt is Barrington Lass who produced a truly amazing 15 winners. However perhaps more impressive is the family she has established.
Her daughters and grand daughters have left 16 $100,000+ earners including Australian Harness Horse of the Year and dual Inter Dominion winner Beautide $2,183,132, Ignatius $803,307 (Group 1 winner), Chip And Gale $563,343 (Group 1 winner), etc.
The filly combines an amazing mix of the best bloodlines from the USA and Australia.
By the first season sire Elite Stride, Lot 135 comes from the Maori Miss – the best trotting family in the Australian Stud Book.
This filly is just the second live foal of her dam and her third dam is the Australian Broodmare of the Year Maori Trump.
Maori Trump produced 11 winners including Noopy Kiosk (Australian Trotter of the Year), Tennotrump (Group 1 winner), Maori Princess (Australian Juvenile Trotter of the Year).
While Elite Stride raced in Australia (Australian 3YO Trotting Male of the Year), he is All American bred being by the legendary Muscle Hill out of the fast mare Real Babe 1:52.4 – $386,103.
Lot 139 is a Bettor’s Wish filly with a huge pedigree.
Her dam, Goodtime Grace, is a 5 win Mach Three mare who is a ¾ sister to stakes winner Petillante $239,620.
During a 36 start career, Petillante won 12 times and was placed at Group 1 level on three occasions.
The third dam of this filly is great broodmare Smyrna Duruissea who produced two Group 1 winners, most notably Follow The Stars $707,237, who is one of the very horses to ever be named both Australian and New Zealand Two Year Old Pacing Male of the Year.
Smyrna Duruissea’s second Group 1 winner was the inaugural Nutrien Sales Classic winner First Responder.
This Ride High colt is out of the 11 time winning mare Hear No Secret $96,464 and thus a ¾ brother to two Art Major winners – Soho Thunderstruck 1:55.9 $97,972 and Soho Confidential 1:58.1.
Both these two winners tasted success at two, with Soho Thunderstruck’s lifetime mark coming in a heat of the Bathurst Gold Crown.
This is colt is from an imported family that has had outstanding success in the Southern Hemisphere. The winners include Onlyforyou $365,459 (Art Major), In The Force $311,364, Heisenberg $272,766 (Art Major), Only The Brave $268,478, Always An Angel $193,548 (Art Major), etc.
Art Major and this family just works, now it’s Ride High’s turn.
This is an apt description for this Ride High lass – she looks ready to run and will surely catch the judges eye when parading on Saturday 3rd February, the day prior to the APG Melbourne Sale.
There is an important update to the catalogue page for this lot as well – the half brother in Caesar Nero won 3 races in succession late last season and improved his record to 1.54.6.
His trainer is expecting some big things to happen for him this season as a 4 year old.
Now a couple of other things to note about the pedigree of this filly. The dam has produced two nice horses by Art Major, so this points in the right direction for this filly who is by the record breaking son of Art Major.
In addition the dam of this yearling is by McArdle and Art Major has quite a special bond with mares by McArdle producing: Amore Vita 1.50.5 $668,553, Malcolms Rhythm 1.52.9 $388,400 and Heza Son Of Agun 1.50.7 $321,310.
Tasmania has been the birthplace for many Champions over a period of at least the past 90 years.
This filly, a December foal, is a neat and yet powerfully built filly and is the third foal of the Mach Three mare Lynniemach, she herself a readymade and smart 2 year old winning on 4 occasions at that age.
This pedigree can certainly produce readymade stakes winning females such as – Morgan Abby 1.55.7 $118,050,Serene Queen 2.02.5 $89,610 and Double Expresso 1.55.4 $328,034.
The Bettors Delight over Mach Three mares cross has proven to be successful with stars such as Zeuss Bromac 1.49.4 $490,765 and the Victorian Oaks winner Dr Susan 1.52.1 bred this way.
His Sire Ride High possessed speed that was frightening and has a pedigree that is beyond comparison for an Australian bred horse.
The dam Our Front Page 1.58.1 won six races in a limited career on the racetrack. She is a full sister to 4 winners including the millionaire Pacer My Hard Copy 1.51.6. He was another horse with a devastating burst of speed that carried him to victories over fellow millionaires such as Lazarus, Chicago Bull, Soho Tribeca, Major Crocker and David Hercules.
In fact this pedigree can consistently produce male pacers with “Star Status” such as – My Hard Copy 1.51.6 $1,271,592, Run Oneover 1.50.8 $627,784 and Manifold Bay 1.58.1 $538,604 (his dam is a ¾ sister to Natalias Joy).
This colt is smart looking, correct in conformation and will be neat in size, similar to his dam and his Uncle My Hard Copy.
He is Eligible for the Vicbred and NSW Breeders Challenge Series as well as Bathurst and the Breeders Crown, so lots of opportunities to build an impressive bankroll.
The strongly built colt is the first foal of his dam, the Ready Cash mare Pinevale Monnaie.
Elite Stride, who has a double dose of Muscles Yankee blood, has a pedigree and racetrack resume that oozes success.
The pedigree page suggests this colt could trot like the wind as it is laden with brilliance from top to bottom.
The dam is by one of Europe’s greatest in Ready Cash and is a half sister to a stakes performing filly in Duchess Ella 1.57.2. She appears to be away to a flying start in her broodmare career with her first live foal, We Can Have It All, finishing a smart second in the Vicbred Super Final for 2 year old fillies last season at just her second lifetime start.
Then take a peep at this colt’s relations, a line up of the Southern Hemisphere’s elite – Galleons Assassin 1.55.4 $495,411, The Donsson 1.54.8 $252,126, Temporale 1.54.6 $832,777 and Wilmas Mate 1.55.5 $348,674.
The next good thing about this colt is that he is VicBred Pure – so a nice $12,000 Bonus comes your way when he wins his first race as a 2 or 3 year old.