The trotting section (APTS) of the 2020 Australian Pacing Gold sales will be held at the Inglis complex, Oaklands Junction, Melbourne on Sunday 2 February 2020 (evening session) following completion of the pacing section sale. A yearling parade is being held on Friday 31 January 2020 commencing at 6pm. The sale is being held the day after the 2020 Dullard Cup for trotters run at TABCorp Park (Victoria), Melton, Saturday 1 February 2020, part of the APG Trotting Masters series. This particular preview deals solely with the trotting yearlings – an earlier article (see harnessbred.com of 20 January 2020) looked specifically at the pacers sale in Melbourne.
Among the trotting stallions with yearling progeny (sixty one lots) to sell in Melbourne, is Creatine with his first five Australasian yearlings selling in Melbourne ahead of NZ sales in Auckland and Christchurch later in February. Creatine has already made an impression in North America where at the Lexington, Kentucky sales, a colt and a filly of his each sold for $60,000.
In 2017 Nevele R Stud, Christchurch, NZ acquired the breeding rights to shuttle double millionaire trotter Creatine to NZ. Creatine has not returned for the current season (2019/20) due to aggravating an old suspensory injury and veterinary advice recommending he not travel to NZ. He has 48 yearlings registered in NZ with 25 in Australia.
Creatine stands at Adam Bowden’s Diamond Creek Farm stud in Pennsylvania along with Always B Miki and Southwind Frank (first crop of yearlings sold at this year’s NA sales). Other on farm stallions include pacing sires A Rocknroll Dance, Downbytheseaside, Sweet Lou with Father Patrick among the trotting stallions, all well known to Australasian breeders.
CREATINE (2010 Andover Hall/Berry Nice Muscles by Muscles Yankee), all eleven Andover Hall over Muscles Yankee broodmare cross offspring in Classic Families are group winners. Creatine’s dam, non-winning stakes placed Berry Nice Muscles is line bred 2×3 to Valley Victory. Being by Muscles Yankee from a Donerail mare there are five crosses to Speedy Crown in Creatine’s first six generations.
His sire Andover Hall counts siring full brothers Angus Hall and Conway Hall among his siblings together with full sister Emilie Cas El, dam of Hambletonian winner Trixton. Andover Hall is from broodmare gem Armour Angus and possesses four crosses to Stars Pride.
This is the family of Ab (U14) whose trotters include Hambletonian winners Harlan Dean and Alf Palema, multiple Gp1 winning mare/broodmare CR Kay Suzie, sire BF Coaltown and Australasian champion I Can Doosit (Always B Miki belongs to this family).
Race Record for Creatine :
At two : won three at Red Mile including the Wallnut Hall Cup/Bluegrass (T1:57.1, Gp3).
At three : two victories at Meadowlands, Hambletonian heat (T1:52.4m, Gp2) and C1 event (T1:52.2m); Pennsylvania Sires Stake elimination (T1:54.4f); longshot winner of one of three legs of Triple Crown, $368,900 Kentucky Futurity (Gp1, T1:53.4m, second in heat); Transylvania Bluegrass (T1:52.3m, Gp3); Colonial Invitational Trot in seasons best mile of T1:52.2f; Pennsylvania Sires Stake consolation (T1:53.2f); Carl Erskine (T1:54.3, Gp2).
At four : open class trotting ranks – Scioto Downs (T1:52.4f); American National (Balmoral Park track record T1:51.3m, Gp2) and upset victory in Gp1 $173,000 Allerage Farms Open Trot
At five : in a European campaign, after four moderate efforts moved to trainer Jimmy Takter’s European stables with brother Johnny Takter. In a further six European starts, Creatine managed Gp1’s victories in Finland’s St Michel – Ajo FFA Trot (T1:10.3fEU/T1:53.1) and Sweden’s Hugo Abergs Memorial (Jagersro; T1:09.7fEU/T1:52.2).
Creatine returned to North America to represent the United States in million dollar Yonkers International Trot finishing a strong third behind Papagayo E and Timoko (two time Elitloppet winner). In his final race start, he won the $531,250 Gp1 Breeders’ Crown Open (T1:52.4) for older trotters, the five year old’s third Gp1 victory for trainer Jimmy Takter and driving brother Johnny.
Creatine was retired as an early six year old due to a suspensory injury. Seventeen wins in total were all at the mile distance (best times : mile track T1:51.2, five eighths T1:52.2, seven eighths T1:52.4). In eight starts beyond a mile, placed second over 2100/2300m and third over 1¼m/2140m. A serious racehorse, competitive in the upper echelons both in North America and Europe.
Five Creatine yearlings are catalogued for sale in Melbourne from a total of twenty six trotting yearlings. Three trace to NZ families (all colts), all with differing dam sires :
- Mangonique colt (lot 288; dam sire Wagon Apollo), her seventh live foal, five to race for three winners, including Meadow Valley Road, T1:56.3. NZ family of Problem (N25) – Maoris Idol, Noppy Kiosk, Sumthingaboutmaori, Viva La Fever, Vulcan, Spidergirl, Maori Time among leading trotters
- Lime And Lemonade colt (lot 286; dam sire Bacardi Lindy), her third foal, one raced, dual winner Caprioska (T2:05.3). NZ family of Pride Of Lincoln (N1)
- Shining Sun colt (lot 304), dam sire Sundon, Australasia’s leading sire for majority of past two decades and leading broodmare sire for past decade. Shining Sun, NZ 4yo Trotting Mare of Year (ten wins, six at four), one unplaced start in Canada prior to returning to Australia to be bred from. This is her eighth live foal foal, three winners from five starters including Illawong Helios (T1:57.2, $272,867, VIC Trotters Derby). NZ family of Little Agnes (N65)
- Aryafeelinlukypunk filly (lot 258; dam sire Skyvalley). Unraced, this is her second foal, both fillies. This is the family of Jenny W (U327), only in the past five years producing any leading trotters – Eljaykay Phoenix, Princess Phoenix, Aldebaran Deebee (Skyvalley)
- Swede Dreams SWE colt (lot 310; dam sire champion Italian bred Varenne). Eleven AUS wins, 2:00.4, $59,413 including heat Breed for Speed. First live foal, family of U45 Captain Roberts mare
There are a number of trotting yearlings for sale having NZ bred dams/grand dams and from strong NZ trotting families. Of the sixty one trotting yearlings, many are from NZ trotting broodmares while several more have NZ bred grand dams. In total, half the yearlings originate from NZ families (31) with the most prominent numbers wise being eight yearlings from the NZ family of Problem (see Mangonique above). Naturally, Majestic Son who currently dominates Australasian trotting ranks features with five yearlings for sale.
One of only three Dreamcatcher SWE (by Love You; also with just three foals in the sale) yearlings for sale, all of which are from NZ families, one particular filly (lot 303) is from a mare out of a NZ Trotting Broodmare of Year. The Dreamcatcher filly is from CR Commando mare (The) Pink Diamond (CR Commando/Another Starlet), Another Starlet being the NZ Trotting Broodmare of Year in 2017. On her paternal side this fillies Swedish bred sire Dreamcatcher, raced on one occasion in Australia as a three year old placing fifth at Bendigo. His French sire Love You (Coktail Jet; T1:10.2EU/T1:53.0, 1,416,537Euros) needs little introduction, being the current dominant European trotting stallion in the Southern Hemisphere. His American bred dam Saorse (T1:54.3US, $369,854) is by standout stallion Andover Hall from Dream of Glory mare Gaelic (T2:00.4).
Dam (The) Pink Diamond (2005f CR Commando, T1:53.2US, $378,602, US Breeders Crown – 2T, Yonkers and Colonial Trots at threes; sire of over sixty winners throughout Australasia including Redwood winner Elusive Charm, NZ Trotting Stales – 2T ]The Fiery Ginga, Junanji Franco], NZ Trotting Oaks, Commander Jewel, ID heat winner The Fiery Ginga; dam sire of Sparkling Success, T1:53.9, $420,170, VSS – 4T, Great Southern Star), fifth foal, T1:57.3, $67,338, open class trotter, the winner of four in NZ and five for Australian trainer David Thorn, one at Menangle in T1:57.3 mile. This is her first foal.
Grand dam Another Starlet (1997f Sundon), unraced dam of thirteen NZ foals (further four foaled in Australia), eleven to race all winners (first nine foaled in consecutive years, all winners : 2001 – 2009; tenth died unraced). Her best performer is in fact her twelfth foal and final winner Enghien. Few mares can ascribe to this near perfect record. Another Starlet was bred by the Carl Middleton (deceased) and wife Heather’s Millburn Farm (Highbank, Methven) operation, breeders of all her NZ foals
Among Another Starlet’s well performed trotters are :
Millburn Michael, intermediate trotter, winner of six in NZ, thirteen in Australia including seven consecutive wins in Queensland (T1:58.8, $136,316)
Gammel Dansk, two time winner in NZ and fourteen in South Australia including Gp3 South Australian Trotters Cup (T2:03.8,$86,905)
Brylin Crescent, maiden NZ winner and thirteen races in Australia (T1:57.5, $74,586) including Lyn McPherson Memorial Silver at Melton. Dam of three foals to date, oldest a three year old (unplaced in three 2yo starts) with this year’s Love You filly being her third
Another Love, intermediate grade five win trotter, fastest female winner in NZ out of Another Starlet (T2:00.9, $43,566)
Ottawa, five win gelding (T2:04.3, $46,844)
Enghien (Love You), sold at the 2015 NZ Premier Yearling Sale in Christchurch for $20,000 to Greg Hope (training in partnership with wife Nina) and Richard Dellaca. winner of fifteen of twenty nine starts; four at two, NZSS/Yearling Sales series – 2T; at three won nine races from ten starts ($234,041) including three Group Ones (NZ/GN Trotters Derbies, Jewels Ruby), NZSS/Yearling Sales series – 3T and set a NZ three year old record for 1950mM (T2:22.2/T1:57.3) in the NZSS -3 Trotters Prelude. Named age group Stake Earner (and overall at three) and Trotter of Year at two and three.
Limited by injury to eight starts at four for two wins – NZ Trotters 4/5 Championship with seconds in NZ Trotting Championship, ANZAC Cup; unraced at five and put aside after four unplaced runs this season at six, Enghien has become something of an enigma (T1:57.3, $377,441, fifteen wins).
Other winners by Another Starlet – Silver Star, Cochin, Armbro Starlet, Torpedo Run. Another Starlet was sold at Millburn Farm’s disposal sale in September 2015 to Victorian Michael Azaparti who has bred three further foals from her.
Third dam was the Middleton’s speedy trotting mare Lilly The Pink (T1:57.9TT, $93,635) by Sundon. Lilly The Pink, was all American bred by USA Trotter of the Year Jazz Cosmos, purchased as a prospective broodmare becoming Middleton’s star second string trotter to Fraggle Rock in the early/mid 1990’s. Her time trial of T1:57.9TT at Ashburton was just 0.1 second outside Thriller Dee’s NZ record of 1:57.8TT (1983). The winner of thirteen races, all but one in NZ, she won on the second night of the 1994 Sydney Interdominions before placing third in the Trotters Grand Final. Of Lilly The Pink’s ten foals, five raced with three being winners for the Middleton‘s. Jazz Legend, won three for Middleton’s and nineteen in Australia, winning the 2008 ID Trotters Consolation at Moonee Valley.
Fourth dam was the American bred Working Girl whose progeny included half-brother Stakhanovite (successful Australasian sire) and half-sister Miss Whiplash (Thames Trotting Cup and dam of Emma Hamilton, NZ Trotters Oaks; Wanna Play, NZSS – 2T; Dutch Annie, dam of Hot Pants, Yagunnakissmeornot, Kissmeimloaded NI Trotters Oaks; Sex on Fire).
This is the US family of Nell (U23), by Hiatoga (Continental Victory, Elaine Rodney, Fancy Crown, SJ‘s Photo, Top Hanover etc).
Breeder MIchael Taylor, NSW has a total of six yearlings (10%) in the Melbourne sale. This includes his Creatine colt above :
- Another Millburn Farm product in two minute mare (T2:00.0, $113k), Miss Adelade (Monarchy) with a Royalty For Life colt (lot 296); dam of winner Empire Bay, T1:55.7, $193,041, twenty one wins
- Britewell mare Brite N Lucky’s colt (lot 261) by Finnish stallion Kvintet Avenger
- Lime And Lemonade (see above, lot 286), mares co breeder Victorian Faye McEwan
- Royalty For Life filly (lot 306) from Solana (Monarchy)
- French stallion Used to Me’s filly (lot 252) from Wild Isis (Dr Ronerail)
- Pegasus Spur mare Lady Mackendon’s colt (lot 281) by Majestic Son from leading NZ family N25 Problem
Of interest : two yearlings share a common third dam from the family of Dutch Girl (A35) – Trinket (USA trotter Rodlio/Australian trotting mare Olympic Medal). In case of the Tennotrump colt (lot 279) from Jewel Of The Night, pacing stallion Preux Chevalier was bred to Trinket producing grand dam Ornamental Jewel. The Majestic Son colt (lot 264) from Drop Us Aline in contrast has trotting stallion RC’s Dee Jay as sire of grand dam Diamond Drop.
These are just a few of the select trotting yearlings for sale at Melbourne next Sunday (2 February 2020).
Peter Craig
2 Feb 2020
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