By David Aldred
From humble beginnings just over seven years ago, Redcliffe’s flagship sales race the Garrard’s Redcliffe Yearling Sales 2yo Final will achieve Group 1 status in 2017.
Yearlings sold through Queensland’s popular Redcliffe Yearling Sale in 2016 will be eligible to race in a $100,000 2yo Final and Club President Kerry Ebert is over the moon that the Club will achieve a milestone that many thought would never happen.
“It’s been a personal goal of mine to make this happen and to finally be able to announce it during our big week of racing is just fantastic,” Ebert said. “Going back a few years now a few of us here had the foresight to recognize that there was a void that needed to be filled. “There were a lot of yearlings not considered good enough to be sold at the APG sale and they had no official auction locally to go to. “But little did we realize then what we were going to be able to achieve. “By the third yearling sale at Redcliffe we were getting the top lots for our sale. “The Group 1 and the $100,000 is a reward for all the breeders and all the buyers that have supported us.”
The Annual Redcliffe Yearling Sale is held each year at the Club by Darren Ebert & Co in conjunction with Redcliffe Peninsula Harness Racing & Sporting Club Inc. All Horses sold through the sale ring at the track are eligible to register for the Club’s Two and Three Year Old Classic Series.
“It was a gamble that’s paid off,” Ebert said. Chris (Garrard) and I guaranteed the initial $30,000 stakes in 2008 and when we launched it we weren’t sure whether the sale and race series was going to be successful.”
Quality Queensland bred 2yo Leos Best won the 2015 Group 2 edition of the $80,000 Redcliffe Yearling Sales Final this month for trainer/driver Grant Dixon with an amazing time of 1.54.9. The son of Cammibest bred by Burwood Stud and raced by Kevin & Kay Seymour’s Solid Earth Pty Ltd. defeated Mucho Macho Man and Timmo Time. Leo’s Best has since gone unbeaten at his last three starts capping his season with a Group 1 victory in the QBred Triad Final at Albion Park two weeks ago.
“The horse quality and the race times are just getting better each year and our committee, the sales company, the sponsors and the breeders strongly believe that this race is deserving of its new status,” Ebert said. “We are now able to deliver what we set out to do and we are all very proud of our achievement.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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