The Rocknroll Hanover horse Yankee Rockstar, who stood his last three seasons at the stud in the Goulburn Valley, is to stand this season at the Goodtime Lodge stud, of Ian and Judi Slater, Elliminyt, near Colac.
Yankee Rockstar’s first commercial crop, foaled in 2019/20 season, show all the quality of their sire and give every impression of being likely to develop early speed.
A yearling colt by him realized $21,000 at the recent Australian Pacing Gold sale at Oaklands Junction.
Yankee Rockstar was a top racehorse himself, winning almost $330,000 from 22 wins and seven placings in 35 starts. He won at Group or Listed level from two to five years and over all distances from 1609 to 2690 metres.
He won at his first six appearances as a two and three-year-old including the Victoria Sapling Stakes and Premiere Stakes, while at four he won seven out of nine highlighted by the Victoria 4YO Bonanza.
During a stellar campaign in the summer of 2015/16 Yankee Rockstar captured three of the jewels of the Victorian country cups circuit – the Kilmore, Cranbourne and Stawell Pacing Cups – and finished second in the Melton Plate and fourth in the A. G. Hunter Cup.
Yankee Rockstar has an all-American breeding background and one which has been most successful. He is a son of former champion Rocknroll Hanover (1:48.6), one of the greatest of a string of champions left by the champion American sire Western Ideal (1:48). Sons of Rocknroll Hanover are now coming to the forefront as sires in both America and Australia.
One of the grand producing daughters of a champion sire in Artsplace, Aston Villa is out of the Storm Damage mare Villa Storm 1:53.2 ($328,817), a half-sister to the Canadian Mare of the Year Art’s Secret 1:51.4 ($795,888) and the Stakes winner Cam’s Secretary 1:52.6 ($427,296) and to the dam of millionaire pacer Secret’s Nephew (1:48.8).
The family, which traces to the noted taproot mare Minnehaha, has produced top pacers of the calibre of Overtrick, French Chef, Jenna’s Beach Boy, Race Time, Storm Damage, Warm Breeze and numerous others.
His fee is $1,980 including GST with the first 30 mares at a discounted fee of $1,550 including GST. His progeny will be eligible for Vicbred and the Breeders Crown.
A member of the dominant Western Hanover sireline and from one of the world’s leading maternal families, Yankee Rockstar looks certain to make a big impact on the Victorian breeding scene.
By Peter Wharton for Harnesslink