Last Sunday’s Australasian Premier Trotting Sale at Tabcorp Park Melton saw a 20 per cent spike in registered bidders.
While the overall average price was down on previous years, $12,941 compared to $16,359 last year, APTS promoters said this was in partly due to only 40 lots passing through the ring.
“We would expect that number to jump around a bit with only 40 lots going through,” Harness Racing Victoria’s Vaughn Lynch said.
“We would have liked a higher average, but we understand there are several factors behind it dropping.
“There was less competition than usual at the bottom end of the sale, meaning there were bargains for the astute buyer.”
Lynch stated it was great to see more bidders than usual with “strong competition at the top end of the sale seeing several potential buyers going home disappointed”.
The sale topper was a striking bay colt by Angus Hall out of unraced Muscles Yankee mare Bromac Aldebaran, which sold for $38,000.
“He’s got good confirmation and a good pedigree,” said Richard Matthews, who made the successful bid.
“I’ve had a bit more luck with the trotters over the years for whatever reason. I bought a broodmare from New Zealand, Invasions Pride. She didn’t race a long time but she threw a trotter called Let Me Thru, who ran second in an Inter Dominion when he was only a five-year-old.
“The mare’s progeny have produced about $740,000 worth of stake winnings.”
The second-highest priced purchase was Lot 15, a bay colt by the sire of the fastest two-year-old in history Muscle Hill, from Calder Fury, which went for $37,000.
A sister to exciting mare Barefoot Sally (an impressive winner at Melton on Saturday night) went for $22,000, the filly by Bacardi Lindy – sire of Claudys Princess – out of Strapon.
Scott’s Creek horseman Anthony O’Connor purchased two yearlings at the sale, Lot 20 a filly by Skyvalley from Maori Road for $5000 and Lot 31 Aldebaran Doc, a colt by Skyvalley from Aldebaran Deegan for $4000.
“You can’t breed them for that price,” O’Connor said. “It’s worth rolling the dice at that price.
“My son Nicholas and I wanted a trotter and we were looking for a filly, so to get into a good family of trotters is great.
“The other one, I had a few mates who wanted to race one, so we’ll probably go quarter shares.”
The APTS finished off a big weekend of Victorian trotting, which saw New Zealand star Stent win the $300,000 Group One Pryde’s Easifeed Great Southern Star on Saturday night.
“This is the third year for the Australasian Premier Trotting Sale and we’re looking forward to being able to build on it further in coming years,” Lynch said.
2015 AUSTRALASIAN PREMIER TROTTING SALE RESULTS
Lot 1: Colt by Lawman out of Speedy Naomi – Withdrawn
Lot 2: Filly by Eilean Donon out of Kyvalley Bling – $9000 to Chris Lang Jr
Lot 3: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Arnikas Pride – Passed In
Lot 4: Colt by Angus Hall out of Bromac Aldebaran – $38,000 to Gatto Pty Ltd
Lot 5: Filly by Skyvalley out of Countessa Hest – $7000 to Glenn Conroy
Lot 6: Filly by Yankee Spider out of Catchya Kasey – Passed In
Lot 7: Filly by Bacardi Lindy out of Cruzenthepacific – $6000 to Terence Howard
Lot 8: Colt by Angus Hall out of Maoris Dream – $30,000 to Ian Hunter
Lot 9: Filly by Yankee Spider out of Stand On Me – $10,000 to Maree Caldow
Lot 10: Filly by Bacardi Lindy out of Spring Fly – Passed In
Lot 11: Filly by Skyvalley out of Sundons Babe – $7000 to Greg Scott
Lot 12: Colt by Angus Hall out of Poignant – $30,000 to Maree Caldow
Lot 13: Filly by Skyvalley out of Maori Lindy – $4000 to Glenn Conroy
Lot 14: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Maori Moments – $5000 to Joe Pace
Lot 15: Colt by Muscle Hill out of Calder Fury – $37,000 to Jim Connelly’s KPC Racing
Lot 16: Filly by Angus Hall out of Aldebaran Maori – $18,000 to Blundell Family Trust
Lot 17: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Maori Missile – Withdrawn
Lot 18: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Docmelfi – $10,000 to Jayne Davies
Lot 19: Colt by Metropolitan out of Countess Angela – $5000 to Greg and Denise Muir
Lot 20: Filly by Skyvalley out of Maori Road – $5000 to Anthony O’Connor
Lot 21: Colt by Kyvalley Blur out of Kyvalley Kitty – Passed In
Lot 22: Colt by Muscle Mass out of Queens Rhapsody – $10,000 to Brent Lilley
Lot 23: Colt by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Honey – $4000 to Russell Commens
Lot 24: Colt by Muscle Mass out of Icantremember – Withdrawn
Lot 25: Colt by Sundon out of La Tonneralla – $15,000 to Paddy Lee
Lot 26: Colt by Muscles Yankee out of Elusive Charm – $32,000 to Don Smith
Lot 27: Colt by Skyvalley out of Aldebaranfavourite – $9000 to Brent Lilley
Lot 28: Filly by Angus Hall out of Flaming Action – $9000 to B Cabria
Lot 29: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of A Poem Kept – $11,000 to John Murdoch
Lot 30: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Modern Maori – Withdrawn
Lot 31: Colt by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Deegan – $4000 to Anthony O’Connor
Lot 32: Filly by Yankee Spider out of Positive Logic – $8000 to Michael Scandolera
Lot 33: Filly by Muscle Mass out of Illawong Chloe – Withdrawn
Lot 34: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Charlotte Galleon – $7000 to Steven Hall
Lot 35: Filly by Bacardi Lindy out of Strapon – $22,000 to WJ and MD Cameron
Lot 36: Filly by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Breeze – $22,000 to David Scott
Lot 37: Colt by Armbro Variable out of Gladys Emanuel – $8500 to Mario Azzopardi
Lot 38: Filly by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Revenue – $5000 to Blake Fitzpatrick
Lot 39: Colt by Armbro Invasion out of Im Mumbo Jumbo – Passed In
Lot 40: Colt by Pegasus Spur out of Lets Be Happy – $25,000 to Michael Taranto
Lot 41: Colt by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Hall – Withdrawn
Lot 42: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of All Finesse – Passed In
Lot 43: Colt by Tennotrump out of Mystic Jewel – $9000 to Tubbs/Sugars
Lot 44: Colt by Bacardi Lindy out of Seek And Destroy – $6500 to S Hayes
Lot 45: Filly by Skyvalley out of Aldebaran Sunset – $8000 to Chris Lang Jr
Lot 46: Colt by Fling It out of Keyfield – $4000 to Olivia Berg
By Cody Winnell