2008 Yearling Sale Colts - Click on photo to enlarge

DRAFT FOR 2008 AUSTRALASIAN CLASSIC YEARLING SALE KARAKA FEB 11TH

FILLIES

MACH THREE / ACHY BREAKY HEART ½ sister to two winners Black Watch Family Closely related to Jupiters Darling A$142,720 and Smooth Falcon 1986 Vic Derby Aust 2 & 3yr old Pacer Of The Year

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / BELLISIMO Sister to The Cavalier p2 1.58.6 $55,887 and 1/2sister to 6 other winners Including Alert Falcon US$ 239,078 Black Flash A$115,194 Torbello Gr 1 Qld Derby 2nd Dam Krina Bella

FALCON SEELSTER / CORBIE sister to Agios Nikolaos U.S 1.52.2 l/e $99,627 Black Maire 1 59.8 $39,985 Corbie is a daughter of Black Watch and ½ sister to Aberfeldy 2000/01 Broodmare of Excellence Award

FALCON SEELSTER / GRETNA’S GIRL ½ sister to three winners including Bachelorette 1.56.3 $119,812 Dam is a ½ sister Smooth Gretna 1.58.8 $206,937 and Jaccar US 1.52.2 Grand Dam Gretna Hanover 8 wins

COLTS

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / HOT SHOE SHUFFLE 1.57.9 $295,011 14 wins 18 places Wins included both 2 and 3yr old PGG Fillies Finals 2nd in NZ Derby Dam a ½ sister to Iwasborntoboogy US $188,229 1.52.4

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / KENNY’S KID 2ND foal Brother to Tukalotofmoney qualified, Grand dam Megaera P 2 1.58.5 (2200mtrs)p3 1.56.8 $250,646 1995/96 2yr old Pacing Filly Of the Year dam of 2 in 2min

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / MAGIC MOOSE tt 1.58.3 4 wins 2ND Foal first colt Grand dam Lady El 1.58.3pl 8 wins 14plcs $40,285 ½ sister to Ascott El US 1.52.4 $98,734

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / TARENA JAY 1.58.6 $41,606 ½ brother to 2 winners Jays Debut NZ 2yr of 2004/05 $239,455 and Rubens Barrichello US $90,800 1.51.6 Grand Dam Jayvee dam of 7 winners 6 in 2 min

CHRISTIAN CULLEN / VANYANA 1.57.7 14 wins $107,249 ½ brother to Roddick 1.59.8 (2200mtrs)3 wins 5 starts Vanyana is a ½ sister to Leftamillion US 1.53.1 $136,938 Closely related to Hot Shoe Shuffle

EARL / SHEEZA DOOSEY T 2.4.2 7 wins 5places$48,641 Dam is a sister to 3 winners including Golden Blend US 1.55 $242,503 and Cream Of The Crop 4 wins to date 2ND DAM Becalm Lobell 6wins 18plcs

ELSU / KAREN DONNA 2nd foal first colt Dam is a daughter of Megaera 1.56.8 $250,646 2nd dam Aberfeldy Grand Dam of Sovereign Hill $432,555 The Reckoning $263,424 Jays Debut $239,455

ELSU / LYNDALL ½ brother to a winner. Grand Dam is This Time Franco 1.57.9 $249,151 sister to Franco Thunder US$ 174,362 1.52.2 and There’s A Franco 1.57.9 $217,589 Aged Pacing Mare Of The Year

ELSU / STAR FLEET ½ brother to Our First Lad $63,830,Star Of the Ball 1.56.1 $65,393 dam is a ½ sister to Fleet Watch US 1.51 l/e $239,376 Fleet Magic 2005 NZ Sapling Stakes Gr 2 Family of Black Watch

ELSU / VERDE ½ brother to first start winner Midnight Magic. Dam is a ½ sister to Il Vicolo $1,580,948 and to the dams of Gotta Go Cullen $442,504 Coburg $201,312 1.56.8 and Gustavo US 1.52.3 $133,598

FALCON SEELSTER / CICCIO STAR p 2 .1.59 $102,499 ½ brother to 3 winners including Idancedallnight $103,656 closely related to Gotta Go Cullen $442,504 Il Vicolo $1,580,948 and Nketia l/e $394,035

FALCON SEELSTER / O K SAIEDA 3 wins 3rd foal first colt Dam ½ sister to 7 winners incl Facta Non Verba Pukemanu Express 1.57.3 and Saieda Bint 1.58.5 Grand Dam ½ sister to Markson l/e $156,294

MACH THREE / MILAGRO first foal. Dam ‘s dam Aberfeldy 2000/01 Broodmare of Excellence Award dam of 10 winners from Black Watch 1989/90 Broodmare Of The Year dam of 7 winners 6 in 2 min

PRESIDENTIAL BALL / BLACK MAIRE 1.59.8(1950mtrs)$39,981 3RD foal first colt closely related to Jays Debut NZ 2yr of 2004/05 $239,455,The Reckoning $263,424 and Mr Bojangles $132,651 All by Presidential Ball

PRESIDENTIAL BALL / ERINYES ½ to Erika Badu 1.59.8 $29,635 to date Dam a ½ sister to 10 winners including Reba Lord 1.56 $384,880,Megaera 1.56.8 $250,646 3rd dam Black Watch

PRESIDENTIAL BALL / POCKETFULLOFDREAMS first foal Dam ½ sister to 7 winners, 6 in 2 min incl Sovereign Hill 1.55.5 $432,555 Black Reef $138,924 and US 1.51.4 $93,121,Ohara 1.58.8 $134,131

PRESIDENTIAL BALL / STYLISH SWEETHEART P2 1.58.3 12 wins 20 places dam of Presidential Sweet 1.57.2 $14,914 Style By The Mile 1.58.9 $15,109 Dam ½ sister to Sweet Talking Man p1.57.2 $244,481

PRESIDENTIAL BALL / TACT PHILLY first foal Dam ½ sister to four winners including Classical 1.57.7 $294,416 The Lead US S156,405 1.52 Evening Class A$99,765 1.56.5 and Open Class A$35,090 1.59.3

Filly by Christian Cullen From Esprit Lee

Filly by Christian Cullen From Braeside Stars	First Colt by Christian Cullen, from Grand Filly Classical

Sandy and Jan Yarndley are set to scale down their involvement in breeding and selling yearlings after 28 years of living and breathing the industry.

On August 1, their harness racing breeding empire Yarndley Farms will be sold to Breckon Bloodstock, operated by Auckland owner-breeders, Ken and Karen Breckon.

But Yarndley insists, despite the sale, that "nothing changes".

"Breckon Farms Ltd will continue trading as Yarndley Farms in line with the Breckons' wish," he said.

"There won't be any job losses either, with our current team re-employed along with some additional team members. It will be business as usual.

"Scott (Yarndley) will be farm manager and I will continue on as a consultant and do the public relations for Yarndley Farms. Jan and I are building a house further up the hill and will live there.

"We will still have about 40 or so horses and will still have syndicates to manage, some of which have been with us for 16 years.

"We're selling because it's time to wind down a little. We have been married 40 years and now it's time for us."

Yarndley, 62, said he warned his clients 12 months ago that the start of the 2007-08 harness racing seasons was the perfect time to launch into a more sedate lifestyle.

"We are extremely pleased with this outcome as this seemed like an ideal situation for our clients, staff and our family of four boys and 13 grandchildren," Ohaupo-based Yarndley said.

Yarndley Farms first sold at the yearling sales in 1979. Their colt Black Mark fetched a North Island record price of $8000. This son of Black Watch then went on to win more than $NZ100,000 in the US.

The best yearling sold in those early days was Reba Lord, who went for $24,000 and won stakes of $385,000. Included in the same draft was another son of Black Watch named The Real McCoy, who fetched an Australasian record price of $120,000.

In the past 12 years, Yarndley Farms horses have won 25 Gr I races _ including three New Zealand Cups, an Inter dominion Final and six derbies, 27 Gr II events, as well as 12 Sales Series Finals.

Among them were New Zealand Cup winners Yulestar (2000), $1,695,276; Il Vicolo (1995 and 1996), $1,580,948; Mister D G, $748,865; The Court Owl, $476,785; Sovereign Hill, $432,555; Gran Montana, $298,523; Classical, $291,590; Hot Shoe Shuffle, $285,161; and Megaera, $250,646.

The Champagne Syndicate, which Yarndley managed, also bred one of the best three-year-olds going at present, the Sue Martin-trained Gotta Go Cullen, who has won 17 of his 30 starts and $441,424. He was sold as a foal at foot.

Yarndley said it was through Megaera that he first met the Breckon family 12 years ago. "Ken and his late brother Peter bought Megaera as a yearling filly off us at the 1995 sales and then the following year they bought Nketia with their father George.

"They sell at the sales under the banner of Breckon Bloodstock Ltd and currently have several mares agisted here with us.

"Ken is the managing director of HydroFlow and for three years sponsored the now Nevele R Fillies Series.

"That company set a new standard in sponsorship, hosting around 100 clients at every heat around New Zealand. At the time that was unheard of. We will lose nothing selling to Breckon Bloodstock.

"We have developed a great friendship with the entire Breckon family and were delighted when Ken came up with the idea to buy the business.

"If anyone else had wanted the farm I probably would not have sold it. That's how much I respect the family."

Yarndley is one of the most approachable and astute people in harness racing. In June 2005, he was recognised by his industry peers and was awarded the MNZM award for his service to the harness racing industry.

In the past 20 years he has built Yarndley Farms up to be one of the most recognisable brands in the industry.

But Yarndley stressed the new owners would continue to offer their clients the same high-quality service which includes year-round agistment for mares and yearlings.

"Nothing changes," Yarndley said. "The only difference is I'm going to be doing a bit less with the horses and spending more time on my family, golf, tennis and badminton.

"It's time to kick back a little and enjoy my grandchildren. I'm keen to watch them play their sports."

Sandy and Jan Yarndley - Click on photo to enlarge

Jan and Sandy Yarndley are delighted their Yarndley Farms operation will keep its name and present staff in the wake of its sale to close business associates and friends Ken and Karen Breckon as from August 1.

Sandy Yarndley, Patron Saint of the New Zealand standardbred breeding industry, and harness racing’s equivalent to Sir Patrick Hogan of the thoroughbred world, has decided the time has arrived to cut back and enjoy a less demanding life style that will allow him to enjoy sport and his extended family that includes 13 grandchildren.

He and wife Jan are thrilled the Breckons have agreed to their son Scott staying on as manager with basically the same team and some proposed more staff members.

Sandy, wisely, is to stay on as a consultant so his vast reservoir of knowledge is not lost to the country’s foremost operation of its kind.

‘We were aware that the time had arrived to review our life style options,’’ Sandy said.

“We were looking at cutting back our numbers as I was wishing to take things a little easier.’’

“This has been a difficult decision for us to make as, looking around the industry, we felt there wouldn’t have been many options to our clients if we were to do this.’’

Yarndley made it crystal clear for Harnesslink today Tuesday July 24 that he seriously doubted he and Jan would have sold the operation to any other parties outside of Ken Breckon and his wife.

“I am delighted it has worked out this way…If anybody else had wanted to buy the farm, I seriously doubt if we would have sold it…That is an indication of the high esteem in which I hold the Breckon family.’’

Yarndley went to pains to point there would be no changes and that it would be business as usual.

Yarndley was sure Ken Breckon would continue to enjoy the same support of his wife, family and clients that he had experienced in developing and operating New Zealand’s foremost operation of its kind.

Breckon Farms would continue trading as Yarndley Farms to help preserve its business identity.

The Yarndley and Breckon families have forged close and meaningful links since Ken and his late brother Peter bought exceptional filly Megaera from them in 1995 (yearling sales), Sandy recalled.

The following year 1996 they and their father George bought Nketia from the Yarndleys.

They sell at the sales under the banner of Breckon Bloodstock Ltd and currently have several mares agisted at the property.

“We have developed a great friendship with the Breckon family and were delighted when Ken came up with the idea to buy the business,’’ Sandy said.

Administratively Yarndley Farms’ postal address will change to P O Box 269 Te Awamutu.

Many will view the sale as the end of an era but only in an emotional and historic sense because it will still be business as usual under the same name, only in changed proprietorship, as from 1 August.

Sandy Yarndley’s remarkable contribution to the industry as a breeder, owner, Sire’ Stakes Board chairman, NZ Standardbred Breeders chairman and prominent club official resulted in his being awarded the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queens Birthday Honours List in 2005.

For all his outstanding achievements, two stand out in this writers mind.

The first was his raising of the bench level for presentation at the sales and the second his insatiable appetite for hard work, perfection and pursuit of excellence.

Sandy Yarndley was never one to rest on his laurels and knew how to get his hands dirty.

If he had one other outstanding quality, it was his ability to get along with people and never let success go to his head.

That simply wouldn’t be the Yarndley way of doing things. He has remained a modest and unassuming man with his feet still firmly on the ground.

In a nutshell, he has developed Black Watch’s incredible branch of the Regina taproot into the country’s leading commercial vehicle that has stood the test of time as an exceptional source of class horses.

He and wife Jan hope to retain shares in about 40 horses and build a new home on a high vantage point overseeing their old operation.

Yarndley, aged 62 and wife Jan have been married 40 years and now want to maximize the enjoyment of that meaningful partnership.

Getting to and staying at the top of their calling has sometimes cut into time available to spend with their family.

Yarndley also reflected on the fact that in the past 12 years, Yarndley Farms draft horses had gone on to win 25 Gr 1 races, three NZ Cups, an Interdominion Final, six derbies, 27 Gr 2 events and 12 PGG Sales Series finals.

Reba Lord, Yulestar, The Real McCoy, Il Vicolo, The Court Owl, Sovereign Hill, Gran Montana, Classical, Hot Shoe Shuffle and Megaera were only a handful of the highly performed or high priced yearlings they had been associated with in some form or other during their backgrounds.

It was timely to reflect on the background of their first yearling sold commercially at $8000 for a record North Island sale price, Sandy said.

The colt in question Black Mark (Mark Lobell-Black Watch) went on to win over $100,000 in USA.

Black Watch and her cherished daughter Aberfeldy both won the NZ Broodmare of the Year or equivalent awards.

The selling of Megaera to the Breckon brothers was particularly significant as it had ultimately led to their buying of a farm the New Zealand industry can justifiably be proud of.

Sandy Yarndley has invariably projected a professional image for the industry.

Harnesslink takes this opportunity to warmly extend its best wishes to him and his wife Jan in their richly deserved semi retirement.

Don Wright 06:06 AM 25-Jul-2007 NZST

Foals 2007

With the sales over weaning has started. Our first mob of weanlings include Christian Cullen colts from Hot Shoe Shuffle, Vanyana, Kenny’s Kid and a filly from Off Beat (she is a sister to the $150,000 yearling Rockin Cully and a ½ sister to Hot Shoe Shuffle).

We have fillies by Falcon Seelstar from Corbie and Gretna's Girl and a Falcon Seelstar colt from Ciccio Star and a Preidential Ball colt from Black Maire.

They are being fed "Evolve", an NRM preparation we have fed for the last 3 to 4 years, we then put them on Assett for our sale preparation.

If anyone is passing by they are more than welcome to call in and see them. A phone call would be appreciated.

Lot 57 - Oak Grove Lot 144 - Rockin Cully Lot 103 - Maheer Major

Our top selling yearlings at Karaka on 22 February 2007 were...

1. Lot 144 - Rockin Cully sold @ $150,000.00

2. Lot 57 - Oak Grove sold @ $105,000.00

3. Lot 103 - Maheer Major sold @ $90,000.00