Father Patrick's first down-under yearlings set to sell next week
The first Southern Hemisphere bred yearlings by the champion North American trotter Father Patrick are set to go under the hammer at next week's inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock National Standardbred Yearling Sale in Christchurch.
The richest and fastest son of champion stallion Cantab Hall, Father Patrick was the US 2YO and 3YO Trotting Colt of his Year, setting world records and winning the Breeders Crown Final in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
The winner of $2.6 million in stakes, Father Patrick made an immediate impact at stud and was the Leading First Season Trotting Sire by Average Earnings in North America last year, and despite a relatively small first crop (as a result of still racing in his first year at stud), sired numerous stakes winners, including the $200,000 earners Whispering Oaks, Reign Of Honor, Special Honor and Breeders Crown place-getter Hudson River.
His second crop yearlings were tremendously sought after at the big North American Yearling Sales in 2018, with his progeny averaging an incredible $119,000 at the Harrisburg Standardbred Horse Sale and his top lot, a filly, fetching US$300,000. He was the only stallion, outside of Muscle Hill, to achieve an average price of over $100,000.
There are seven well bred Father Patrick yearlings catalogued for the Trotters only session on February 19 at Christchurch, including Lot 160, a colt out of the former Harness Jewels 2YO Ruby winner Kylie Ree, making him a half to the 2YO Stakes winner Springbank Lachie; and Lot 163, a filly out of a half sister to the Group 1 winner Quite A Moment from the family of millionaire trotter Take A Moment.
Another Nevele R Stud trotting stallion to be well represented at the two New Zealand sales is Muscle Mass, who enjoyed a phenomenally successful season in North America last year with his standout performers the fastest 3-year-old trotter of all time and US 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year, Six Pack and the world champion filly Plunge Blue Chip, who became the first 3-year-old trotter to break the 1:50 mark for the mile.
Closer to home, Muscle Mass is the sire of the recent Group 1 National Trot winner Massive Metro, as well as the Harness Jewels and Breeders Crown winner Custodian and the Australian Group 1 winners Illawong Byron and Illawong Shimmer.
His entries include youngsters out of the likes of Group Race winners Emma Hamilton (Lot 4 Akld) and Jacanti Franco (Lot 150 Chch), a half brother to NSW Trotters Derby winner Fiery Mountain Girl (Lot 43 Akld), and yearlings out of siblings to the likes of One Over Kenny (Lot 173 Chch) and Enghien (Lot 179 Chch).
Champion trotting stallion Andover Hall has a small but select offering at the Christchurch sale with a half brother to the brilliant but ill-fated NZ 3YO Trotting Filly and Trotter of the Year Kahdon down to sell as Lot 154. In a pedigree page that wants for nothing, the great Lyell Creek, current New Zealand star Marcoola and 2017 Dominion Handicap winner Amaretto Sun also feature.
The remaining Andover Hall yearling, Lot 191, is likewise a blue blood youngster, being out of a half-sister to the two-time NZ Trotter of the Year Stig from the family of Take A Moment.
On the pacing front, the stud's popular young stallion A Rocknroll Dance has a quality draft at both the Auckland and Christchurch sales.
The leading first season sire in New Zealand, Australia and North America, A Rocknroll Dance has enjoyed a strong start to his stud career siring the likes of the 2017 US 2YO Pacing Colt of the Year Lost In Time and the 2018 Breeders Crown 2YO Final runner-up Proof in North America, whilst producing the Group 1 winner Its Rock And Roll and the Group 1 placed filly Miss Streisand down-under.
Currently New Zealand's third leading sire of 3-year-old pacers by winners, A Rocknroll Dance's entries include a colt out of a half sister to the champion filly One Dream (Lot 16 Akld) and a colt out of the Group 1 winning mare Lady Toddy (Lot 234 Chch).