Normally nerves on the eve of a Group One race are reserved for the owners and trainer but the running of the $200,000 Group One NSW Derby at Menangle on Saturday night will have a pair of yearling vendors on tenterhooks on the eve of the 2025 Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sale the following day.
Greg and Stacey Brown will offer Lot 11 at Sunday’s sale and their Soho Tribeca filly is a half-sister to the Emma Stewart trained The Highlight Reel which is one of five starters in the race for the dominant stable.
The Highlight Reel, having his first start since September, won his Derby heat last Saturday night and he goes into Saturday’s Blue Riband event with a record of five wins and a second placing in eight starts which have garnered $267,300 in stakes.
The Highlight Reel beat two of his rivals in Saturday’s Derby in Fate Awaits and Storms Collide in the $250,000 2yo Nutrien Classic as a 2yo before finishing second to Fate Awaits in the $500,000 Protostar held at Albion Park.
His unraced dam Rockin Diva and her first three foals are all winners with her fourth foal, the current 2yo Atworthy Rocker, qualifying at Leeton on 24 February.
Lot 11 is by Soho Tribeca whose first crop of foals are currently 3yos and he is already the sire of 19 individual winners with his top earner Soho Shakedown a 3yo winner of a $23,000 race at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
Soho Shakedown has now won six of his seven career starts and $47,453 in stakes.
Soho Tribeca’s second highest earner is current 2yo Cease To React which was runner-up in Friday night’s $125,000 2yo Colts WA Sales Classic at Gloucester Park.
Cease To React won the $30,000 2yo Western Crown Classic at Gloucester Park on 7 February.
Hannah Trevor-Jones of Equine Evolution is preparing Lot 11 and Hannah can be contacted on 0488 901 983 to arrange an inspection.