On Sunday February 23 the Nutrien Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale will get under way at Albion Park and it will feature yearlings by 12 stallions whose oldest progeny in this part of the world are either the current yearlings or whose first Australasian foals will race sometime in 2025.
The four stallions whose first Australasian foals are being offered in 2025 include the three-time Miracle Mile winner and triple Australian Harness Horse of the Year in King Of Swing.
The New Zealand bred King Of Swing retired with a record of 1:47.9 and stakes of $3,390,546 and, to further demonstrate the depth of his maternal pedigree, the first foal from his half-sister Bettor Twist was sold on Saturday at Karaka for a record equaling amount of $360,000.
The 2yo US Breeders Crown winner and Canadian 2yo Colt Trotter of the Year On A Streak is a son of Cantab Hall whose 968 winners include the sensational young sire Volstead whose first Australian crop raced as 3yos in 2024 and he produced 23 individual winners of 67 wins and $1,091,987.
Volstead will receive further accolades in the next week or so when the Australian 3yo Trotter of the Year is announced as his unbeaten daughter Keayang Zahara will add that title to the New Zealand 3yo Trotter of the Year gong she received last week.
Like Volstead, On A Streak is by Cantab Hall from a mare by a son of Valley Victory.
There are two North American stallions with foals from their first Australian crop being offered this weekend although both had their first USA crops race as 2yos in 2024.
Cattlewash is another son of Somebeachsomewhere whose siring sons are having a big impact as sires in both North American and Australasia.
Sires of the calibre of Captaintreacherous, Huntsville and Downbytheseaside figure in the top bracket of sires both sides of the equator.
Cattlewash, the second fastest son to Somebeachsomewhere, was a millionaire winner of 13 races and his first crop of 38 foals raced as 2yos in 2024 and produced 20 2yo winners of $1,059,537.
Four of that crop each won in excess of $100,000 in stakes with Reynolds Stakes winner Manolete topping the list with earnings of $219,143 and a 2yo mark of 1:50.8.
Dancin Lou is a son of Sweet Lou which finished in third place behind only Bettors Delight and Art Major in the 2024 Australian All-Aged Sires List.
Sweet Lou’s oldest crop are ten years younger than Art Major’s oldest and 13 years younger than those of Bettors Delight.
Importantly Sweet Lou topped both the Australian 2yo Sires List and Australian 3yo Sires List in 2024.
Dancin Lou’s first North American crop of 45 foals produced 19 winners headed by the gelding Stonebridge Wizard which earned $206,629 and was voted Canadian 2yo Colt/Gelding Pacer of the Year off the back of wins in the Battle Of Waterloo and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold.