The 2007 Australian yearling sales series gets underway over the next week with Magic Millions kicking-off proceedings on the Gold Coast. Riverdene Stud will present its first draft of the year the following month with a consignment of seven youngsters heading to the 2007 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale on behalf of clients and ourselves.

The Classic draft comprises of four colts and three fillies, with first season sire HALF HENNESSY best represented of any one stallion through three members of his first crop.

First to be offered of the HALF HENNESSY set is a half-sister to three individual winners from the winning Grosvenor mare Queen Hera (NZ).

The HALF HENNESSY consignment also consists of Lot 276, a half-brother to six individual winners including the stakes-placed Square One; and Lot 435, a half-sister to three winners from the stakes-placed Gondobelle, a winner of eight races from 1000 to 1600m.

Before leaving the subject of the HALF HENNESSY Classic contingent, it is worth reiterating the belief the stud has in this exciting young stallion to supply quality 2-year-old winners and ultimately prove an outstanding domestic sire.

The list of credentials HALF HENNESSY offers are considerable to say the least and all add-up to an outstanding stud future which should be launched in ernest by his first crop to race.

If one also considers that HALF HENNESSY boasts an exceptional physique and flawless conformation, we are convinced that the newcomer has everything buyers could hope for in a young stallion making his debut at the yearling sales.

All in all, we fully expect HALF HENNESSY to make an impact, in one way or another, before we ring in the 2008 calendar year.

Fellow Riverdene Stud stallion ZARIZ is represented by two members of the seven-strong Inglis Sydney Classic draft.

Firstly, Lot 67 is a half-brother to four individual winners including the Listed winner Coup Wood, as well as the winning dam of the high profile South Australian sprinter Amyjaye Power.

The second member of our Classic draft by ZARIZ is Lot 101, a grey colt from the precocious Group winner Shadowy Outline. The dam of this September 2005 foal won the STC Sweet Embrace Stakes in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper of her generation and has since been responsible for four individual winners.

Adding variety to the draft are youngsters by World Champion galloper Fantastic Light (USA) and Australian Group One winner Reenact.

Our daughter of Fantastic Light (USA) has been catalogued as Lot 176 and provides buyers with the opportunity to acquire a quality filly from the familly of VRC Wakeful Stakes (G2) winner Love Comes To Town.

The Reenact is a handsome bay son of the Irish stakes winner Glounthaune Garden (Ire) imported by Geoff and Beryl White. All three of this mare’s foals to race are winners!

Daughters of Umatilla (NZ) appeal as ideal partners for HIGH ROLLING and the victory of Tell The Story at Corowa in the final month of 2006 adds substance to the theory.

One of the bigger racehorses and stallions of his generation, Umatilla has proven to be a notable sire over many years and is in the process of enhancing his reputation as a broodmare sire with a growing number of daughters entering stud duties.

Tell The Story is one of 23 winners produced by daughters of Umatilla this season during a period when the son of Miswaki is establishing himself among the top 30-40 broodmare stallions in Australia.

It is worth pointing out that Umatilla‘s own record as a sire includes the stakes winner Song Of Vienna, produced from a daughter of HIGH ROLLING’s sire Snippets. Furthermore, among Snippets’ best runners was the high-class racemare Camena, a daughter of Star Watch, himself a maternal half-brother to Umatilla.

Umatilla’s size and shape should compliment that of HIGH ROLLING perfectly, not to mention his outstanding bloodlines.