Another hectic breeding season might be drawing to a close but there is no time to take it any easier. The first of the 2009 yearling sales are just around the corner and preparation is already at a fairly advanced stage for our first engagement of the series…

The first of the SEIDNAZAR yearlings go up for sale in 2009 with a draft of six youngsters accepted for the Sydney Classic Yearling Sale at Newmarket. All to be offered on account of Riverdene Stud, the half-dozen comprise five colts and one filly.

The Sydney Classic Sale should prove to be an ideal venue at which to offer the first SEIDNAZAR yearlings. Traditionally, buyers have always ventured to this annual event looking for potential 2-year-old runners. As one of the most precocious juveniles of his year, by one of the great sires of early maturing stock in Australian thoroughbred racing history, SEIDNAZAR is the type to find his niche at this particular venue.

Five HALF HENNESSY yearlings are also set to be offered at the 2009 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale at Newmarket. Once again, Riverdene Stud will be highly active by consigning all but one of them, the other Lot going to sale on account of Masters, WH and PR.

Of this handful of Sydney Classic Yearling Sale HALF HENNESSYs, four are colts and one a filly.

Also going to sale in January are another three members of HALF HENNESSYs 2007 foal crop which will be offered during Select Session 4 of the Magic Millions 2009 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The pedigree page of all the SEIDNAZAR and HALF HENNESSY yearlings can now be viewed at the respective website of Inglis & Son (www.inglis.com.au) and Magic Millions (www.magicmillions.com.au) for those interested.

The first week of 2009 should also see the return to racing of Lavished and the other promising 3-year-old progeny of HALF HENNESSY in various stables.

Lavished, in particular, looked a very useful filly in the making when performing with distinction behind Samantha Miss at the beginning of her spring campaign.

Indeed, the daughter of HALF HENNESSY did enough to be mentioned as a long-term 2009 AJC Oaks candidate and was put away early in to the spring period with the Randwick Classic in mind.

We keenly await Lavished’s return to competition in the first few months of the new year and hope that she has made the natural improvement to prove competitive in the leading 3-year-old filly ranks.

PEDIGREE OF THE MONTH: Zar Dancer

The pedigree of ZAR DANCER, winner of a $19,600 Class 4 contest on a prominent race program staged at Davenport in Tasmania, shows a pattern which is repeating on a relatively frequent basis with the progeny of ZARIZ.

Like most of ZARIZ’s best winners to date, Zar Dancer carries Star Kingdom (Ire) through Biscay, the former champion sire of 2-year-olds and celebrated sire-of-sires. Of course, this is the same strain of the Star Kingdom sireline as Bletchingly, Canny Lad, Marscay, Opera Prince etc, all notable names in the capacity of broodmare sire.

Zar Dancer’s pedigree is also significant because of the presence of Donna Nook (GB), dam of Bittangabee Bay’s sire Dieu D’Or. This is the immediate lineage of a plethora of juvenile stakes winners, but most notably the sires Catbird, Maizcay, County and others.

Numerous Riverdene Stud clients should be able to replicate the breeding of Zar Dancer, for MARWINA is a representative of the Biscay branch of the Star Kingdom line, and HALF HENNESSY is a member of the Donna Nook female family.