The 2010 yearling sales are the major talking point at this time of the year. Magic Millions Gold Coast and Inglis Classic are already now behind us, providing an encouraging outlook for thoroughbred breeding as a whole…

The latest renewal of the Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale put the recent past behind it with sharp increases on aggregate and averages compared to the 2009 version.

With a gross return of over $12.6 million from the two days of trading, the traditional Sydney summer assembly staged by the historic bloodstock sales company showed an increase of 20 percent on the previous year’s figures.

Our sales team can confirm that business was appreciably greater during our latest visit to Sydney with a consigment we felt perfectly suited the traditional Classic Sale buying bench. As a result, our returns proved more than satisfactory, with the majority of our draft finding good homes.

In summary, all 10 of our Classic Sale draft sold. Top-price of $20,000 was made by a ZARIZ colt from Princess Canny, secured by leading New Zealand bloodstock agent Paul Moroney.

Other purchasers of our stock included Gerald Ryan, Barbara Joseph and Alan Scorse, as well as the revered Kiwi horseman Dean Hawthorne.
Generally speaking, the interest shown in the progeny of Riverdene Stud resident stallions was a very positive indicator for the months ahead.

Riverdene Stud’s next yearling sale engagement actually comes within the next two weeks. Our outfit has a draft heading to the 2010 Dubbo Annual Thoroughbred Yearling Sale, to be staged on Sunday, February 14.

To commence at 12 noon, the auction is staged at the Dubbo Showground under the supervision of Peter Milling & Company. Our draft comprises of five colts and nine fillies by ZARIZ, SEIDNAZAR and the ill-fated HALF HENNESSY, with more recent results illustrating the worth of the draft.

In the case of ZARIZ, the stallion enjoyed another prominent month in January 2010, his healthy number of winners including the Canterbury Park winner Carabost. This consistent sire is going from strength-to-strength and is responsible for four of the Dubbo draft, all but one of them being colts.

The progeny of HALF HENNESSY had their best-ever month in January 2010 with seven individual winners of races around the country. It is probably fair to say that the breed has taken a little longer than anticipated to hit its straps, but we now expect the volume of winners by the stallion to continue at its current rate.

These are still early days for SEIDNAZAR, but there has been encouraging signs nonetheless. More than one of his early runners has displayed genuine winning potential and it seems only a matter time before the breed registers its initial race victory.

We invite all clients living in the Dubbo area to come along to the sale to inspect the quality of our draft — either as a potential buyer or an interested observer.

Pedigree of the Month: CARABOST

It is not surprising that Carabost is now a metropolitan winner for ZARIZ, because the gelding’s pedigree boasts many of the most influential names in Australasian breeding. In addition to Canny Lad, his damsire, Carabost has Lunchtime (GB), Star Way and Sir Tristram in his first few removes --- a recipe for success for any broodmare owner, if there ever was one!

Carabost traces back to the celebrated Kiwi broodmare Rosehill, whose offspring included the Group 1 winning sprinter-miler Prince Ruling. Other stakes winning members of this clan are Lavendar Hill, Rosie’s Girl, Lord Westminster and the former Tarcutta-based stallion Khamacruz (NZ).