Australian Pacing Gold have added a new yearling sale to their roster this year in South Australia, bringing their nationwide total to five States.

A carefully planned, well managed breeding program is starting to reap rewards for enthusiastic Goulburn Valley breeder-owner and businessman Frank Jessup.

The profound influence exerted by the immortal Western Hanover on the pacing breed and Muscles Yankee on the trotting side was emphasized with the results of the $1.5 million Vicbred Super Series meeting at Melton.

The American horse Volstead and Ballarat breeder Pat Driscoll were the dominant forces from a breeding standpoint in the heats of the Haras Des Trotteurs sponsored Vicbred Super Series for trotters at Geelong.

Many of Victoria’s leading standardbred breeders were to the forefront in the heats of the Alabar Bloodstock sponsored Vicbred Super Series for two, three and four-year-old pacers conducted at Bendigo, Kilmore and Melton last week.

A feature of the first crop sires’ statistics to date this season is the strong showing by colonial bred sires in the two-year-old racing.

Finley breeder-owner Ashley Haynes and Group winning trotters are synonymous in Victorian harness racing circles.

Popular Maryborough breeder-owners and harness racing benefactors Len and Irene Parker are in high spirits after winning races with three of their team this season.

The trio are boom pacer Major Moth, talented three-year-old Meteor Moth and promising youngster Ideal Moth. Another of their team, Archie Moth, has finished second on three occasions.

An empty broodmare who changed hands for a modest $500 more than 30 years ago has established one of Victoria’s most successful families of trotters that was underscored by the runaway success of Dichotomy at Melton last Saturday night.

When brothers Terry and David Lewis bought the broodmare Brilliant Disguise in 2002, it was to be the start of a breeding dynasty spanning three generations that has produced one of ‘finds’ of the Victorian season, Isthisjustfantasy.

Burrumbeet trainer Michael Stanley took a chance when sending his mare Our Chelsea Girl to the rookie stallion Soho Lanikai a few years ago, and his gamble paid off at Kilmore last Thursday.

The two-year-old colt Captain Moore was the resulting progeny of that mating and he has shown plenty of ability so far in his career, placing on debut at Cranbourne last month before breaking through for his maiden triumph in the Broadstead Kilmore Pace.

A breeding and racing partnership formed 52 years ago between Peter Watkinson and Bruce Paul was thrust into prominence when Sahara Tiger outsprinted a smart field in a career-best 1:51 at Melton last Saturday night.

“We first met at the City of Nunawading offices back in 1972. I was a planning cadet and Bruce was one of the building surveyors,” Watkinson said.

“We’re extremely pleased with his 1:54 effort on a cold night at Melton.  He’s not fully wound up yet.”

The speaker is Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson OAM after watching his homebred star Aldebaran Zeus outsprint a smart field in the Aldebaran Park Trotters Free-for-all last Saturday night.

Promising four-year-old You Beauty and jovial Horsham owner-trainer-driver Aaron Dunn achieved an important milestone in their careers when they combined for a last-to-first success in the Beraldo Coffee Mares’ Final at Melton last Saturday.

The Sportswriter mare is a fourth generation winner for the Dunn family from a line tracing back to the Keystone Scotch mare Koomberkine.

Well known Riverina breeder-owner-trainer Paul Kahlefeldt achieved yet another moment of glory in a 30 year involvement in the sport when he was crowned the Woodlands Stud Victorian Breeder of the Year for 2023.

Respected Woolsthorpe breeder-owner Ian Stanley and his son Michael have qualified two runners - Exotic Bushranger and Ubetcha Tigerpie - for the $25,000 Sulky.App-The Future Of Form Metropolitan Pace Final (2240 metres) at Melton on Saturday night.

However, the father-son combination is undecided as to which is their best chance of lifting the trophy.

One of the most interesting features of the Melton meeting last Saturday from a breeding viewpoint was the fact that three of the winners, Let Her Roll (Alabar Sapling Stakes), Keayang Tokyo and last season’s Breeders Crown champion Perfect Class, who looks one of the most capable young pacers in the country, all belong to the one family.

All three trace back to the Windshield Wiper mare Larrakeyah Lady, a Vicbred champion and a mare who has had a terrific influence on light harness breeding in Australia.

Mary Helen Pearce, the owner of Eldarin Park stud, which for many years has been one of Victoria’s most prominent breeding establishments, has decided to retire from commercial breeding.