King Of The North, the first son of the leading American trotting sire Walner to be imported Down Under, is to join the stallion strength at Llowalong Farms, Kyabram, conducted by Dr Kath McIntosh.

When breeding guru John Coffey begins his new role as pedigree consultant at Alabar Bloodstock next week, it will be a case of déjà vu for the Western Australian-born studmaster and breeder.

Reigning Inter Dominion champion and international trotting star Just Believe's bold escape into a fillies' paddock has left a valuable legacy unbeknownst to lucky horse owners.

Gelded at age two before he had raced, a standing career was never on the cards but his breeder, Yabby Dam Farms' Pat Driscoll, has revealed the plucky Swedish Group 1 placegetter has left a surprise family tree.

is the end result of a meticulous breeding program and excellent horse management.

The Just Believe story began when Pat Driscoll, principal of Cardigan's Yabby Dam Farms, bought his dam, the American-bred mare Heavens Above, for a modest $10,000 at a dispersal sale of prominent breeder-owner Kevin Riseley in 2009.

The leading standardbred sales company Australian Pacing Gold will be conducting yearling sales in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia in 2024.

APG chose not to run sales in Melbourne and Sydney in 2023 while the company reassessed its role in the marketplace and its future direction.

The Australian Standardbred Breeders Association (ASBA) has thrown its support behind an idea floated by the Western Australian Standardbred Breeders Association (WASBA) to return the iconic Inter Dominion Championship back to its old format of rotating between the states.

Unprecedented support from Australia’s leading breeders and vendors has resulted in the one of the biggest ever offerings of all aged stock at the 2023 Nutrien Equine Winter Woolies online sale.

Three-year-old Flying Sparks, who made an impressive winning debut at Kilmore last Thursday, is a member of a line Melbourne bookmaker turned breeder/owner John Dorrington founded almost 40 years ago.

“I bought a filly called Rineen as an unraced two-year-old for $15,000 in the mid 1980s,” Dorrington said.

International trotting star Ecurie D (1:49.2, $1,516,807), who beat the best trotters in commission in Europe and North America, will be available to Australian and New Zealand breeders this season.

Generally Speaking Se, the first issue of Australasia’s fastest ever trotting mare Maori Time (1:51.5) and by the dual Swedish Horse of the Year Readly Express Se, is set to embark on a North American career.

The Grinfromeartoear broodmare Kateeshar pulled off a rare feat for Melbourne breeder Kevin Clark, producing three winners in the space of 48 hours including a double at Melton last Saturday night.

Shaq, who was bred and is raced by Kevin and trained by good mate John Tormey, opened the batting for his dam, winning at Kilmore and sending his stake earnings over the $100,000 plateau.

A horse out of a mare who was given away with a free service is proving one of the emerging success stories of the Vicbred scheme.

The top three breeders in Victoria last season and who are all nominees for the Woodlands Stud Victorian Breeder of the Year Award – Pat Driscoll, Anne and Bill Anderson and Bruce and Vicki Edward – produced Vicbred winners of $5,434,873 between them.

Promising pacer Ooh Ah Listah’s fighting win in a heat of the VHRC Country Clubs Championship at Maryborough on Easter Monday brought back memories for a prominent veterinarian and two of Victoria’s best-known harness racing families.

The ranks of Victorian sires were given a terrific boost with the announcement that the 2022 USA and Canadian 3YO Pacing Colt of the Year Pebble Beach 3, 1:48.2 ($1,720,875) will do stud duties at Alabar Bloodstock, Echuca.

A fresh Australian record for a yearling sold at auction of $270,000 was established for the Captaintreacherous colt from the top racemare Carla’s Pixel on the opening day of the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale at Oaklands Junction.

The Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale is just 48 hours away on Sunday, April 2 at the Oaklands Junction Sales complex which means that the many of the country’s owners and trainers are watching videos and studying the catalogue looking for that next champion horse.

Purchasers of Vicbred horses at this weekend’s Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale at Oaklands Junction will be eligible for a range of rich incentives should their purchase win as a two, three or four-year-old in Victoria.

The Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale is always a great showcase for first season sires and this year’s group of freshman sires – both North American and colonial bred – is one of the best ever.