The 2024 Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale is set to kick off on Friday, April 12 with inspection day, followed by the Woodlands Stud yearling parade on the Saturday and the yearling sale on Sunday, April 14 starting at 11am.

With a blockbuster lineup of 198 lots –including 69 trotters, the William Inglis complex has been well worn by prospective buyers looking for their next Leap To Fame, Catch A Wave, Ladies In Red or Just Believe.

Such is the quality of youngsters listed in the catalogue that the Australian record price for a yearling sold at auction of $270,000 is poised to be broken.

“I believe this catalogue to be the equal of any we have offered so far,” says Nutrien Equine standardbred sales manager Mark Barton.

“The Melbourne sale has a number of yearlings capable of breaking records.

“We are offering an exceptional lineup of both pacing and trotting fillies and an outstanding top end array of colts.”

Siblings to 88 Group and Listed winners including top class performers like Leap To Fame, Expensive Ego, Our Princess Tiffany, Ride High, Tough Tilly, Swayzee, The Lost Storm, Cruz Bromac, Jilliby Kung Fu, Hurricane Harley, Just Hope, Pectacular, Centenario, Tam Major and Fly Like An Eagle and trotters Arcee Phoenix, Claudy’s Princess, Im Ready Jet, Spidergirl, Banglez, Kyvalley Clichy, Pretty Majestic, Always Ready, Une Belle Allure and Valtino are listed for sale.

There’s progeny of outstanding racemares including Tell Me Tales, Rocknroll Magic, Queen Of Pop, Dazed And Confused, Repelem, Red Hot Roxy and the trotters She’s An Image, Aleppo Midas, Monaro Mia, My Valerie, Heavenly Sister, Illawong Helios, Kinvara Sue and Aldebaran Eve.

There are progeny of 46 individual sires in the catalogue, headed by Downbytheseaside with 12 entries, Art Major, Captain Crunch, Pastor Stephen and Classic Connection with 11, and Bettor’s Delight and Always B Miki with 10.

Other leading sires represented include Captaintreacherous, American Ideal, Sweet Lou, Rock N Roll Heaven, Stay Hungry, Poster Boy, Majestic Son, Love You, Father Patrick and Aldebaran Eagle as well as first season sires such as Tall Dark Stranger, Bettor’s Wish, Ride High, Bold Eagle, Six Pack and Elite Stride.

All yearlings sold are eligible for the rich Nutrien Equine Sale Race Series for two-year-old pacers and trotters in 2025 and three-year-old pacers and trotters in 2026. The series, which is supported by Hygain, will be contested in heats and finals with separate divisions for colts and fillies.

The two and three-year-old pacing colts and geldings’ division is sponsored by Alabar Bloodstock, the three-year-old pacing fillies by Woodlands Stud and the trotting series by Haras Des Trotteurs.

Yearlings are also eligible for Vicbred, Breeders Crown, Bathurst Gold Crown, NSW Breeders Challenge, QBred, NZ Sires Stakes, SA Southern Cross and the Need For Speed Series.

Hard copy catalogues and further information are available from Mark Barton phone 0419 488 256 or Gemma Smallmon 0447 356 549.

To view the online catalogue log onto www.nutrienequine.com.au.

Picture: A colt by Bettor's Delight out of Beninjurd who will be offered at the sale.

The Shallows, the longshot winner of the $75,000 Easter Cup at Launceston, was bred by well-known Victorian western district horseman Ian Stanley. The Shadyshark Hanover gelding is out of Exotic Angel, a daughter of Stanley’s APG winner Exotic Strike.

Spring In His Step, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding bred by Swan Hill enthusiasts Todd and Wendy Rivett, has joined the growing list of Victorian-bred pacers to enter the 1:50 list in America. He emerged successful in 1:49.8 at Hoosier Park, Indiana last Friday.

Stay Hungry continues to lead this season’s first crop sires’ list with seven individual two-year-old winners. Other Victorian-based stallions to rank highly are The Storm Inside (4 winners), Poster Boy (3) and Captain Crunch (2)