Aldebaran Zeus, Australia’s second richest trotting stallion of all-time and a former Australasian mile record holder, will make his final racetrack appearance in the Aldebaran Park Trotters Handicap at Melton on Saturday night.

The seven-year-old’s fresh and chilled semen will be available to breeders in Australia and New Zealand from Aldebaran Park stud, Nagambie, where he was bred.

A brilliant trotter, who possessed undoubted speed and stamina, Aldebaran Zeus began his career as a two-year-old, winning three races and finishing third in The Redwood and the Vicbred Final and fourth in the Breeders Crown.

As a three-year-old Aldebaran Zeus really came into his own, notching six successes with five placings from 11 starts for $118,240 in stakes and being named the Australian and Victorian 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year. His victories included the Group 1 $80,000 Breeders Crown, the Group 1 $50,000 APTS Sales Classic and a heat of the Victoria Derby (second in Final).

The following season he captured the Group 1 $50,000 Australasian Trotting Championship, the Freestone Cup, Delvin Dancer Classic and True Roman Trot and was awarded Victorian 4YO Trotter of the Year.

Aldebaran Zeus put an exclamation mark on his career when he hoisted a new Australasian mile record for a trotting stallion of 1:52.6 winning the Group 1 $100,000 Hammerhead Mile at Menangle in 2023.

He also took out the Group 1 $75,000 Maori Mile at Bendigo in 1:54.8 and the $41,000 Waikato Flying Mile at Cambridge Raceway, New Zealand in 1:55.9, earning an invitation to the $1 million Yonkers International Trot in American where he finished a creditable fifth against the world’s best trotters.

Returning to Australia, Aldebaran Zeus won numerous free-for-alls at Melton and two at Menangle in 1:53.2 and 1:54.4 over the past 12 months and was a finalist in the 2024 Inter Dominion Championship.

In all, Aldebaran Zeus won 23 races and was 23 times placed from 88 starts for $596,392 in stakes. He won five races at Group 1 level, two Group 2’s and two Group 3’s and recorded an amazing four sub 1:55 winning miles.

Aldebaran Park principal Duncan McPherson said: “Aldebaran Park are absolutely delighted to announce that Aldebaran Zeus will be retired to his place of birth and stand his first season at Aldebaran Park in Victoria. ‘Zeus’ has had an outstanding racetrack career which has seen him race in Australia, NZ and North America and he has provided all associated with him the journey of a lifetime. We look forward with anticipation to the upcoming stud season and to the arrival of his first season foals. There is no doubt Aldebaran Zeus’s progeny will be ‘Hot to Trot’.

Champion horseman Brent Lilley, who trained Aldebaran Zeus throughout his career said: “A true gentleman to train from day one. He took on the world’s best. Great gaited, fast and movie star looks. We look forward to training some of his foals.”

Chris Alford, who drove him in 21 of his 23 wins: “Aldebaran Zeus was a pleasure to drive right from his very first trial. He has the manners of a gentleman, is beautifully gaited and can run quick quarters with seemingly little effort. He never once let me down on the track, even when taking on the world’s best at Yonkers Raceway. I can’t wait to one day drive his progeny.”

Aldebaran Zeus has a truly international breeding background and one which has been most successful. By the five-time leading American sire Muscle Hill, he is out of the Swedish mare Zoia Boko, a half-sister to the European Championship and dual Swedish Breeders Crown winner and successful sire Yield Boko 1:54.9 ($814,031).

The next dam, Chatty Hanover, left five in 2:00 and three $100,000 earners including Cash Hall 1:51.2 ($554,298), a Stakes winner and later a most successful sire.

Other fine trotters in this pedigree have been the Hambletonian winner Speedy Somolli, the USA Breeders Crown and Yonkers Trot winner Royal Troubador, the dual Prix d’Amerique winner Offshore Dream, Marseille (USA Earl Jnr Memorial) and Global Badman (Swedish Breeders Crown 2YO).

Aldebaran Zeus, who represents the famed male line of Speedy Crown, and coming from the prolific family of Minnehaha with strains of Muscles Yankee, Super Bowl and Nevele Pride, all champion sires and broodmare sires, has a second to none blood inheritance.

His introductory fee is $3,850 including GST in Australia and $3,500 plus GST in NZ.

For all enquiries phone Danny Thackeray 0407 223 819 and in NZ, Andrew Fitzgerald 027 367 8264.

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