One hundred trotting yearlings – one-third of the catalogue – will go up for auction at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale at Oaklands Junction on April 1, 2 and 3.

The sale will see the progeny of 28 trotting sires represented including established stallions such as Majestic Son, Muscle Hill, Love You, Father Patrick, Quaker Jet, Peak, Angus Hall, Skyvalley, Sebastian K, Trixton, Used To Me, Yield Boko, The Best Madrik, Tennotrump and Dream Vacation.

There are also young, emerging sires in What The Hill, Tactical Landing, Southwind Frank, Volstead, Aldebaran Eagle, Creatine, Centurion ATM, Royalty For Life, Amore Stride, Village Mystic and Cardigan Boko as well as progeny of exciting first season sires in Pastor Stephen and Timoko.

The yearlings will be presented by 40 of the best vendors from Victoria, NSW, WA and New Zealand with large consignments from Yabby Dam Farms (30 lots) and Aldebaran Park (11).

The dams in the catalogue include Group/Listed winners in Claudys Princess, Reina Danzante, Aldebaran Eve, Kinvara Sue, Betty Hall, Shesoneoftheboyz, Val Gardena, Aldebaran Ay M, Sunny Ruby NZ, Aleppo Jewel, Jumanji Franco NZ, Waiting Room USA, Parisian Chic, Cyclone Jeter NZ, Prettylilangeleyes and Amour De Frere NZ and $100,000 winners in Real Babe USA, Zhenya, Courcheval, My Valerie, Regal Pepperell, Sassy Pinevale, Sky Majesty, Beautiful River Fra, Duchess Ella and Destinee Jenilou Fra.

There’s siblings to a host of smart performers including Pretty Majestic, Eljaykay Phoenix, Elite Stride, Banglez, Majestic Player, Cruisin Around, Brandlo Prince, Ofortuna, Travel Bug, Electrojet, Kinvara Sue, Barefoot Sally, Four Walls, Kyvalley Boomerang, Viksun and Jilliby Babavska.

The trotting yearlings are eligible for the Nutrien Equine Sales Classics with guaranteed $62,500 finals for two-year-olds colts and geldings and fillies and $125,000 finals for three-year-old colts and geldings and fillies. 

They are also eligible for Vicbred, Vicbred Platinum, Breeders Crown, Need For Speed, NSW Breeders Challenge, QBred and Bathurst Gold Crown.

The Melbourne sale will be livestreamed at www.nutrienequine.com.au. For a catalogue or further information phone Mark Barton 0419 488 256.

Courageous Saint added further lustre to the record of exceptional broodmare Torridon when he outsprinted a smart field at Melton on Saturday night.

Torridon, who is owned by Swan Hill identity Noel Watson, has left eight individual winners and they have won 94 races and $1,162,757 in stakes between them.

The biggest contributors to her tally are Torrid Saint ($442,210), runner-up in last year’s Inter Dominion Final, Saint Flash ($285,368) and Courageous Saint ($231,622).

Former NZ superstar Lazarus was represented by his first Australasian winner in the two-year-old filly Stylish Lazarus, who won effortlessly on debut at Bathurst, while Grevis, a two-year-old colt by Lazarus, finished third in the $100,000 Sales Classic at Gloucester Park last Friday night.

Lazarus will be represented by two colts at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale on April 3, one (Lot 629) out of a half-sister to Villagem, Nostra Beach and Miss Graceland, and the other (Lot 672) from the multiple Group 1 placegetter Ocean Diva.

Meanwhile, Sinai Sermon, a younger brother to Lazarus, won his first race at Reefton, New Zealand on Sunday.

Broodmare gem Top Tempo NZ left her 10th individual winner from only 11 foals when the three-year-old filly Listen To My Heart emerged successful at Shepparton last week.

One of Top Tempo’s daughters in Speak No Evil, the Breeders Crown and Vicbred champion, will have a colt by Poster Boy as Lot 438 at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale on April 2.

He is part of the seven-strong draft of Harness Breeders Victoria’s 2022 Breeders of the Year Bill and Anne Anderson, of Lauriston Bloodstock.

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.