Walner filly tops day one of NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale

By Michael Guerin

The renaissance of the trotting yearling reached a new high at Karaka on Monday when a trotting filly topped the NZB Standardbrd National Yearling Sale.

The filly by top US stallion Walner, selling as Lot 81, was knocked down at $220,000 to beat out the pacing-bred lots, an extreme rarity for a trotting-bred yearling in this part of the world.

To emphasise what an achievement that is the $210,000 second top lot, and highest priced pacing lot, was for a son of sire sensation Captaintreacherous from champion mare Adore Me, bloodlines that would stand up at any sale in the world.

The sales topping-filly was purchased by training great Barry Purdon and partner Scott Phelan, who have been investing heavily in the rejuvenated trotting market in recent years.

“She was a lovely filly with the scope to make a good trotter,” said Purdon.

“I did my research, ringing a couple of the top trainers in the US to find out about the stock of Walner and particularly his fillies.

“If we got her she was already half sold to an established stable client and it only took a few minutes after the hammer fell for her to be fully sold so we are grateful to have that level of support.”

Purdon and Phelan didn’t stop their trotting-inspired spree with just the Walner filly as later in the day they paid $120,000 for a brother to their leading young trotter Meant To Be.

They also outlaid $170,000 for a pacing-bred colt by Sweet Lou out of Enjoy Me.

The other Walner yearling on offer on Monday, a colt, sold for $150,000 to Victorian owner Jim Connelly, a huge supporter of the trotting gait.

The Captaintreacherous-Adore Me colt will be trained by Canterbury trainer Bob Butt after being purchased by huge-spending Australian owner Mick Boots.

“It isn’t every day you get the opportunity to train a son of Adore Me built like this horse,” said Butt.

Boots wasn’t the only Australian spending up big as Leap To Fame’s owner Kevin and Kay Seymour went to $200,000 for a Bettors Delight brother to Sires’ Stakes winner Freeze Fame, to be trained in Queensland by Leap To Fame’s trainer Grant Dixon.

Their purchases helped the Australian spend at the sale more than double on last year.

Overall the sale was strong at the top end but typically for a harness racing sale, and especially this boutique Karaka one with just 131 lots, buyers came to buy the ones they wanted and less obviously commercial lots struggled.

The clearance rate improved into Monday night with deals being done on passed in lots but the average will full short of last year’s record when it was inflated by two massive $360,000 lots.

The sales move to Christchurch on Wednesday for one more day of selling where some of the usual bigger buyers by volume are expected to be busier than they were in Monday’s more selective environment.

To see NZB's media release on Day one of the Sales click here