First season sire spotlight

by Brittany Graham

This Thursday’s NZB National Standardbred Weanling Sale (26 June) offers buyers their first chance to secure stock by five exciting first-season sires.

Pebble Beach

Three weanlings will be presented by exciting young stallion Pebble Beach on behalf of Alabar where the former Dan Patch Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year stands.

He himself is by one of the hottest sires presently, Downbytheseaside, while his maternal side lacks for nothing either. His mother, a stakes winner herself, traces back closely to the likes of World Champion Vintage Master, and millionaire pacer Great Vintage.

In his juvenile term, Pebble Beach clocked a sub 1.49 mile rate and over $300,000 in stakes but his three-year-old season saw him flourish. He was dominant in clean sweeping both the stallion making North America Cup and Breeders Crown, while taking his overall bank balance to just shy of $2 million dollars in only 29 starts. The ‘Down Under flavour’ runs deep with him also, with Australian ex-pats Noel Daley & Todd McCarthy combining throughout his career.
 
Perfect Sting

The much anticipated first group of Perfect String progeny will be presented by Macca Lodge when five weanlings by the son of Always B Miki will walk through the ring. Not only is the two-time divisional horse of the year by a World Champion, but he is also out of a World Champion in Shebestingin who set a mark as a three-year-old filly of 1.47 at The Red Mile in 2013.

Perfect Sting was an unbeaten two-year-old with an ideal ten for ten, before banking $1million dollars at three headlined by his second Breeders Crown success.

His progeny in North America were eagerly sought after during last year’s sales series, including a $460,000 highlight lot during session one of the famed Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. As part of that day one sitting, Perfect Sting was second on the gross sale price rankings, only behind Captaintreacherous.
 
King Of The North

King Of The North’s three lots present an exceptionally exciting opportunity for the trotting enthusiast, with the dominant sire line of North American trotting now available ‘Down Under’.

Walner has created as large an impression as any trotting sire in recent times, so much so that he has been near on impossible to obtain for breeders in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, having access to one of his most successful sons is an immense opportunity in itself.

With Walner being by breed shaper Chapter Seven, King Of The North finds himself in rare air, while his maternal side lacks for nothing as his dam Check Me Out was the star of her generation with $1.9million in earnings to show for it.
 
E L Titan

Pat Driscoll’s investment in Southern Hemispherical trotting knows no bounds, and that statement was only further enhanced when he purchased E L Titan back in 2023 to make Australia his new home.

Muscle Hill has been an immense success story, siring 19 millionaires after his illustrious racing career which netted over $3.2 million dollars. Now establishing himself as a sire of sires, E L Titan’s availability to Australian and New Zealand breeders has created great interest.

E L Titan raced the best of his age group as a two and three-year-old where he boasts victories over the likes of Trixton and Father Patrick, and set a lifetime mark of 1.51.4.
 
Ecurie D

Ecurie D offers a unique opportunity as a trotting stallion who dominated in both Europe and North America throughout his career.

The son of Infinitif was able to win all seven starts as a three-year-old in Europe, and his first eleven career starts straight. Late in his five-year-old season he was shipped to North America where he joined the Svanstedt operation and went on to win several high quality contests including back-to-back Breeders Crown titles.

Whilst his on track successes spoke for themself, his gait was quite phenomenal, and the lack of gear worn throughout his career only further enhances his potential as a sire by hopefully throwing that same natural action into his progeny.

Yabby Dam Farm have again thrown their support behind this newcomer, bringing three of his weanlings from Australia to offer to buyers, including a relation to dual-hemisphere star Callmethebreeze.

All weanlings by first-season sires offered at the sale are Next Gen eligible.