STANDARDBRED

Sires feature prominently at Millions for Westbury Draft.

The past five days have seen close to 900 individual yearlings offered at the 2012 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, and while the average and aggregate were marginally down from last year's results there was definitely still some fair trading carried out over the course of the sale.

Several sires that are to be represented amongst Westbury Stud's draft in two weeks at the Karaka Yearling sale proved to sell extremely well at the Australian sale and could boast some confidence into potential buyers following their success in the ring and on the track.

Notably the first season sires were received extremely well over the course of the sale including three in particular whose first crop will also be offered through the draft of Westbury. These sires involve Group 1 Golden Slipper & and Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes winner Sebring, Group 1 Deauville Prix Morny winner Myboycharlie, and Group 1 Longchamp Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Astronomer Royal.

The Widden Stud stood sire, Sebring, was represented by 29 yearlings at the Magic Millions and returned an encouraging average of A$154,423. His top lot, Lot 399, was purchased for A$450,000 by Ronstel TBS and was offered on account of Murrulla Stud.

Also a Sebring yearling of significance was Lot 462 that sold for A$310,000 to Victoria's leading trainer Peter Moody (Moody Racing). This colt purchased is from the unraced Zeditave mare Assertive Sound who is a very close relation to that of More Assertive, who is the dam of Lot 339 in the Westbury Stud Premier Draft.

Both these yearlings share the same third dam Sommes Sound who is the dam of champion Australian two-year-old Assertive Lad and dual Group 1 winner Assertive Lass. Assertive Lass has also made a name for herself as a star broodmare having sired unbeaten dual Group 1 winner Reset, Hong Kong Group 3 winner Dynamic Blitz, and Group 3 winner So Assertive.

More Assertive's chestnut filly is by young Redoute's Choice sire Stratum who is the sire of 9 individual stakes winners from three crops of racing age, this includes the recently deceased Group 1 Golden Slipper winning filly Crystal Lily.

Stratum also enjoyed two tidy winners on Saturday with Stratford winning the Magic Millions Plate over 1200m and Ravenous Lass winning the Tauto Handicap over 1000m at Flemington.

Myboycharlie was represented at the Gold Coast by ten individual yearlings and recorded a tidy selling average of A$121,000 with his top lot, Lot 623, dropping to the hammer of A$170,000 to Michael Kent of Victoria.

High profile judges including Gai Waterhouse, David Hayes and Anthony Freedman were all investors in the progeny of Myboycharlie at the sale.

Westbury Stud will be offering two yearlings at the Karaka Yearling sale from the first season sire with Lot 709 and Lot 978 both being represented in the Select Session.

Astronomer Royal only provided two produce at the sale although both made profitable margins considering his A$8,800 service fee. Lot 526 was his top seller purchased by Greg Eurell from Victoria for A$260,000, while his second yearling fetched A$85,000 giving him an average of A$172,500.

Westbury Stud will be offering two colts and one filly in the Select session while one colt will be offered in the Festival session of the Karaka yearling sale.

Fastnet Rock, current leading Australian sire for the season, was heavily represented again providing 29 yearlings of the sale with a booming selling average of A$255,370.

Fastnet Rock produced the top lot on account of Edinburgh Park with the colt selling for an AStute A$960,000 to Demi O'Byrne & James Bester.

Fastnet Rock will be represented by three individual colts through the Westbury Stud Premier yearling draft and you can expect his produce to be well received, his recent success in the Magic Million 2YO Classic with Driefontain and the Magic Millions Country Cup with Onetimeatbandcamp on Saturday is sure to only enhance his climbing status.