The tough Aldebaran Park bred and raised Aldebaranstilinski (Sebastian K Swe – Aldebaran Sky) is the one to beat in the Listed $27,000 Jim McNeil Trotting Championship Final at Albion Park following victories in both rounds of heats of the Listed classic.

The five-year-old made light work of a 20-metre handicap in both heats and looks certain to add substantially to his $60,000 bankroll in next Saturday night’s Final.

Skyvalley NZ, the leading colonial bred trotting sire, left an amazing 10 individual winners in January and is now a clear second on all aged winner’s premiership.

The haul included three ‘new’ winners in the three-year-olds Spirited Gigi and Muscle Valley and the four-year-old Calder’s Revenge. 

Repeat winners by Skyvalley NZ were Mac Flick (1:57.3), Rarity Rock (1:58.5), Golden Skies, Sky Spirit, Tamzen Rose, Sky Lindy and Castles In The Sky.

Skyvalley NZ also ranks as the damsire of the track record-breaking $30,000 Shepparton Trotters Cup winner Im Bobby (ex Aldebaran Peggy), the Aldebaran Park bred Abbie (ex Aldebaran Peggy), winner of the Goulburn Valley Regional Trotters Cup, the Melton winner Keayang Gypsy (1:57.1), Midnite Muscle and the Cambridge, NZ winner Viscount Mackendon.

Aldebaran Eagle USA was represented by Mystery Fred, the Aldebaran Park bred and part-owned Gloucester Park winner Aldebaran Jensen (ex Endsino), the Aldebaran Park bred Gloucester Park and Pinjarra pacing winner Jaspervellabeach 1:56.5 and 1:57.6 (ex Aldebaran Bromac NZ), the Horsham pacing winner Huxham Chubb (1:57.6) and the multiple Group 1 winning mare Rockinwithattitude.

With the 2025/26 stud season finished Aldebaran Park wishes to thank our clients both in Australia and New Zealand for their patronage of our stallions Calgary Games, Maharajah and Dancinginthedark M USA, who were all available via frozen semen in Australia, Aldebaran Zeus whose fresh/chilled semen was available in Australia and NZ, Skyvalley NZ, who was available to Australian breeders with fresh/chilled semen and Aldebaran Eagle USA, whose frozen semen was available to NZ breeders.

We wish all clients every success with their resultant progeny.

Aldebaran Park’s attention now turns to the 2026 Yearling Sales in both Australia and NZ with the initial offering being at the NZB Christchurch Sale on February 18. 

It is Lot 217, Aldebaran Cinders NZ, a striking Dancinginthedark M USA colt out of the six- win, $89,223 winning mare Aldebaran Flame NZ and is her first foal. He is being prepared at Rosedale Farm by Ken and Anne Marie Spicer and inspection is welcomed. Contact Ken Spicer on 03 322 8736 or mobile 021 152 5762.

For full details click on the link below:

https://www.aldebaranpark.com/pages/yearling-and-trotting-sales/2026-nzb-standardbred-national-yearling-sale-christchurch

Following the NZ sale Aldebaran Lodge is offering a large draft both for ourselves and clients at the Nutrien Equine Sale to be held at Oaklands Junction in April. Full details will soon be available on the Aldebaran Park website and in next month’s Newsletter.

If you have any queries regarding the upcoming yearlings to be offered at the Nutrien sale contact the stud manager Danny Thackeray on 0407 223 819 or Principal Duncan McPherson OAM 0412 387 062 to arrange an inspection.

by Peter Wharton for Harnesslink