Big Victorian awards double

Aldebaran Park received two major awards at the 2026 Victorian Harness Racing Awards Night at Melton Entertainment Park in March.

Duncan McPherson OAM, the owner-principal of Aldebaran Park, was awarded the prestigious Gordon Rothacker Medal, the highest individual honour in the sport in Victoria.

The Award recognizes Duncan’s outstanding contributions to Victorian harness racing as the head of Aldebaran Park, his tireless promotion of trotting, internationalisation of the breed and for founding the Team Teal campaign which has raised more than $3.5 million.

https://www.harness.org.au/media-room/news-article/?news_id=72821

The Aldebaran Park bred Harperseven (Helpisontheway USA-Aldebaran Turnpike USA) was named the 2025 Victorian and Australian 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year on the back of successes in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series and the Listed APG Melbourne Graduate Series.

Meanwhile on the track, Aldebaran Park sired performers shone in important races in two different States.

The Dark Thunder (by Skyvalley NZ) captured the Wangaratta and Boort Trotters Cups, Aldebaran Dexta (Aldebaran Eagle USA – Aldebaran Deegan NZ) won the Gawler Hambletonian Trotters Cup to lift his stake earnings over the $100,000 mark and the three-year-old Muscle Valley (by Skyvalley NZ) took out the Mount Gambier Trotters Cup.

Skyvalley NZ, the leading colonial bred trotting sire for over a decade, led in six individual winners during March. Besides The Dark Thunder and Muscle Valley, he was represented by the winners Attracted, Butler’s Wharf, Kiss At Midnight and Lady Suspicious.

He also figured as the damsire of the winners I Am Hellbound (1:55 and 1:55.2), Straight To Thetop, Coltrane, Midnite Muscle (1:59.4), Shinelikethesun and the Auckland, New Zealand victor M’Lady Mackendon.

Aldebaran Eagle USA was represented by seven winners for the month. They included Aldebaran Dexta, Rockinwithattitude, who notched win No. 22 at Melton, Night Flight (2:00), Bet Bet Hotshot (2:00), the international winners Lair Of The Eagle, who clocked 1:57.4 at Saratoga Raceway, New York, and Eagle Hanover (Manawatu, NZ) and the pacer Huxham Chubb.

Skyvalley NZ (3rd) and Aldebaran Eagle USA (7th) are again riding high on this season’s sire premiership.

Aldebaran Park bred six winners during March headed up by Aldebaranstilinski (ex Aldebaran Sky), a winner of four out of seven at Albion Park this season, Aldebaran Brooke (ex Excellent Boko Swe), who joined the ‘$100,000 Club’ with her Melton success, and Aldebaran Dexta.

Other stud bred winners were Aldebaran Marcus (ex Naked Majesty), Father Ned (ex Big O E Nz), who won at Winton in NZ, and Lair Of The Eagle (ex Never Never Land).

 

2026 Nutrien Melbourne Yearling Sale

Aldebaran Lodge is offering a large draft both for ourselves and clients at the Nutrien Sale to be held at Oaklands Junction on Saturday, April 11 and Sale Day Sunday, April 12. Full details are available on the Aldebaran Park website – refer to the link below.

https://www.aldebaranpark.com/pages/yearling-and-trotting-sales

If you have any queries regarding the upcoming yearlings to be offered at the Nutrien Sale contact our stud manager Danny Thackeray on 0407 223 819 or principal Duncan McPherson OAM on 0412 387 062 to arrange inspections. Aldebaran Lodge welcome the opportunity to showcase our world class genetics.

by Peter Wharton for Harnesslink