Close relatives capture Yabby Dam Farms 2YO Classics

The sensational unbeaten youngster Verbici and Arete Virtue, who won their respective $75,000 Yabby Dam Farms 2YO Classics at Menangle last Saturday, are members of the same harness racing family.

Verbici, who has won all eight starts to date for $184,204, is a gelding by the leading percentage sire Orlandi Vici out of the Listed Bathurst Gold Coronet winner Verbier, a Dream Vacation mare.

Arete Virtue, the longshot winner of the fillies’ decider, is an all-American bred filly, being by the Breeders Crown champion On A Streak, and one of the first Australian crop of the Cantab Hall horse, from the Andover Hall mare Let’s Be Happy. Thus she carries two strains of the blood of influential broodmare Kenwood Scamper.

Let’s Be Happy left seven individual winners including the Breeders Crown champion Val Gardena and the cups winners Endsin A Party and Chateaubriant as well as Verbier, the dam of Verbici.

The progeny of Let’s Be Happy has won 40 races and $403,725 in stakes.

Val Gardena ranks as the mother of the Vicbred champion Gardena Ronda, the Vicbred Homegrown 2YO Classic winner and Oaks placegetter Iron Women and the multiple Albion Park victor Cascata.

Verbici was bred by Yabby Dam Farms Sales and Administration manager Louise Toulmin and was knocked down for the top price for a trotting colt of $75,000 at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale in 2025. He is the second foal of his dam.

Orlando Vici, the sire of Verbici, has a 100 percent record at the stud in Australia with 26 winners from 26 starters from 36 foals of racing age including the superstar trotter Just Believe, Brandlo Prince, Cravache Dor, Orlando Storm and Visionary.

Aerete Virtue’s sire On A Streak, who is based at Wai Eyre Farm in Christchurch, is the leading first season sire in Australia – regardless of gait – with progeny earnings of $208,961 (as at October 12).

Among his offspring are the brilliant filly Bumper Crop, a winner of four of her five starts including the Listed $75,000 Nutrien Sales Series Classic at Wagga, and Chief Kenny, who finished runner-up to Verbici in the Yabby Dam Farms Classic.

Arete Virtue was bred and is raced and trained by NSW Southern Tablelands horseman Grant Forrest.

by Peter Wharton, for Harnesslink