Top global genetics on offer at Nutrien Equine sale

Famous as a leader in global breeding, the Nagambie-based nursery Aldebaran Park, which is conducted by Melbourne breeder-owner Duncan McPherson OAM, has been a cornerstone of Australian trotting breeding since 2004.

Over the years the farm has bred and raised countless winners at the diagonal gait. The list includes the Breeders Crown champions Aldebaran Zeus and Kyvalley Kyrie, the Vicbred winners Harperseven and Aldebaran Eve and the Oaks winners Aldebaran Keepa, Aldebaran Ursula and Aldebaran Floss, to name only a few.

Aldebaran Park’s ‘Class of 2026’, to be offered at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale at Oaklands Junction on Sunday, April 12, is one of their best ever consignments, both on quality and quantity.

The 13-strong draft comprises seven colts and six fillies representing six different stallions.

Of special interest are the only two colts being offered at an Australian auction this year by the world champion juvenile and leading USA sire Walner, who commands a stud fee of $US50,000.

Lot 198, Aldebaran Raptor, is a stunning colt by Walner and the only one by the Chapter Seven horse to be offered in the southern hemisphere with an all-American pedigree. The colt is the first foal of the Donato Hanover mare Aldebaran Revani USA, a 1:52 Menangle winning daughter of the Stakes-winning Cantab Hall mare Coffeecake Hanover.

The other Walner colt is Lot 230, Aldebaran Tobbe, a product of the Swedish bred mare Aldebaran Teal Swe, dam of the three-time Swedish winner For Sure Aldebaran Swe and a member of a Swedish family chock full of Group and $100,000 winners.

Adding to the European theme, Lot 266, Aldebaran Chanel, is a filly by the European and Swedish Derby winner, Swedish Horse of the Year and gun young sire Calgary Games. 

The striking filly, who boasts a desirable 3×3 cross to the great Ready Cash, is the first foal of Aldebaran Bardot Swe and is the only Swedish bred filly ever to be offered at a sale in the southern hemisphere.

Tactical Landing, the sire of the Hambletonian winners Karl and Tactical Approach and the 2025 Australian 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year Mecarno, has a single colt in the sale in Aldebaran Mike (Lot 332).

The classy, athletic brown colt ranks as a half-brother to the Group 1 winner Aldebaran Misty, the APTS Classic winner Aldebaran Miley and a brother to Aldebara Emjay, who fetched $82,500 at last year’s sale and qualified on Monday night at Bendigo. 

A colt from the first crop of Walner’s world champion son, the USA 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year and the fastest ever three-year-old Breeders Crown champion King Of The North will go under the hammer as Lot 181. 

Named Aldebaran Major, the strongly built colt is from the nine-win Majestic Son mare Naked Majesty, a sister to the Group 2 NSW Trotters Cup winner War Dan Destroyer and a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Naked Ambition and the $100,000 earner Zhenya.

Naked Majesty’s first two foals are both winners namely, Avenel Eagle (5 wins) and Aldebaran Marcus, a winner at Shepparton on Tuesday night.

Aldebaran Park resident sire Dancinginthedark M, the fastest trotter ever imported ‘down under’ with a record of 1:49.6, is represented by three colts and five fillies from his second crop. They are:

Lot 197 – Aldebaran Peppa – a filly from the $100,000 winning Majestic Son mare Regal Pepperell, a multiple country cups-winning half-sister to five winners 

Lot 207 – Aldebaran Sienna – a filly out of a half-sister to Australasia’s equal fastest trotter Maori Time and the Inter Dominion champion Maori Law

Lot 208 – Aldebaran Sabrina – a half-sister to last season’s three-year-old winner Aldebaran Sue from a Muscle Hill half-sister to Maori Time and Maori Law

Lot 217 – Aldebaran Sasha – a half-sister to the Group winning Queensland trotter Aldebaranstilinski

Lot 228 – Aldebaran Timmy – from a Trixton half-sister to the 2025 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year Harperseven and a three-quarter sister to Aldebaranwalkabout 1:55

Lot 252 – Aldebaran Amee – a filly from the Group 3 Lyn McPherson Memorial Breed For Speed Silver winner Aldebaran Alissa. Her grand-dam is a half-sister to nine winners including the NZ Derby winners Ima Gold Digger and Shirley Temple

Lot 276 – Aldebaran Luke – a colt out of the cups-winning mare Charming Lavra, whose dam is a half-sister to the Inter Dominion champion and Australian and NZ Trotter of the Year Delft

Lot 338 – Aldebaran Matt – a colt with an all-American pedigree, being out of a Muscle Hill mare from the family of the USA Breeders Crown champions Musical Victory and Lookout Victory and the Elitlopp winner Magic Tonight

Aldebaran Park is also preparing a quartet of well bred yearlings for stud clients.

Ash Haynes, the man behind the ‘Phoenix’ moniker, has nominated a Dancinginthedark M filly from a Muscle Hill half-sister to the dual Group 1 winning two-year-old Princess Phoenix and to the dams of the 2YO Trotting Colt of the Year Eljaykay Phoenix, the Trotters Oaks winner She’s Ruby Roo and the Inter Dominion heat winner Ofortuna as Lot 91.

Prominent breeder David Scott is represented by a King Of The North filly (Lot 249) out of The Redwood winner and Trotting Broodmare of the Year Elusive Charm, dam of the Group 1 two-year-old winners Is That A Bid and Cognati.

Lot 335, being offered by Jason Ross and Triple A Racing, is a Captain Crunch filly from an Art Major sister to the Grand Circuit performer War Dan Buddy and a close relative of the Group 1 winners Bamako Mali and Sheezallattitude.

Completing the Aldebaran Park line-up is Lot 254, a half-brother by Ride High to the dual Nutrien Sales Classic Final placegetter Ignite The Fire. Consigned by Larry Walls, the colt belongs to the same family as the Western Crown Classic winner Ideal Tyson, the APG winner Sweetheart Bart and the NSW Sapling Stakes victor Hezatreacherous.

From Yabby Dam Farms