Bruce and Vicki Edward’s Durham Park Standardbreds has been one of the largest and most successful vendors at Victorian yearling sales for more than a decade.
Among the host of ‘black type’ performers they have bred and sold at the sales are the Auckland Cup and Harness Jewels victor Turn It Up ($928,525), Barimah ($477,144), the NSW Derby winner Ideal For Real ($324,600), the Bathurst Gold Chalice winner Idyllic ($226,448), Makoa ($210,747), Oneonthewood ($216,552), Askmeilltellya (WA Diamond Classic) and the SA Southern Cross winner Treasure.
All told, horses bred off their 400 acre property have won more than 1200 races and $14 million in stakes at an average of $94,000 per winner. They have bought out 42 winners of $100,000 or more and the winners of 16 Group 1 races.
Next autumn Durham Park Standardbreds will break new ground with their first ever consignment to the Nutrien Equine’s Sydney Yearling Sale at Warwick Farm on Sunday, March 9.
Their seven-strong entry – four colts and three fillies – is spearheaded by an all-American bred filly by supersire Bettor’s Delight from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Farady Hanover USA (Lot 124) and a filly by the champion USA colt pacer Tall Dark Stranger from the Australasian record-breaking two-year-old filly Heavens Trend (Lot 145).
The Bettor’s Delight filly provides prospective purchasers with a rare opportunity to buy into one of North America’s top ranking maternal families. She is the first foal of the race-winning Farady Hanover (1:54.6), a $450,000 yearling herself and who ranks as a sister to the Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover 1:48.2 ($1.8 million).
Furthermore, Farady Hanover’s grand-dam, Galleria (1:49.2), was a champion racemare and broodmare. She won 22 races including the Breeders Crown and $1.8 million in stakes and was awarded the USA 3YO Filly of the Year and USA and Canadian Aged Mare of the Year.
At the stud Galleria left nine winners from nine starters including the Breeders Crown winner Sandbetweenmytoes 1:48.6 ($805,075) and the world champion Gallie Bythe Beach 1:49 ($749,898), dam of Galleria Hanover (1:49.4).
Lot 145 is a daughter of the USA Horse of the Year Tall Dark Stranger 1:47.2 ($2 million) and one of the second crop of the Bettor’s Delight horse.
Her dam, Heavens Trend, won 21 races - eight at Group/Listed level – and $385,683 including the NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO final in an Australasian record 1:52.1, the Victoria Youthful Stakes, Shakamaker Classic and the Breeders Crown 4YO Final.
Heavens Trend has a 100 percent record at the stud, producing four foals for four winners – all inside 2:00. Her progeny includes this season’s Vicbred Super Series 2YO Final winner Ivseenheavenslight 1:54.7 ($121,700) and the metropolitan victors Captain Tom (1:51.6) and Heavenly Sign 1:54.5 ($109,903).
Interestingly, the first three dams of the filly have left 24 foals between them for 18 winners with 14 in 2:00.
Durham Park’s nine prong draft for the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale on April 13 includes a Bettor’s Delight filly out of the multiple Group 1 winner Kualoa 1:55.8 ($323,940) and thus bred on the identical cross as Leap To Fame, Tall Dark Stranger and Max Delight
She is listed as Lot 238.
The Victorian 2YO and 3YO Filly of the Year, Kualoa captured the Vicbred Final at both 2 and 3 and the Victoria Youthful Stakes and was runner-up in the Breeders Crown 2YO Final and Victoria Oaks.
Kualoa was a sister to three $100,000 earners including Makoa 1:52 ($210,747) and the dual Group 1 placegetter Jemstone, their dam, the imported mare Hawiian Hottie, being a half-sister to the top flight American pacers Maltese Artist 1:48.6 ($2.3 million) and Artesian (1:49.4).
