ALDEBARAN PARK NEWS UPDATE - JULY 2018

By Peter Wharton

Aldebaranwalkabout, a colt bred and reared at Aldebaran Park out of a mare imported from North America, has become the fastest two-year-old trotter ever bred in Australia.

The youngster put up the historic mile in 1:56.4 – a full three seconds inside the previous standard – winning a qualifier at The Meadowlands, New Jersey on July 28. He is due to make his first raceday start in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes heat on August 10 at The Meadows.

By Muscle Hill, Aldebaranwalkabout is the first foal out of Aldebaran Turnpike USA (tr 1:59.6), a dual Melton winning daughter of Cantab Hall. Aldebaran Turnpike USA has since produced a filly foal by Trixton and is carrying a positive test to resident sire ALDEBARAN EAGLE USA with result of the mating being a subject of Harness Breeders Victoria’s Follow The Foal program, sponsored by Aldebaran Park.

SKYVALLEY’s outstanding son Tornado Valley posted his 10th win for the season and his ninth at Group level when he led throughout in the Group 3 Noopy Kiosk Free-for-all at Melton in a career-best 1:55.6 over 1720 metres highlighted by a flying 56.5 last 800. The win advanced his stake tally to a whopping $241,887, of which $170,940 has been earned since September 1, 2017.

Tornado Valley was one of seven individual winners left by SKYVALLEY during July. They included a trio of Aldebaran Park-breds in Aldebaran Pete (ex Aldebaran Deegan NZ), a promising three-year-old gelding who notched his fourth success, On Fast Forward (ex Aldebaranfavorite), a double Maryborough winner, and Aldebaran Poppy (ex Aldebaran Revenue).

Other SKYVALLEY winners were the three-year-old Reils, who made it eight wins in 19 starts at Kilmore, Kyvalley Topcat (1:59.7, Melton) and the Auckland, NZ victor Mr Good And Evil. Reils and another product of SKYVALLEY, Myrtle Vale, both finished third in their respective Group 1 $90,000 Aldebaran Park Vicbred Finals.

SKYVALLEY has been represented by 38 winners and progeny earnings of $920,000 to date this season.

The Swedish-bred star YIELD BOKO, whose frozen semen is available via Aldebaran Park, sired his fourth winner from his first Australian crop of 15 foals when Aldebaran Alex (ex Maori Lindy) emerged successful at Ballarat.

Tiavons Dream, a gelding part-owned by Aldebaran Park, hoisted his 15th success and took his stake earnings to beyond $130,000 winning a Seelite Winter Trotters Cup heat in 1:59.1 at Melton, while Chezmac, a two-year-old pacing filly bred by Aldebaran Park out of Ally McBlossom, saluted for the second time at Newcastle in 1:59.5