GROUP QUINELLA FOR SKYVALLEY - October 2018
By Peter Wharton
Our leading sire SKYVALLEY produced the quinella pair, Tornado Valley and Sky Petite, in the Group 3 $20,000 Aldebaran Park Chris Howe Trotters Free-for-all at Cranbourne!
Tornado Valley, who started from the back row and raced wide throughout, eclipsed the 2555 metres track record with a brilliant 2:00.3 rating, the last 800 in a stunning 57 seconds.
A fortnight earlier the gelding led and made a one-act affair of the Group 1 Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint at Melton, rating a slick 1:55.7 over 1720 metres with the final 800 in 56!
Tornado Valley boasts a bankroll of $281,787 and is clearly the leading money-winning trotter racing in Australia today, while Sky Petite ($201,285) is the second richest trotting mare currently racing.
The highly promising Aldebaran Crescent and the ultra-consistent Fear Not (by SKYVALLEY) provided a breeding quinella for Aldebaran Park at Melton on October 26. Aldebaran Crescent (ex Maori Road) led and hoisted a fresh lifetime mark of 1:59.3 over 1720 metres in posting her third win from her season’s five starts.
Fear Not (ex Aldebaran Maori) notched her fourth success at Kilmore a week earlier.
Scenic Sky, who earned a new speed badge of 1:58.4 at Menangle, Flash Skyvalley (3 wins from 7 starts) and Picketts Ridge (Invercargill, NZ) have been other SKYVALLEY winners for the month.
Light The Flame, a mare owned by Aldebaran Park and the Thackeray family, continued her march through the grades at Globe Derby Park winning three races in the space of 19 days and advancing her life tally to nine successes.
Congratulations to young Western District horsewoman Jackie Barker, who won the 2017/18 Aldebaran Park Monte Riders Championship. Jackie received a return air ticket to Europe to work in a stable and gain international experience from Duncan McPherson at the Gordon Rothacker Medal Dinner, making it the most valuable prize on the night.
Aldebaran Park has thrown its weight behind the inaugural Harness Racing Australia National Conference to be held in Melbourne on December 14. The Conference will have renowned Canadian horseman Jody Jamieson as its keynote speaker, along with other international guests.
The following foals were born at our Nagambie property in October:
Backina Lifetime (Bathurst Gold Coronet) - Skyvalley colt
Mason Magic (daughter of ID champion Sumthingaboutmaori)- Skyvalley filly
Yankee Sister (half to Cold Sister) - Love You colt
Kyvalley Aldebaran NZ (half to Skyvalley & Allegro Agitato)- Trixton filly
Jingling Silver (Vic. Trotters Derby)- Skyvalley colt
Aspenglow USA (dam of Cold Sister) - Muscle Hill filly