The buoyant state of the industry in South Australia and the entry of Australian Pacing Gold into the yearling sales arena has Allenby Lodge studmaster Steve Norman looking forward with some optimism to the APG SA Yearling Sale at Magic Millions on Sunday, March 23 and with five well bred youngsters in their draft, this optimism seems well founded.
Norman said: “The SA industry is as buoyant as it’s been for a long time. It is not as good as it was in the 1980’s but back then we expected things to be good. Now we don’t but we are actually getting some really good numbers going forward in our turnover, our horse numbers and virtually every metric you want to measure by. SA is on the way up.”
“The entry of APG to the State allows yearling vendors to have the access to APG’s massive database and its marketing prowess. The BOTRA has done a great job up to this point but the access to APG gives SA another add-on to what’s happening here at the moment,” he continues.
“I believe it’s a great initiative that I know that BOTRA has been behind and I think there’s a great deal of optimism on my part for the success of the sale.
“The Adelaide sale also provides Victorians who may have missed out in buying a yearling in their home State with an opportunity to buy into the APG sales-race series.”
Allenby Lodge’s entire draft are by their resident stallion the Art Major horse Major Secret, a winner of 22 races and $464,872 including the Vicbred 2YO Final, NSW Derby and Geelong and Tasmania Cups. He is now a leading percentage sire with the Southern Cross winner Bay Jim Major and Star Man leading the vanguard.
The first of the Allenby consignment is Lot 502, a strongly built colt out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Blue Beach Angel (1:57.1), a half-sister to the NSW Evolution winner True Confessions (1:53.1) and a close relative of the Breeders Crown placegetter One Big Shew 1:51.9 ($106,782) and the top Tasmanian pacer Believe In Forever 1:54.9 ($210,992).
Next is Lot 504, a half-brother to the SA Kindergarten and Sapling Stakes victor Rupert Ross, being out of the 15-win mare Closure, a daughter of the SA Oaks winner Really Can Scoot.
“He’s a big, rangy colt who is very sensible. He seems certain to have a lot of lookers,” Norman said.
Lot 506, a neat, compact colt, is a son of the handy racemare For The Corz NZ, a half-sister to five winners including the ‘Cups King’ Im Corzin Terror 1:52.2 ($513,219), Corza Commotion ($94,255) and to the dam of the dual Group 2 NSW winner Gordon’s Bay 1:51.7 ($238,427).
Allenby Lodge are also presenting two yearlings for clients Shane and Michelle Collins.
Lot 508, an attractive bay filly, is out of the 11-win Live Or Die mare Genuine Excuse NZ (1:57.1), whose dam is a half-sister to the dual NZ Cup winner and NZ Hall of Famer Just An Excuse.
The other is Lot 513, a colt from the successful Betterthancheddar mare Nikk’s Pick, a half-sister to the Group placegetters Mister Sheedy 1:52 ($85,688) and Jorg Is Best (1:55.6) and a member of the same family as the top flight pacers Vincent, Kept For Pleasure, Full Pleasure and Nowitski.
“He’s a beautiful big, rangy colt,” Steve said.
For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Adelaide Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today!
