By Peter Wharton
Margaret Donohoe, the matriarch of Monarch Farm, is pinning her faith in colonial bred sires at the Garrard’s Redcliffe Yearling Sale on Sunday, March 24.
She will present two lovely colts at the sale, one by the New Zealand 4YO of the Year Tintin In America and the other by the $1.8 million winner Bling It On.
Lot 35, a chestnut colt by the world champion Shartin’s sire Tintin In America, is out of the smart race mare Gidup Tuscany Gold NZ (1:53.6), whose first four foals are all winners with three inside 2:00 including Downtown Lucca ($96,519).
Interestingly, the colt carries a 3x3 cross to super sire In The Pocket.
“He’s a nice, solid type with a good nature,” Donohoe said.
The other colt, lot four, is a product of the Australian 2YO and 3YO Colt of the Year Bling It On and The Falcon Strike mare Cupcake Gaby, a half-sister to the $100,000 winners All Time Great and All Time High.
“He has a nice nature, typical of the Bling It On’s. He’s got a presence about him,” Margaret said.
Monarch Farm has been one of Queensland’s leading standardbred nurseries for more than three decades.
Among the top performers bred and raised at the 230 acre property are the Paleface Adios Classic winner Hold Onto Ya Bling, last season’s $156,000 Albion Park Gold 2YO Final winner Balboa Rock, the Australian and Queensland Oaks winner All Promises, the Breeders Crown champion Tip Your Hat, the QBRED Triad winners Bettor Promise and Bettorthanspecial and the Seymour Nursery winners The Peace Maker and Terror Time.
All horses sold at the sale will be eligible to compete in the $175,000 Redcliffe Sale Race Classic for two-year-olds in 2025 and the $50,000 Sale Race Classic for three-year-olds in 2026.
Hard copy catalogues are available from the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club, all Garrard’s Horse & Hound stores or phone auctioneer Darren Ebert on 0410 688 176.
To view the online catalogue for the 2024 Garrard’s Redcliffe Yearling Sale logo onto www.darrenebertauctioneer.com.au