September 13-2026
Captaintreacherous and Stay Hungry Registered in NSW.
Empire Stallions has announced that leading sires Captaintreacherous and Stay Hungry have both been officially registered as New South Wales stallions for the 2026–27 breeding season.
The move provides an important incentive for breeders considering either stallion this season, with progeny resulting from mares served during 2026–27 becoming eligible for a range of lucrative NSW-bred programs.
Eligible progeny will have access to the NSW Breeders Challenge, Breeders Crown, Bathurst Gold Crown and NSW Breeders Challenge owner and breeder bonuses.
Subject to the individual conditions of each state-based scheme, progeny may also qualify for programs including Vicbred, QBred, WABred, TASBred, Southern Cross and the True Blue Bonus.
The NSW registration of two of the world’s leading pacing sires adds another significant incentive for Australian breeders using Captaintreacherous and Stay Hungry during the current breeding season.
August 12-2026
South Australian-Bred Pacers Make Their Mark at Ararat
Sunday’s meeting at Ararat may have been staged in Victoria, but there was a distinct South Australian flavour to proceedings, with four winners providing another strong advertisement for the State’s breeding industry.
Trainer Rebecca East, who is based just over the South Australian border, enjoyed an outstanding afternoon with a winning treble — all three pacers being bred and owned by South Australian interests.
The day started in perfect fashion when Gold In Paris captured the opening event.
The pacer is owned by prominent South Australian breeder Peter Medhurst and was bred by Peter and his late wife Lesley Medhurst.
Medhurst’s colours were back in the winner’s circle later in the afternoon when Sporty Rocks took out race six, completing a winning double for the long-time South Australian breeder and owner.
East’s treble was completed by Grinning Beach Boy, another pacer carrying strong South Australian breeding credentials.
Grinning Beach Boy was bred and is owned by South Australian Jack Panagiotou and is by Sunshine Beach from the unraced mare Kiss And Grin.
While Kiss And Grin never raced, there is plenty of performance in the maternal family. Her dam Kiss Me Monty produced six winners, headed by Milliondollar Kiss, who earned $104,865 during her racing career.
But the South Australian assault on Ararat wasn’t finished there.
Exciting Vincent filly Bay La Ville added another victory for the Croweaters, scoring for Adam, Ben and Terry Cormack.
The homebred filly is building an impressive record, with Sunday’s victory her second win from just three starts.
Bay La Ville had signalled her ability immediately, winning on debut at Kilmore, and her latest success suggests there could be plenty more ahead for the lightly raced youngster.
Four winners, including a training treble, made it an afternoon to remember for the South Australian connections.
More importantly, the results again showcased the quality of horses being bred by South Australian breeders.
Whether competing at home or interstate, South Australian-bred horses continue to make their presence felt — once again proving the State punches well above its weight in the breeding barn and on the racetrack.
August 20-2926
Tough Going for Sellers in APG Winter Mixed Online Sale
The latest APG Winter Mixed Online Sale concluded last night, with the results again highlighting the challenges facing participants looking to move horses and breeding stock surplus to their requirements.
A total of 87 lots were offered, but only 21 changed hands, generating total sales of $95,000.
The clear sale-topper was broodmare Kept In Play, offered in foal to Cattlewash (USA). She was purchased by Success Stud for $30,000.
The second-highest price came for a Pebble Beach (USA) weanling colt out of the Christian Cullen mare Whatahottie, which sold for $16,000.
Those were the only two lots to reach five figures.
At the other end of the market, the results underlined just how difficult it can be for participants to find buyers for horses they no longer require.
Of the 21 lots sold, 10 changed hands for $1,000 or less, including five lots that sold for just $300.
While the better-quality breeding stock was still capable of attracting solid interest, the overall clearance rate paints a much tougher picture for vendors attempting to sell stock at the lower end of the market.
With just 21 of the 87 lots finding new homes, the sale provides another indication of the challenges currently confronting owners and breeders when it comes time to move on surplus stock.
August 19-2026
Come On Billie Keeps Famous Family Legacy Alive
When three-year-old Come On Billie broke through for his maiden victory at Gawler on Monday at his 14th career start, the win carried far more significance than simply getting his name on the winners’ list.
Come On Billie was the final live foal produced by Whatacorka, who died last year at the grand age of 27, bringing another winner to the remarkable legacy of one of South Australia’s most enduring standardbred families.
During her lengthy career in the breeding barn, Whatacorka produced 10 live foals, with seven becoming winners.
The standout was undoubtedly the enormously popular Come On Frank, a genuine cult hero of South Australian harness racing.
Come On Frank faced the starter on an incredible 130 occasions, winning 61 races and being placed another 38 times — a remarkable record of durability and consistency that made him a favourite with harness racing followers.
Another of Whatacorka’s successful progeny was Whatabro, a winner of 28 races. He began his career with South Australian trainer Darren Billinger before later heading west to continue his racing career in Western Australia.
The Whatacorka influence remains evident on the racetrack today.
Her progeny still racing include four-year-old mare Bringusjoy, already a winner of three races, Twin Connection and now Come On Billie.
There was also a fitting family connection when Billinger recently celebrated his 600th training victory, with the milestone achieved by Twin Connection, another son of Whatacorka.
Uncork Established the Dynasty
While Whatacorka established an outstanding record as a broodmare in her own right, the family story goes back another generation to her dam, the outstanding Uncork.
Bred in New Zealand, Uncork was brought to South Australia in 1993 and proved herself an outstanding racemare before creating an even greater legacy in the breeding barn.
The daughter of Tuapeka Knight won 18 races during her own career, but it was as a broodmare that her influence became particularly significant.
Uncork produced an extraordinary 13 winners, including Saves A Corka, winner of the South Australian Oaks.
Saves A Corka subsequently continued the family tradition at stud, producing Aspiring Artist and Rap Artist, both winners of the Group 2 Southern Cross as two-year-olds.
Another member of the family, Our Little Artist, has further extended the dynasty as the dam of exciting pacer Loucasso, one of the leading contenders for The Eureka.
It is a family that has continued producing quality performers across several generations.
Come On Billie may never reach the extraordinary heights achieved by his famous half-brother Come On Frank, but his breakthrough victory at Gawler ensured the final foal from Whatacorka has now joined the family’s long list of winners.
More importantly, he is another link in a bloodline that continues to flourish more than three decades after Uncork arrived in South Australia.
For a family built on toughness, longevity and winners, the legacy of Uncork and Whatacorka is still very much alive.
July 27-2026
Some welcome relief for breeders with Harness Racing Australia confirming significant reductions to stallion registration fees ahead of the 2026/27 breeding season.
Under the revised structure, the existing registration framework will remain, but the fee rates will be reduced to:
- 10% for stallions domiciled outside Australia and New Zealand;
- 5% for New Zealand-based stallions and shuttle stallions standing in either Australia or New Zealand; and
- 0% for Australian-domiciled stallions, with no change to the current arrangements.
The annual registration fee for all pacing and trotting stallions will remain at $600 for the 2026/27 season. However, HRA has increased its component of horse naming fees from $50 to $100 per application. While the reduced stallion registration fees will be welcomed by breeders, the increase in naming fees is likely to offset some of those savings for participants.
Scoring Up 