Harness Whispers- August 26, 2026
Redcliffe Yearling Sale Comes to an End
Another long-running fixture on the Australian harness racing sales calendar will disappear in 2027, with the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club announcing it will not conduct its annual Yearling Sale.
The club cited a decline in entries over recent years, which it believes has been driven largely by the challenging economic climate facing breeders and participants.
The decision brings to an end a sale that had grown considerably since its humble beginnings in 2008.
The race series attached to the sale developed from an initial $30,000 concept into a series offering more than $175,000 in prizemoney, providing an important incentive for Queensland breeders, vendors and buyers.
The Redcliffe decision follows the announcement from Australian Pacing Gold (APG) that it will no longer conduct traditional live yearling sales around Australia.
With two established sales operations stepping away from the live auction ring, it raises further questions about how the Australian standardbred yearling sales landscape will evolve over the next few years.
Australians Active on Gavelhouse
While the traditional sales landscape continues to change, Australian buyers have been active on Gavelhouse’s fortnightly online auctions in recent months.
One purchase already delivering a return is three-year-old Imon, who recorded a victory at Wagga last Friday afternoon.
The win was the second for the well-related son of Vincent, who has now recorded two victories and a best time of 1:56, with earnings of $23,186.
Imon was picked up through the online auction system for relatively modest money after beginning his career in New Zealand, where he had four starts from the powerful Mark Purdon stable.
His Australian performances are another example of buyers finding value among lightly raced New Zealand horses being offered online.
Wesley Maintains Perfect Record
Wesley, a son of Sportswriter, continues to make every post a winner as a stallion.
His latest success came courtesy of Ignite The Furnace, who captured a heat of the Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-olds at Gloucester Park.
Wesley was himself a talented juvenile, winning at Group 2 level as a two-year-old during a career that produced 15 victories.
His early figures at stud certainly catch the eye.
From just nine live foals of racing age, Wesley has had five starters — and all five have won.
It’s only a small sample size, but a 100 per cent winners-to-starters strike rate is an encouraging beginning for the son of Sportswriter.
.
Scoring Up 