The ranks of hobby breeders come from all walks of life, but Hunter Valley enthusiast Wayne Hamilton has a background that is a little outside the typical path.
Hamilton is a former officer with the Royal Australian Navy, working on frigates and destroyers for almost two decades. He spent time in active war zones in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
After leaving the Navy in 2009, Hamilton got married and bought a 100 acre property at Ellalong near Cessnock and started to build his standardbred portfolio with his wife Eliza.
“Cigano is definitely the best one that we’ve bred so far,” Wayne said.
The Poster Boy entire has won seven of his 12 starts including heats of the Nutrien Sales Classics at two and three and amassed over $80,000 in stakes.
“Cigano’s not too far removed from the colt that’s in the sale this year,” Wayne said. “The Art Major colt is a half-sister to Cigano’s dam Frankincense.
“We bought Frankincense as a foal and she went on to win eight races.”
Listed as Lot 230, the colt hails from the same family as the dual Vicbred champion Rocknrolla, the Vicbred Final placegetter Fourbigmen, the WA Christmas Gift winner Firerockfireroll and Nightn Georgia (Vic. Sapling).
“The colt is a cracker. He’s a stunner,” Wayne, who heads the Pacific region for a global organisation in ship classification and offshore safety and verification, said.
The other half of the Hamilton draft is Lot 221, a black filly by the exciting, young sire Captain Crunch and one of only two fillies by the Captaintreacherous horse at the Sydney sale.
Boasting three strains of the immortal Artsplace, the filly is the second foal of the SA Oaks runner-up Miss Iconic, a sister by Art Major to the SA Kindergarten Stakes winner Bayview Harbour and a half-sister to the prolific Gloucester Park winner Franco Western.
She’s from the immediate family of horses the calibre of the Miracle Mile Sprint winner Wolf Stride (1:49.1), the Breeders Crown champion Lilac Stride and the Group winning fillies Cherry Stride and Lewinsky Franco, to name only a few.
Both are being prepared by Gary and Louise Toulmin, of Oakbank Estate, Clarendon, near Ballarat, who have an outstanding record with sale youngsters.
For further details of these or any other lots in the Sydney Yearling Sale then please check out the Online Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today!
