Like a kid in a candy store, prominent WA harness racing owner Albert Walmsley bought up big at the record-breaking APG Yearling Sale in Middle Swan last Sunday and will now keenly watch as his “babies” bloom.
Walmsley, who has supported WA harness racing for 44 years through his Westral business, bought three of the auction’s top five yearlings. Included among his nine new purchases was the sale-topping filly, a full sister to rising star Seaside Serenade, for a whopping $200,000 to set a new high mark for the annual event.
The average price of the sale was up about 39 per cent to a record $41,167, as owners injected a new confidence into the future of the sport. A record eight yearlings sold for more than $100,000 and the total spend for the sale was up some 11 per cent.
Walmsley — whose young stars have won the past three Two-Year-Old Fillies Sales Classic Finals at Gloucester Park, including the stunning Seaside Serenade last Friday — said he was driven to provide top-class stock to trainer Ryan Bell.
He already has a long history of success with fillies and mares in WA through track stars such as 2014 Golden Nugget winner Libertybelle Midfrew, the dam of Wishing Belle, who was recently named 2025 Australian Two-Year-Old Filly of the Year.
“You’re only as good as the stock you’ve got and I’m confident enough in the industry to spend the sort of money I did on Sunday … I think that speaks for itself,” Walmsley said.
"On the odd occasion when one comes up and performs well, it is very satisfying. Persistence is omnipotent and you don’t let the so-and-sos grind you down.
“I have some of the horses on my own property and they are just beautiful. I love thoroughbreds and showjumping horses; they are just beautiful creatures.
“We brought Seaside Serenade home after winning on Friday night and she’s out there strutting her stuff in the paddock. It’s beautiful to watch and as long as you feed them twice a day, they are good friends.’
Walmsley said he had spent three months diligently studying this year’s crop of yearling’s before heading to the sale. He initially considered getting involved in WA thoroughbred racing, before deciding the harness code would be more family friendly.
And he has no regrets.
“Because I had a young family, I didn’t want to be disappearing on Saturday afternoons to the racetrack,” he explained.
“But I thought I could disappear on a Friday night to Gloucester Park. There are so many ups and downs in harness racing, but there are some beautiful people in this industry.
“You go to the grass roots and they are just wonderful, lovely people who all treat each other as equal.”
Racing WA Head of Harness Racing and Special Projects, Cameron Brown, described the sale as a “very strong result for the industry”.
“Buyers were active, selective and buoyant, which reflects confidence in the quality of the catalogue and the long-term outlook for WA harness racing,” Brown said.
“This was a selective, but confident market. Buyers were backing horses they believed could progress and perform in feature races and selling 90 horses, which is right in line with the long-term average, shows the sale maintained its depth, while attracting genuine engagement across the catalogue.”
Brown said the recent prizemoney uplift for the Two-Year-Old Diamond and Pearl Classics to $250,000, had sharpened the focus on quality stock and strengthened confidence in the pathway from the sale ring to feature race opportunities.
“That confidence was evident in how buyers approached the sale and the horses they targeted,” he said.
Steve Butler
