On behalf of the entire Eliza Park Team, I would like to pass on our sincere and heartfelt sorrow to the victims of the devastating fires in Victoria.

Our prayers and thoughts are with those that have suffered with a number of clients having lost property, pastures and livestock.

It is also important that we give praise and recognition to the CFA, emergency services, and the great number of volunteers that have work so tirelessly in extreme conditions to help those in need. Our own staffer, Tracey Doolan, has assisted greatly with ‘Project Hope’, delivering much needed horse feeds and other supplies.

February also saw, for the first time, an Eliza Park draft head to the Perth Magic Millions sale.

Although this sale was quite tough, with averages down some 25% and a clearance rate of 73%, Eliza Park sold four of its five lots with a sale average of $50,500 … well above the overall sale average of $38,273.

Eliza Park was leading Victorian stud on averages and although our draft was small, nice horses did sell reasonably well.

As has been the case at previous sales on the Gold Coast, in New Zealand and in Sydney, this market is very much favouring the buyers.

Our draft for the Melbourne Premier sale is large (37 lots), while we are also taking a lovely team across to Adelaide (12 lots). Eliza Park’s sales’ team has done a wonderful job in preparing these horses at our new facility: Smithfield Farm at Nagambie.

We’ve been suitably chuffed at the great feedback we’ve been getting about the facilities and preparedness of yearlings at pre sale inspection.

Be sure to join us for a snack and drink at the Eliza Park marquee, outside Barn G, from Thursday (26 February) onwards.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Bryan Martin on his well deserved Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) which he received on Australia Day.

Bryan has been a wonderful advocate for racing and Eliza Park and our involvement in his latest project NewStar Racing Club has us all very excited.

NewStar Racing Club is being established in conjunction with the McGrath Foundation which is devoted to Breast Cancer research.

The McGrath Foundation is represented by the colour pink, so if you see a lot of ‘pink’ worn by red blooded males at the Melbourne Premier marquee, you’ll know it’s all for a good cause!