A group of top harness racing industry heavyweights travelled to properties across Otago to inspect the horses ahead of the New Zealand Standardbred yearling sales next week.
Big names such as Ken Barron, Mark Jones, John Dunn and Todd Macfarlane were among a 30-strong contingent of Canterbury and North Island buyers who made their way south for the tour, run by the Southern Bred Southern Reared organisation.
The tour gave the visitors and several Southerners who joined them the chance to inspect the 32 Otago-based yearlings entered in the New Zealand Premier Yearling Sales.
The Otago yearlings were inspected on Tuesday, after buyers made their way through Southland on Monday.
The tour stopped to visit lots presented by Arden Lodge, Macca Lodge, Tuapeka Lodge and and Dillon Lodge. The final stops were made near Mosgiel to inspect yearlings from Glenbrook Park, Grant Enterprises and One Over Lodge.
The timing of the trip made for an especially busy day for Wingatui yearling preparer Graeme Mee. He worked with his yearlings on Tuesday morning before heading to the Waikouaiti trots to be clerk of the course. His wife, Ann, stayed behind to greet the tour while the races were on.
Those that made the trip south were impressed with the standard of yearlings they saw up close, Southern Bred Southern Reared committee member and Arden Lodge proprietor John Stiven said.
''I think they were quite impressed.''
The sellers were quietly confident their stock would sell well at next week's sale.
Stiven thinks the sales will see ''the old story'' of quality-bred stock selling well, despite how the wider market may fluctuate.
Southern Bred Southern Reared had gathered strong momentum from its efforts to market its yearlings, Stiven said.
That included sponsoring the whole programme at Addington last Friday night. The committee got a number of ''pats on the back'' for their efforts from the Canterbury harness racing community, Stiven said.
-By Jonny Turner
