Stakeswinners 2009-2010

“It can be a life-changing move when your father goes out to buy a boat and comes home with a racehorse as Damon Gabbedy found out as a youngster in Perth. As he recalls in this profile, the success of that purchase would influence his career path and see him become one of Australia’s leading and most respected bloodstock agents and also the local agent for French sales company Arqana.

A STANDARD piece of advice for young people has always been to try and become involved in what you enjoy, and at 44 years of age bloodstock agent Damon Gabbedy has done exactly that for most of his adult life. As a youngster in Perth he was immersed in racing and breeding from the time his father John left home one morning to buy a boat and reported, on his return, that he had purchased a yearling. Before long the world of a thoroughbred had become Damon’s consuming passion.

On completing his secondary education he started a marketing degree, but the lure of the horse business became overpowering. After beginning with Goodwood Bloodstock he became a partner in Belmont Bloodstock with Debbie Evans, whose bookmaking father Rod was a Deputy-Lord Mayor of Perth and a larger than life character. A dozen years ago, with Debbie easing out of the business, Damon took over Belmont Bloodstock and moved to Melbourne. Since then Damon’s business acumen, combined with his expertise and knowledge of pedigrees, has enabled him to become a major player on the Australian bloodstock scene.

“It’s been like a dream come true,” he said. “Horse racing and breeding is my hobby and I think I am very lucky and privileged to have that as my job.” Added to that Damon is a cool, confident, people-person, which has helped him build up an impressive clientele. “I’ve been fortunate that over the years I have been able put together a list of valued clients who have always stood by me. I suppose you could say that I’ve sold horses to all the key players in the industry.

“As an agent you have to make sure you maintain your independence, and for that reason, I am not associated with any one stable on the racing side. Basically what I do is just try to put deals together.

In fact that’s what I enjoy most . . . creating the deal. I remember one year I was sitting in New Zealand and talking to Keith Biggs, from Perth. While we were chatting I asked ‘do you think you would ever sell Danelagh?’ who had won the Blue Diamond Stakes for him. “The answer was ‘yes, if the offer was good enough’. Later I sat next to Ollie Tait at Karaka and asked him whether he would be interested in buying Danelagh and when his answer was positive we put the deal together. Of course she’s gone right on with it since producing Vengeance of Rain, Dizelle and Bernicia. Clinching a deal like that is what gives me a real buzz.”

Benicio - (More Than Ready (USA)-Mannington by Danehill (USA))

As Damon says his career path was virtually established by his father’s interest in racing, and later breeding. “Dad was a wool buyer but basically all his spare cash went on racehorses. I think I was about nine or 10 when he went out to buy a boat and came back and said he’d bought a yearling, much to my mother Doris’s displeasure.”

However, John’s decision to forget about the boat and buy the yearling instead was inspired. The filly, by Gay Saba (NZ) from the Adamastor (FR) mare Aubyn Maid, racing as Bynsaab proved a classy performer, winning the WATC Champion Fillies Stakes-Gr.2, Pinjarra Guineas-LR and six other races. Her efforts also featured a third in the WATC Caris Diamond Quality-Gr.3 behind the outstanding performer of the era Family of Man and Chasta Bellota, who was trained by the late T.J. Smith. “Bynsaab cost $3000 and was trained by a very young Wally Mitchell to win around $37,000 in prizemoney, which was quite a return in those days. We ended up selling her to Robert Holmes a’Court.

“When your first horse is a good horse it becomes like an addiction and there is no doubt Bynsaab fired my interest in racing and pedigrees. I’ve been going to the races ever since, and from that time I started going to the yearling sales with my father as well as studying all the pedigrees. I’d read the catalogues from back to front, and before I knew it I had a great passion for the horses. In fact my mother would often say that if I could remember my school work the way I remembered details about breeding and racing I’d be a genius.”

However while his school work may not have been everything Doris desired, Damon excelled in sports during his days as a student at Christian Brothers College at Fremantle. He was captain of the football team – winning the school’s best and fairest award three years in succession – as well as being in the athletics, tennis and swimming teams. On leaving school he was approached about playing for East Fremantle in the Western Australian Football League: “I certainly liked playing football but I knew if I began playing for East Fremantle I wouldn’t be able to go to the races on Saturdays, so I politely declined.”

Along the way Damon had furthered his experience in the racing industry by acting as a “saddle boy” for jockey Alby Smith. “I’d look after his gear and it meant going to the races pretty well every week.” His father also became increasingly active as an owner with the family’s black and pink colours being carried regularly around Ascot and Belmont Park.

“After Bynsaab we had quite a lot of good horses, right through until the late 1980s when Storaia, who was probably the best of them, came along.” By the Golden Slipper Stakes winner Pago Pago from the Charlton (GB) mare Royal Commission, Storaia, after being purchased for $18,000, registered nine wins, seven seconds and four thirds for earnings of $463,360 for the Gabbedys. While his victories featured the VRC Rupert Steele Stakes-Gr.3 and VATC J.R.A. Plate-LR, Storaia was probably more notable for his placings. These featured seconds to Wrap Around in the MVRC William Reid Stakes-Gr.1 and to Schillaci in the VRC Newmarket Handicap-Gr.1 in 1992 and a third behind Mookta and Isn’t She Gorgeous in the VATC Oakleigh Plate-Gr.1 the following year and by then Damon was well and truly immersed in the horse business.

Le Zagaletta - (Last Tycoon (IRE)-Swiftsynd by Swift Gun)

“I obviously liked the horse stuff but when I finished school there weren’t any jobs available so I enrolled for a marketing degree at the West Australian Institute of Technology. Half way through the course I was able to gain some work experience with Goodwood Bloodstock, which was the auction house in WA. Initially I went in for two weeks work experience and finishing up staying for the whole summer holidays – for no pay. Then I went back to uni, but kept going back to Goodwood Bloodstock every couple of weeks, and eventually John Chalmers who was the boss, created a position for me in the pedigree department. When I started there Simon Vivian was the bloodstock manager. Of course in those days, pre-computers, we did the catalogue by hand  - we had the stud books on one side and the race results on the other.

“Writing the pedigrees out long hand was very labour intensive and took hours and hours and then we’d have to correct the proofs when they came back from the printers, but looking back, it was the best way to learn about pedigrees. I really enjoyed the experience. In those days Mike Becker, who now runs Independent Stallions at Nagambie, was also there and Mark Pilkington came along later. Then Murray Tillett, who is still there, took over so it was quite a good little team.”

After progressing from researching pedigrees Damon moved into selling horses, but after five years without having a holiday he decided to take a year’s leave of absence to travel overseas. During the break from Goodwood Bloodstock he worked, for a time, at Tattersalls at Newmarket where he became a “great friend” of director Martin Mitchell: “It was a fascinating experience working at Tattersalls and seeing how the company operates.”

During his stay in England the renowned Western Australian bloodstock agent Debbie Evans rang Damon to ask whether he was interested in becoming a partner in Belmont Bloodstock. “I had spoken to Debbie before I went overseas, and a year or so later while I was away, she rang and offered me a partnership,” Damon said. “At that stage I was only about 25 and I thought it might have been a little bit early in my game plan but then I decided it was too good an opportunity to refuse. I accepted Debbie’s offer and worked with her at Belmont Bloodstock for the next nine or 10 years, which was great experience.

“Debbie knew everybody and everybody knew her, which meant I met a lot of people on the east coast that I didn’t really know . . . the John Messaras, Michael Sissians, the Brian Agnews, and everybody. I also met the Freedmans and people like that through her.”

As the business flourished so did Debbie and Damon’s judgement. Their eye for a horse was never more clearly illustrated than when Belmont Bloodstock purchased the colt by Fairy King (USA) from the Star Way (GB) mare Shoal Creek for $140,000 on behalf of Debbie’s husband Joe Throsby at the 1995 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was, of course, Encosta de Lago, who was prepared by Lee Freedman to win the VATC VicHealth Cup-Gr.1, VRC Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2 and MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes-Gr.2 on his way to becoming the nation’s champion sire.

“It was a very good story, and what I felt was a great lesson for everyone,” Damon said. “Joe had three fillies he’d raced in partnership with Robert Sangster and John Magnier. After they’d finished racing, they mated them and then sold them at auction. Anyway two years later Shoal Creek, who’d been sold for $30,000 or $35,000, had this cracking, outstanding individual. Joe, cleverly, decided to buy back in and when the yearling turned out to be Encosta it proved to be a gold mine for him.”

By the late 1990s Damon, by then a young man on the move, was beginning to become concerned about the situation in Perth – in particular, and Western Australia – in general: “At that stage the bloodstock scene in WA was shrinking. All the big players had either died, gone to jail, skipped the country or gone broke. Debbie had a child and wasn’t spending so much time in the office and I was starting to become a little bit restless.

“After consultation with the family we all agreed that if I wanted to get ahead I had to move to the eastern states. Debbie was fantastic and encouraged me to make the move. I took over Belmont Bloodstock 100% and went to Melbourne, which is definitely the racing capital. While Scone is the breeding capital it is a long three and a half-hour drive from Sydney, so you’re not that close. Besides I thought Melbourne would be an easier place to adjust to after living in Perth. It is the best decision I have ever made.”

As he was preparing to head east permanently Damon made another splendid purchase on Joe Throsby’s behalf when he bought Le Zagaletta, who is by Last Tycoon (IRE) from the Swift Gun mare Swiftsynd, for $230,000 at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Le Zagaletta, who like Encosta de Lago was trained by Lee Freedman, raced 65 times over nine seasons for 14 wins and 20 placings to earn $1,317,735 in prizemoney. Nine of the grey’s victories – as well as 14 of his placings – were in black type races and featured the MVRC Waterford Crystal Mile-Gr.2 and MRC Liston Stakes-Gr.2. He was also Gr.1 placed when second to Show a Heart in the MRC Toorak Handicap in 2001.

In the years since settling in Melbourne, Damon’s easy going, friendly personality has led to his involvement in negotiating a long list of other notable deals. These have included buying VRC Victoria Derby winner and now Vinery sire Benicio for $525,000 at Easter in 2004; Vinery’s Gr.1-winning mare Bel Mer for $110,000 as a yearling; and 2003 Brisbane Cup-Gr.1 winner Piachay for $NZ100,000 at Karaka. He has also been busy in the trading of “tried” racehorses, such as Australian Champion Two Year Old of 2006-07 Meurice; VRC Turnbull Stakes-Gr.1 winner Sphenophyta; STC Kingstown Town Stakes-Gr.2 winner Just Polite who changed hands for just $30,000, and Magic Millions Cup winner Plans.

Damon has also been particularly active in broodmare sales. Foremost among his buys has been the purchase of North Bell, the dam of 2001 and 2002 MVRC Cox Plate and 2003 Horse of the Year Northerly, for Neville and Susan Duncan’s Oakland Park Stud in Western Australia. He was also the intermediary in the sale of Melbourne Cup winner Jezabeel to John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud; of Alinghi’s dam Oceanfast to Yarraman Park; of Gr.1-winning Dashing Eagle to the late Jim Fleming and of Danelagh to Darley Australia.

“I was quite fortunate that before I’d arrived in Melbourne I’d developed a close association with Lee Freedman, which had begun when he trained Storaia for us,” Damon said. “Lee was great – we worked together quite a lot and he helped me become established independently.

“Importantly too I was able to maintain my Perth clients . . . Bob Peters has been a great supporter over the years. Debbie and I managed the Kaoru Star horse Old Spice for Bob and he was a superstar stallion. The biggest book of mares he ever covered was 50 one season and I think he ended up siring nine Gr.1 winners. Bob retained most of the progeny and they were fantastic horses for him including Spectrum, who won the Gr.1 Goodwood Handicap at Morphettville.

“I have other Western Australian clients including Ron Sayers who has Yarradale Stud; Graham and Chris Dawes who have Dawson Stud, and I have been doing some work for Mungrup Stud who stand Oratorio. In fact last year I bought Sweepshot, the dam of multiple Gr.1 winner Scenic Shot, and Palace Alice, the dam of this year’s Perth Cup winner Lords Ransom, for Mungrup – which is quite handy.”

Along the way Damon’s rise to prominence was noted in France, and in 2008 he was appointed as the Australian and New Zealand representative for Arqana. “I was thrilled and honoured to be selected for the position. Arqana is a name that is not that well known in this part of the world, as yet, but it is a very progressive French auction house – the William Inglis or Magic Millions of France. The company was created in 2006 by the mergers of auctioneers L’Agence Francaise de Vente du Pur-sang and Goffs France.

“Arqana is headed by chairman George Rimaud and its majority shareholder is the Aga Khan IV who is France’s largest owner-breeder. The other shareholders are made up mainly of French breeders, with the remainder being owned by Artcurial, an art auction house. My role with Arqana is to promote the French thoroughbred and to entice Australians and New Zealanders to France to invest in some of the country’s quality bloodstock. Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm has bought horses there and so have Peter Maher, who had a very good filly named Valentine Waltz winner of the French 1000 Guineas, and Ron Sayers of Perth.

“Under my agreement with Arqana I am required to make trips each year to France for the yearling sales in August and the broodmare sales in December. Two trips to France each year! How lucky can one be?” n

“A true Trans-Tasman product, conceived in Australia from a meeting between one of the first high profile shuttlers and a NZ-bred Golden Slipper winner, O’Reilly lived up to his pedigree by becoming a star of the track and at stud. The dual Gr.1 winner has been a leading sire since the first of his runners reached the track and these days is at the head of a stellar stallion roster at his birthplace, the Chittick family’s Waikato Stud.

WAIKATO Stud’s 526 ha (1300 acres) at Matamata in New Zealand is in the heart of prime horse countryand consists of the main property plus Centaine Farm and Valleyfields (in the Hineura Valley), the latter used as a base for weanlings.

Established more than 40 years ago by Garry Chittick and with Garry and his son Mark at the helm, the stud has bred hundreds of stakes winners since Centaine took up residence there as foundation stallion and in 2008-09 its graduates won nine Gr.1 races (six individual Gr.1 winners), an Australasian record.

One of the stud’s celebrated early products was the Golden Slipper-Gr.1 heroine Courtza (Pompeii Court (USA)-Hunza by Pakistan II (GB)) whose five wins also included the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 at two and VRC Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2 (now Gr.1) the following season. Rated Champion Juvenile in Australasia (2YO Classification), Courtza produced just three foals when she returned to the Waikato paddocks but one of them is the dual Gr.1 winner O’Reilly (Last Tycoon (IRE)), NZ’s Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter/Miler in 1997 and the subject of this stallion profile.

A multiple Champion Sire in NZ and Dewar Award (Australian and NZ earnings combined) winner in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and inaugural Centaine Award (international earnings) winner in 2008-09, O’Reilly was the leading Australasian sire by Group winners last season with 10 including the Gr.1 winners Alamosa, Swick and MacO’Reilly (2) plus Guyno, Unique Jewellery, Seven Schillings, Betwixt, Kildare and Old Belverdere. His daughters are making their name too with classic winner Daffodil and The Pooka among stakes winners such as Raid, Tootsie, Morgan Dollar and Takeanotherchance. He was leading sire in Hong Kong in the past two seasons.

Conceived in Australia where his dam visited the triple Gr.1 winner Last Tycoon but born in NZ in 1993, O’Reilly, bred by Waikato Stud Holdings, was entered for the 1995 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka but withdrawn. He raced for Garry Chittick, winning over 1000m on debut on October 26, 1996 and then over 1400m on November 16 before stepping into Gr.1 company at just his third start, winning the Bayer Classic-Gr.1 (1600m) at Levin from High Return and Rebel on November 28. Freshened up, he was back in action on January 18, 1997 and took on NZ’s best sprinters in the WRC Telegraph Handicap-Gr.1 (1200m), remaining unbeaten and relegating Classic Royal and Krispin Klear into the minors. Taken to Australia, he lined up in the VRC Australian Guineas-Gr.1 (1600m) and tasted his first defeat, beaten two lengths into second place by 10/9 favourite Mouawad, a younger brother of Octagonal.

O’Reilly started 11/4 favourite in the VRC Newmarket Handicap-Gr.1 (1200m) at his next start on March 10, but he broke down in running and did not finish in this race won by Ruffles from Catalan Opening, All Our Mob and Mahogany.

Retired to his birthplace on a fee of $10,000, O’Reilly proved extremely popular with breeders and covered 107 mares in his first season (76 living foals) and his book has never dipped below 77 (1999) and reached a high of 232 (175 living foals) in 2007. He covered 163 mares in 2009 ($50,000 plus GST). The NZ Stud Book reports he has left 1138 live foals.

His stock have proved remarkably tough and versatile and 554 of his 693 named foals (80%) have raced and 393 have won (70.9%) for earnings of $56m. His 45 stakes winners (8.1% of runners) include eight Gr.1 winners, the 2008 NZ Champion 3YO Alamosa (dam by Centaine); NZ 1000 Guineas and Levin Classic winner Final Destination (Sound Reason (CAN)); MacO’Reilly (Centaine), NZ Stakes, Waikato International Stakes; Champion NZ 3YO The Jewel (Grosvenor), NZ 1000 Guineas, Waikato International Stakes; Fellowship (Danzalion (USA)), Stewards’ Cup-HKGr.1 and $2.8m in HK; Swick (Crested Wave (USA)), VRC Classic-Gr.1; Gunyo (Centaine), WATC Derby-Gr.1 and Caulfield Cup-Gr.1 hero Master O’Reilly (Bakharoff (USA)), eight wins and $2.96m. He also has the Gr.2 winners Kerry O’Reilly (Grosvenor), Irlanda (Centaine), Joey Massino (Housebuster (USA)) and that horse’s brother Vigor; Rare Insight (Centaine) and Shamrocker (Blues Traveller (IRE)).

Other stakes horses are out of daughters of Grosvenor (a successful cross, as is the cross with Centaine), Carolingian, Shannon, Snippets, Kinjite, Straight Strike (USA), Masterclass (USA), Gulch, Woodman (USA), Citidancer (IRE), Bluebird (IRE), McGinty, Western Symphony, Lord Ballina, Star Way (GB), Kreisler (IRE), Lord Triad, Star of Luskin, Stark South (USA), Kingdom Bay and Sir Tristram (IRE). He also has 37 stakes placed runners.

O’Reilly’s daughters have produced 119 starters from 153 named foals (77.8%) and their 79 winners (66.4%) of $8.4m include nine stakes winners, led by Daffodil (No Excuse Needed (GB)), whose eight wins ($888,807) include the AJC Oaks-Gr.1 (2400m) and the Hawkes Bay Horlicks Challenge-Gr.1 (1600m); The Pooka (Tobougg (IRE)), six wins including NZ 2000 Guineas-Gr.1; the Gr.2 winner Sound Journey (Good Journey); Gr.3 winners Tootsie (Pins), Icepin (Pins) and Listed winners Raid (Pins), Morgan Dollar (Planchet), Takeanotherchance (No Excuse Needed) and Masquerdae (No Excuse Needed).

O’Reilly’s sire Last Tycoon (IRE) (Try My Best-Mill Princess by Mill Reef) was bred at R.C. Strauss’s Kilrush Stud in Ireland and trained in France for his breeder by Robert Collet. He won three of his six starts at two including the Prix d’Arenburg-Gr.3 (1000m, Longchamp) and Prix Pharel (1100m) and as a three-year-old in 1986 he won five of his seven starts including the King’s Stand Stakes-Gr.1 (5f), a short-head from five-year-old Double Schwartz, and York Sprint Championship (now Nunthorpe) Stakes-Gr.1 (5f, beating Green Desert, Double Schwartz) and then proved his versatility by heading to the US where he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile-Gr.1 (8f) at Santa Anita, beating Palace Music. His other wins during the season included the Prix de Saint-Georges-Gr.3 (1000m) and Prix du Gros Chene-Gr.3 (Chantilly, 1000m). He was rated World Champion Sprinter-Miler in 1986 and Champion Sprinter in England, not bad for a horse one journalist described as “bad legged, lightly made colt with neurotic tendencies”!

He stood his first season for Coolmore in Ireland in 1987 on a fee of 35,000 Irish guineas and then became one of the early shuttlers by visiting Arrowfield (then at Jerrys Plains) in 1989 (Danehill first shuttled in 1990). He was an instant success with his first northern runners including St James’s Palace Stakes-Gr.1 winner and English Derby-Gr.1 runner-up Marju (ex Flame of Tara), a 370,000 guinea buy regarded as the best yearling seen at the sales in 1989 and who has subsequently become a leading sire, Juddmonte International winner Ezzoud (a short-lived sire) and smart sprinter Monde Bleu and was Leading European First Crop Sire in 1990 while down south, his first crop daughter Lady Jakeo won the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 and son Mahogany won the QTC Sires’ Produce-Gr.1 and Castlemaine Stakes and others in that crop included Magic of Money, Just Awesome and in South Africa, Tracy’s Element (a Gr.1 winner at two, who added five more  Gr.1 wins at three and four) and Super Sheila.

His 754 winners from 1184 starers (63.7%) include 76SW (6.4%) and 77SP (6.5%) and his 18 Gr.1 winners are led by Australian Horse of the Year Mahogany (dam by Alydar), winner of the AJC and VRC Derbys, Caulfield Guineas and Lightning Stakes (twice) among 19 wins for $3.36m and also include Tracy’s Element (Ahonoora), Taipan (Chief Singer), Bigstone (Posse), Tycoon Lil (Imposing), Lady Jackeo (Lunchtime), Marju (Artaius), Knowledge (Kings Island), Magic of Money (Kaoru Star) and Ezzoud (Claude).

Last Tycoon’s sire is the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1 winner Try My Best (Northern Dancer-Sex Appeal by Buckpasser), a brother to dual classic winner El Gran Senor (English 2000 Guineas, Irish Derby, sire) and has influential broodmare Best in Show as his third dam (also third dam of Redoute’s Choice. This of course makes O’Reilly daughters look very appealing for Redoute’s Choice (and vice versa with daughters of Redoute’s Choice and his close relatives Umatilla, Hurricane Sky and Al Maher). Good Journey (fourth dam Best in Show) has already produced the Gr.2 winner Sound Journey (Best in Show 5fx6f) from a daughter of O’Reilly.

O’Reilly’s maternal line came to NZ more than 100 years ago with the importation of the mare Hebrew Maid (1904), who dropped England-conceived daughter Lovelorn (Melton) in the 1906-07 season. Lovelorn’s sire Melton won the 1885 English Derby by a head from Paradox after winning the Middle Park Stakes the previous year. He also won the St Leger and July Cup. He started his stud career in England and then spent seven years at stud in Italy before returning to stand successfully in Kent. A noted broodmare sire, his daughters included Yours, Miss Mildred and Absurdity, who produced the winners of six classic races.

It is Lovelorn’s branch of this famous family – her descendants include Beau Vite (champion, Cox Plate, twice, Mackinnon Stakes, twice, NZ Derby, St Leger, Auckland Cup), Temeraire (Champagne Stakes), Palestrina (NZ Oaks), Old Bill (Wellington Cup), Motere (Auckland Cup), Peter Jackson (Auckland and Wellington St Legers, Moonee Valley Gold Cup), Gaine Carrington (Caulfield Cup), Wotan (Melbourne Cup) – the last three being produced by Lovelorn’s daughter Left (Martian (GB)), who is also dam of Kriemhild (Siegfried), a sister to Wotan and fifth dam of Courtza.

Courtza’s fourth dam Glamor Girl is by the 1926 English Derby winner Coronach (Hurry On-Wet Kiss by Tredennis) bred by whiskey magnate James Buchanan (1st Baron Woolavington) and presented to NZ in 1940 by his daughter Lady Macdonald-Buchanan. Already the sire of Arc winner Corrida and the Italian Derby winner Niccolo Dell’Arca in Europe, Coronach was a success in NZ before his death in 1949. By the way, Coronach’s 10 wins also included the St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, St Leger, Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes, and Champagne Stakes and he was runner-up in the 2000 Guineas. Glamour Girl’s winners included Equal Terms (Fair’s Fair), winner of the Wanganui Guineas and CJC Challenge Stakes, while a daughter Avonlea produced the good performer Anne Gable (third dam of Wellington Cup winner Willy Smith).

O’Reilly’s fourth dam Glamin (Instinct (GB)), also remembered as the third dam on NZ Oaks winner Glamour Bay, produced handy performer Chatty Lady (Chatsworth II (GB)) in 1961. Chatty Lady won seven races from 6f-11f and while her winners also included stakes placed Hearts are Trumps, Kapelle Lady (dam of Kapchat and Noble Hero) and Lalos, her best runner was her brilliant daughter Hunza (Pakistan II), who is O’Reilly’s grandam and a foal of in 1970.

By one of the great NZ sires Pakistan (Palestine-Tambara-Nasrullah), a terrific source of speed - his runners included Rajah Sahib, Wood Court Inn, Triton, Tropic Jewel, Zambari, Purple Patch and Zahedi – Hunza only won once in seven starts but was a top class juvenile, beating Love Aloft in the VRC Bloodhorse Breeders’ Plate-Gr.2 (1400m) at two when she was also runner-up in the Reisling Slipper Trial-Gr.3 (to Favourite Girl) and third (of 20) behind Poppy Show in the VRC Talindert Stakes (1000m) on debut. She was also fifth (behind Taj Rossi, New Gleam, Sincere Pride and Zahedi) in the Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2 (1200m) first up at three.

Hunza proved outstanding as a broodmare with eight of her 10 foals winning, five of them stakes winners (two Gr.1) and two stakes placed, while a city-winning daughter Benazir (Vice Regal) produced the NZ Gr.1 winner Critic (Centaine) and city-winning daughter Eastern Princess is the grandam of NZ Gr.1 winner Prince Kaapstad (Kaapstad).

Hunza’s Gr.1 winners were the brother and sister Our Pompeii (Adelaide Cup, twice, South Australian Derby among seven wins from 1100m-3200m) and Courtza (1989 Golden Slipper from Paris Opera and Show County; Blue Diamond, both Gr.1, plus Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2, from Prince Salieri; Verve Clicquot-Gr.2,

Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3), both being by the handy American performer Pompeii Court, by inbred Hollywood Derby-Gr.1 winner Tell (Knight’s Daughter 2mx3f), a son of Round Table and from Port Damascus, by champion Damascus and from Hollywood Oaks winner Paris Pike by Tulyar. Pompeii Court won 13 of his 34 starts from age three to six including the Longacres Mile-Gr.2 at five and he set a mile record at that track in winning an Allowance there as a four year-old.

Hunza’s other stakes winners were the tough Lost Valley (Decies) whose 16 wins (1250m-2060m) included the Canterbury Cup-Gr.3, Fixed Flush (Brigand), whose 15 wins (1200m-1634m) included the Doomben Stakes-Gr.3 and NZ-based sire Hunza Court (Pompeii Court), whose five wins (1400m-1433m) included the Chester Manifold Stakes-LR, Creswick Stakes-LR and VRC Rising Star Stakes-LR.

A stakes-placed daughter Minidece (Decies) produced Listed winner Tiszae (Pompeii Court).

Courtza produced O’Reilly in 1993 and his winning half-sister O’Really (Centaine) in 1996. O’Really is the dam of Listed winner Keano (Pins) and Gr.3 runner-up Be Delicious (Danasinga). Courtza’s final live foal was Kingmaker (Last Tycoon) in 1998.

A minor winner at 1200m and 1300m in Australia, he is at stud in NZ (from 2003).

O’Reilly has sired the winners of about $2m in Australia this season, with the main earner of his 20 winners being Vigor, winner of the Craiglee Stakes-Gr.2 in September and runner-up in the Blamey Stakes-Gr.2 in March and recent VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes-Gr.2 winner Shamrocker, while in NZ the best of his 27 winners of almost $500,000 is Joey Massino, winner of the Avondale Guineas-Gr.2 in December and the Wellington Stakes-Gr.3 in January. The leading sire in Hong Kong in the past two seasons, O’Reilly is currently running third there behind Danehill Dancer and Encosta de Lago, with 11 winners of $2.69m, led by Fellowship, winner of the Stewards’ Cup-HKGr.1 on January 31 and runner-up in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup-HKGr.1 on March 14.

With earnings of $56m and a winners-to-runners ratio of 70%, O’Reilly has made an outstanding contribution to the Australasian breeding industry and this looks set to grow, given the quality mares who have visited him in the past few seasons. He’s had a happy nick with mares by Waikato’s first great sire Centaine, and now O’Reilly daughters are having similar success with the stud’s “new boys” Pins and No Excuse Needed.

Anyone looking for a proven horse, whose yearlings are always in demand (selling to $600,000 at the 2010 Karaka Premier and with other lots making $420,000 (twice), $360,000, $330,000 and $310,000 and selling to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and NZ) should take a long look at O’Reilly. A handsome horse, a Gr.1 winner whose sire and dam were Gr.1 winners and now a sire of Gr.1 winners and broodmare sire of Gr.1 winners – he’s got nothing left to prove. n

Bluebloods has released another special issue covering the talented group of Sires now on offer in New Zealand. Click here to view it online.

“With first crop runners like Waratah’s Secret and Gold Rocks, young WA-based sire Oratorio is off to a brilliant start to his stud career and has given the state’s breeding industry a timely boost. The son of Stravinsky (USA) was a very smart two and three year-old and, as this profile reveals, hails from a family that has had great success in WA.

WITH five winners of more than $620,000, including Gr.2 winner Gold Rocks, the Mungrup Stud-based sire Oratorio was one of the success stories among first crop sires last season and he has continued the good work this season with two further stakes winners.

Oratorio was easily the leading sire of two year-olds and freshman sire in his home state of WA and also fourth on the national first crop list behind Charge Forward, putting him well ahead of many of the high fee and high profile sires from the eastern states. In fact he finished 14th on the national sires of two year-olds list by earnings with his nearest WA-based competitor being veteran Bletchley Park (GB) in 23rd spot with four winners of $429,000.

This season he has been represented by the very good three year-old filly Clueless Angel (ex Petite Angel by Marooned (GB)), winner of six of her 10 starts including the WA Guineas-Gr.2 and Burgess Queen Stakes-LR and the exciting unbeaten colt Waratah’s Secret (ex Blissfully (NZ) by Zabeel) winner of four races, his past two starts resulting in wins in the Listed Belgravia Stakes and Listed Fairetha Stakes in October. To late November he had nine winners and nine placed runners of $1.2m from 31 starters and his stakes winners (three) to starters was a high 9.7%.

Oratorio’s ability to supply precocious youngsters is not surprising, given his own talent at that age – he won three races at two including the SAJC Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic and the BATC Tommy Smith Slipper-LR at Doomben and was runner up in the Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3, while his sire is Gr.1-winning sprinter Stravinsky (Nureyev) and his dam Express a Smile is a sister to smart two and three year-old Snapshot, both by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 winner Success Express (USA) and from Karrakatta Plate-Gr.1 winner Express a Smile (Haulpak-Silver Smile by Silver Knight). Just to make things even more interesting, his fourth dam, the two year-old winner Kinmorin, is a sister to stakeswinning two year-olds Domremon and Longwood, all by Star Kingdom (IRE), one of the best sires to juveniles to stand anywhere.
Purchased by Lee Freedman for $110,000 at the 2003 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Oratorio was bred by K. Biggs Enterprises in WA and raced for a large syndicate that included his breeder. He had his first start on October 3 of that year finishing third behind Picket Fence in the Debutant Stakes-LR (900m) in Melbourne. Favourite next start in the Listed St Albans Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 25, he came from mid-field to beat Find The Cash and Marie Madeleine in 59.34. He started equal favourite with Not a Single Doubt next start on December 11 in the Strawberry Hill Slipper (1000m) at Wyong, finishing second to that horse after attempting to lead all the way, but made no mistake when a $1.50 favourite at Doomben next start on December 27, leading all the way at his first attempt over 1200m to defeat subsequent Gr.1 winner Star Shiraz by two lengths in the Tommy Smith Slipper-LR in 1:11.02.

He was fourth behind Dance Hero in the Magic Millions Classic-RL at the Gold Coast on January 10 and taken back to Melbourne was a half-length second to all the way leader Way West in the Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3 (1100m) at Caulfield on February 7. Chasing further riches, Oratorio headed to South Australia for the Adelaide Magic Millions (1200m) at Morphettville and took home the $228,000 first prize, beating Marie Madeleine by 2.4 lengths and with Tippitaka a further half-length astern in third and Barely a Moment fourth and running 1:09.63. It was a grand finale to a profitable and busy juvenile season.
Oratorio resumed on August 28, 2004 with a half-length third to Tahni Girl in the MRC H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield and then beat Kingify and World Peace in the C.S. Hayes Stakes-Gr.3 (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 11 as the $3.60 favourite, running 1:14.84 on a heavy track. He was retired after finishing mid-field at his next two starts at Caulfield and Flemington, bowing out with a sixth behind Fastnet Rock in the Rory’s Jester Stakes-Gr.3 and earnings of $511,550 from four wins and four placings in 11 starts.

Retired in 2005 to Gray and Jan Williamson’s 1214ha (3000 acres) Mungrup Stud at Narrikup, between Albany and Mt Baker in WA, (also home in 2009 to Danehill Express, Due Sasso and McFlirt), Oratorio covered 86 mares in his first season (fee $6050), 104 mares in 2006, 90 in 2007 and 115 in 2008 and had a full book in 2009 at a fee of $11,000.

Oratorio’s sire Stravinsky, a $US625,000 yearling buy, was a very smart two year-old for Aidan O’Brien, winning the Moorestyle Convivial Maiden (6f) at York by two lengths on debut, a race usually won by a good horse, finishing a half-length second past the post to Aljabr in the Prix de la Salamandre-Gr.1 after coming from well back in the field (but was subsequently disqualified and placed last for racing greenly and causing interference to runners) and also placing third in the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1. He was awarded a Timeform of 120 and was described as a “strong, well-made, attractive colt”.

The following season Stravinsky (Nureyev-Fire the Groom by Blushing Groom) defeated Europe’s best sprinters in winning the July Cup-Gr.1 (6f) at Newmarket and Nunthorpe Stakes-Gr.1 (5f) at York to earn an annual Timeform of 133. He retired to stud in the US and in NZ in 2000 but was subsequently sold to Japan, completing his first season there in 2006. He stood in Australia in 2007 because of the equine influenza outbreak and was covering at his regular NZ base of Cambridge Stud in 2009 on a fee of $NZ35,000 plus GST.

With 786 starters worldwide to late November, Stravinsky had 539 winners (68.6%) of $60.9m, 59 of them stakes winners (7.5%) and a further 50 stakes placed. His seven Gr.1 winners are led by Champion Australian Three Year Old Filly Serenade Rose (dam by Sadler’s Wells), whose eight wins for $1.7m include the VRC Oaks; Keeninsky (Jade Hunter), Champion NZ Two Year Old and winner of the Manawatu Sires’ Produce and now standing at The Oaks Stud, Cambridge NZ; Balmont (Seattle Slew), winner of the Middle Park Stakes; Benbaun (Salse) 13 wins including the Prix de l’Abbaye, Soldier’s Tale (Batshoof), eight wins including the Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee Stakes and now at Swettenham Stud in Victoria, Mr Baritone (Sanglamore), eight wins and $1.1m including the Stradbroke Handicap and Captivaye (Kaapstad), winner of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.

His other stakes winners include Gr.2 winners out of daughters of Kings Island, Centaine, Hansel, Comet Shine, Zabeel (giving a double of Nureyev via a son and daughter), Dance Floor, Sir Tristram, Alydar, Capote, St Jovite and Indian Ridge. Although it’s early days yet, Stravinsky’s daughters have already produced 26 winners, led by the outstanding performer Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) winner of the Sussex Stakes-Gr.1 and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes-Gr.1, both 8f.

Breeders considering sending mares to Oratorio should consider his sire’s remarkable success with mares by Sadler’s Wells (a three-quarter brother to his sire Nureyev) and his sons. Serenade Rose is out of a mare by Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer 3mx3m and Special 3mx4f plus Native Dancer 5f,5fx5f), Soldier’s Tale has Northern Dancer 3mx4m and Special 3mx5f) while Rip van Winkle is bred on the reverse cross being by a son of Sadler’s Wells and from a daughter of Stravinsky (Northern Dancer 3mx4m,5m and Special 4fx4m plus Mr. Prospector 4mx5f).

Stravinsky’s dam Fire The Groom (Blushing Groom-Prospector’s Fire by Mr. Prospector) was a Gr.1 winner of eight races up to 1900m in Europe and the US and her six winners also include the stakes winner and Gr.1-placed Moscow Ballet (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells), who stands at Ampulla Lodge in Victoria. Fire the Groom is also a half-sister to the Vernon’s Sprint Cup-Gr.1 winner and sire Dowsing (Riverman), another horse from the Nasrullah male line. Third dam Native Street (Native Dancer) was a Gr.1 winner in the US, winning 10 races from 1100m to 1700m, and she left 10 winners including two Group winners by Vaguely Noble in Royal and Regal (Florida Derby-Gr.1) and Regal and Royal as well as the dam of Australian stakes winner Alquoz and Seeker’s Gold. This is also the family of Verglas (FR) (Highest Honor), a horse who shuttled to WA and has daughters at stud there. The Verglas mares could prove ideal mates for Oratorio.
Stravinsky’s sire Nureyev (Northern Dancer-Special by Forli), a Champion Sire in France, left 136 stakes winners including Theatrical, Spinning World, Peintre Celebre, Soviet Star, Polar Falcon (all sires) and outstanding fillies such as Miesque, Sonic Lady and Reams of Verse. His daughters have produced more than 150 stakes winners including Bago (Nashwan), Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector), Desert King (Danehill), Zabeel (Sir Tristram) and Rebecca Sharp (Machiavellian). Stravinsky’s five generation pedigree carries Nearco (4mx5m) and his son Nasrullah (5mx4m) and Native Dancer (4fx5m,4f), while Nureyev has Hyperion 4fx4m.

Oratorio’s unraced dam Express a Smile was bred in 1995 by the Holmes a’ Court family’s Heytesbury Thoroughbreds in WA from a mating of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 winner Success Express (USA) (Hold Your Peace-Au Printemps by Dancing Champ), one of two winners of this major US race for two year-old that the family patriarch, South African-born businessman Robert Holmes a’ Court, who died in 1990, imported to Australia, the other being Is It True (USA), a horse eventually sold back to the US where he enjoyed some success after a modest career in WA. Success Express on the other hand had a very good career despite a number of shifts in location and among his winners of almost $34m were the Golden Slipper heroine Polar Success, the Vinery-based sire and Gr.1 winner Mossman, the Rangeview Stud sire Key Business and NZ-based sire Al Akbar. His daughters are proving exceptional producers with their offspring including Savabeel, Wonderful World, Gold Edition, Excites, Duporth and Cheval de Troy.

Express a Smile has continued the good work too with six winners from nine foals including Gr.2 winner Lady Dehere (Dehere), four wins 880m-1200m and $290,000 in NZ where she produced the Zabeel colt Oracy (a Gr.2 winner in South Africa) and Stravinsky Listed winner The Lady. Express a Smile is also dam of Listed-winning two year-old Discorsi (Galileo), also trained by Lee Freedman, while a daughter by Zabeel, Dubai Express, is dam of stakes placed Rockadubai (Fastnet Rock).

Oratorio’s dam, Hold That Smile, was also bred by Robert Holmes a’ Court and is by the very fast Haulpak (Dignitas (USA)-Winged Beauty by {Port Vista (IRE)) and she won the WATC Karrakatta Plate-Gr.1, the state’s premier race for two year-olds for him, along with the Queen’s Plate-Gr.3 and Gimcrack Stakes-LR but produced just three winners from her eight named foals. One of them was Snapshots, also by Success Express, and she won the AJC Keith Mackay Handicap-LR and was runner-up in the Silver Shadow Stakes-Gr.2 and is the dam of winners.

Oratorio’s third dam Silver Smile is another bred by Robert Holmes a’ Court and she is by his Melbourne Cup winner Silver Knight (NZ) (Alcimedes (GB)-Cuban Fox by Foxbridge (GB)). Hold That Smile’s brother Carry a Smile was also an above average racehorse, winning 12 races including the WATC Lee-Steere Stakes-Gr.2, Winterbottom Stakes-Gr.2 and Prince of Wales Stakes-Gr.3. He left seven stakes winners including WATC Western Australia Derby-Gr.1 winner Capricious Lass and Gr.3 winner Daring Smile.

Oratorio’s fourth dam Kinmorin, a winner of two races at 1000m at two, is by Star Kingdom (IRE) and from Morin (GB) by Vilmorin, two horses imported into Australia by Stanley Wootton and based at Alf Ellison’s Baramul Stud in the Widden Valley (these days owned by Gerry Harvey). Morin was a very fast mare with three wins at 5f at Epsom in England where Wootton was based. She was also stakes placed when runner-up in the Acorn Stakes-LR there and was third in the Stewards’ Cup on the track. Ten of her 13 live foals won and included smart juveniles Domremon and Longwood (both also by Star Kingdom) and Lomond, by that horse’s son Todman, the first Golden Slipper winner.

Her dam Irish Candy (Ballyogan), a half-sister to Irish Derby-Gr.1 winner Fraise du Bois (Bois Roussel), produced six winners and her descendants include good UK-based sire Indian Ridge (Ahonoora) and Gr.1 winner Red Bishop (Silver Hawk). Other Good winners from this family in Australia include Gr.1 winner Sword and Gr.2 winner Belong to Many. Kinmorin produced three winners from just five foals, but one of her daughters, Maid Morin (Silver Knight) produced Kalgarin Town (Sydney Beau) whose 12 wins included the Listed Doveton Handicap. Silver Smile, born in 1976, was Kinmorin’s last foal (and one of just two fillies from the mare) as she slipped or missed in seven consecutive seasons after her birth.

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Peter Flynn realised early on that being a banker was no substitute to a life on the land, and so the country boy who had a natural affinity for horses quit the city to devote his life to all things equine, particularly in the thoroughbred industry, eventually managing Segenhoe and then Woodlands studs. These days Peter works as a consultant to Darley, is campaigning to save the environment in the Hunter Valley, and breeds champion quarter horses. This is his story . . .

THERE has long been a sense in the thoroughbred industry that Peter Flynn’s quietly spoken skill in explaining matters, was tantamount to his ability to overcome them. That has come directly from his having an incredibly wide range of interests and involvements, mainly with horses but also in the commercial world, over a period of more than half a century.

During those years Peter has put together a long list of career achievements and milestones. Foremost among them has been his 18 years as manager of Lionel Israel’s famed Segenhoe Stud and his extended period of 23 years as general manager of the Ingham family’s resoundingly successful Woodlands Stud operation. That affiliation has continued into his present role as a consultant in Darley Australia’s development of a magnificent training and spelling complex at Richmond some 60km west of Sydney.

However that is only a part of the story. Peter’s curriculum vitae also includes a time spent redeveloping the facilities and infrastructure of Blandford Park, which has since become known as Emirates Park, for Spendthrift Farm of Kentucky. Furthermore, in 1989, he became a foundation member of the Hunter Valley Equine Research Foundation and has served on the councils and committees of the Rural Industry Research and Development Council, the Australian Horse Council quarantine and health committee and the Hunter Valley Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association. He was honoured by the HVTB with a “service to the industry” award in 2006.

His vast experience has resulted in him being involved in an advisory capacity with Mitavite feeds and on OH&S awareness in the horse breeding industry as well as lecturing to students at agricultural colleges, universities and TAFEs. Peter has also been in demand on the international arena as a consultant to the Royal Turf Club of Bangkok, to the Korean Racing Association and to Chinese principals. His work in those countries, in the years from 1997 to 2003, included advising on the design of stud and training facilities as well as providing demonstrations on the correct methods of horse handling. He has also – in partnership with Kath Peterson – bred and trained many champion quarter horses.

Displaying his exceptional versatility Peter has grown chardonnay, semillon and verdelho grapes – which were sold to the renowned Rosemount Wines organization – on his Upper Hunter Valley property “Primorse”. Added to that Peter has moved with the times by being involved in the development of “Studmaster”, a computer software program used by leading thoroughbred studs and ranches throughout the world. Produced by Maxim Technology it is currently being marketed around the globe under the name of Equimaster. Again, that is not the end.

The author of a paper on the effects of coal mining on the thoroughbred industry in the Hunter Valley, Peter is at present, busy lobbying federal and state government officials on the damage being inflicted on horse breeding properties in the area by open cut mining.

Reflecting on his life in the industry he believes he was fortunate, that after growing up on a farm, he had his earliest working experiences alongside an electrical contractor and then in banking, which helped lead him towards becoming something of a “jack of all trades”. His father Cyril, who was instrumental in importing pure bred Clydesdale horses into Australia from 1933, originally believed Peter should look outside the rural industry for employment on completing his formal education.

“I think initially, I was fortunate to have been brought up on a mixed farm and I certainly owe my parents a lot for all they taught me,” he said. “My mother had a wonderful touch with the horses, as did my father. At the time I left school my father thought the rural situation was very tough and he believed I should try something different, and that’s how I came to first work for the electrical contractor, which provided me with a diverse training. Then a little while later I went into banking, and that helped towards giving me a broader knowledge which enabled me to put my hand to a number of things. It has all led to my having a very fortunate life . . . it has been very rewarding.

“My early upbringing and what I’ve done on the way through in my working life could hardly have been better, although the work was hard and the days very long. I have also been very fortunate to have had a long working relationship with some wonderful people and with two outstanding organisations such as Segenhoe Stud and Woodlands.

“In the days when we were building Woodlands I was virtually ‘it’. I didn’t have the assistance of architects or advisers or professional help which is the norm these days, but I was able to call on my previous experience to decide what we should be done – this is job satisfaction and something I enjoyed very much and that I am proud of.”

Peter was the third of the five siblings – the elder Norm and Bill and the younger David and Susan - of their parents Cyril and Linda and began life in the small community of Manildra in central New South Wales. While undergoing his primary schooling – at Orange, Dubbo and Elong Elong – Peter, along with the other Flynn children, helped their parents with the sheep, the cattle, the crops and the general duties associated with family farms.

“My father worked with and bred very large numbers of magnificent draft horses, some of which he imported into Australia from England,” Peter said. “He broke his own teams and worked the land on a very large station holding. My upbringing in this environment led to me being involved with many animals including cattle, sheep and horses, and I was breeding and training horses from a very young age. Because of my affinity with these gentle giants, my passion to work and be with horses was an easy and very natural progression.”

However, on his father’s advice after completing his secondary schooling at Belmont High, he began working for an electrical contractor – before joining the Belmont branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Australia. Following a transfer to Sydney he was soon on relieving duties throughout the city’s branches before being seconded to CBA’s head office in Canberra where he was appointed as head of security and assistant manager.

“I believe I gained good business acumen, people skills and learned how to deal with responsibilities, which I valued, before my desire to work with horses attracted me back to the land.”

At first, after leaving CBA, he worked at Rockedgel Station, at Premer in the western region of the Liverpool Plains, where he trained polo ponies as well as being involved in the property’s sheep, cattle and crop growing activities. It was at that stage he realised he wanted to devote the rest of his life to working with horses and as he says, “gaining knowledge and catering to their needs felt so natural to me”.

Then in 1967 a golden opportunity arose when he was able to join the workforce at the famed Segenhoe Stud, which at that time spread over 1000ha on rolling hills on the Pages River near Scone in the heart of the celebrated Hunter Valley. The stud had been bought nearly 30 years earlier by Lionel Israel who was on his way to becoming one of the most revered identities in the Australian thoroughbred breeding industry.

After just six months at Segenhoe Peter was promoted to manager, a position he was to hold for the next 18 years. It proved a particularly exciting era in Segenhoe’s history as three years after Peter’s arrival Kaoru Star joined the stud’s roster. By the legendary Star Kingdom from the Emperor mare Kaoru. he had registered 13 wins and eight placings in his 27 racecourse appearances and soon was to soar to the heights as a stallion.

Kaoru Star became Australian Champion First Crop Sire in 1973-74 and was Australian Champion Two Year Old Sire in 1976-77 when his representatives featured the exceptional performer Luskin Star. Besides winning the STC Golden Slipper Stakes in 1977, Luskin Star was triumphant in races such as the AJC Breeders’ Plate, STC Silver Slipper Stakes, AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes at two. He went on to capture the coveted VATC Caulfield Guineas, among other races at three, before establishing himself as a successful sire at the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park Stud at Boorowa.

“While I managed Segenhoe I had the pleasure of working with the mighty Kaoru Star and great mares, including Humour who produced the likes of Marceau, Zasu, Runyon and Joy Love and was Broodmare of the Year on numerous occasions, as well as that wonderful mare Amneris – to name two. Throughout my time with Lionel on Segenhoe I bred, broke-in, educated, and race-prepped many great and talented horses that went on to win many prestigious races, which carried the stud into the racing history books as one of the nation’s greatest thoroughbred breeding grounds.

“I was very fortunate to have worked with Lionel. He was one of the country’s most respected self-made businessmen, entrepreneurs and pastoralists in the manufacturing, thoroughbred racing and breeding worlds. He was a man I respected immensely and he was a great mentor to me, and I look back on my 18 years working with and for him, as my apprenticeship into the thoroughbred industry.”

It was in 1985 that Peter’s association with Segenhoe came to a conclusion following Mr Israel’s decision to retire and to sell the property. From Segenhoe he moved to Blandford Park Stud, at Murrurundi, where he was employed on a 12-month contract helping his close friend John Kelso further develop the property, which was then in the United States ownership of Spendthrift Farms.

“Originally I’d decided to have a 12-month break to assist my brother in establishing his earth-moving business, when the late John Kelso approached me,” Peter said. “John initially engaged me primarily to look after the horses but before long I was managing, designing and carrying out a complete redevelopment of the facilities and infrastructure of the stud. At the time Blandford had quite an imposing stallion roster headed by the Luthier horse Twig Moss. He was Leading Australian Sire in 1985-86 and proved to be a great influence on the breed.”

While Peter was at Blandford, Bob and the late Jack Ingham purchased the 690ha Woodlands Stud about 25km west of Muswellbrook, and on completing his assignment with John Kelso he was appointed general manager of their operation. At that stage the STC Golden Slipper Stakes winner Crown Jester, who was bred and raced by the Inghams, and Yeats (USA) comprised the stud’s main stallion roster. During the next four years the Inghams purchased Oak Range on the southern side of the Hunter River and Randwick Park to the north. That resulted in the stud spreading over more than 2500ha – with a seven kilometre frontage to the Hunter River – of good natural pasture on irrigated flats and sheltered hilly country.

Under Peter’s guidance the Inghams leased Carrington Stud and, in 1995, they bought the 1215ha Trans Media Park at Cootamundra from media personality Mike Willesee.

“Although budgeting was essential Mr Jack and Mr Bob, as they were known by the staff, spared no expense in developing their thoroughbred enterprise. Like their multi-billion dollar chicken business, they had a vision, and they developed their racing and breeding interests into a huge business, in which they took great pride. With foresight and planning we added to Woodlands some of the best land in the Hunter with the intention of developing the stud into a world class breeding establishment.

“Old Woodlands consisted of about 690ha and the new Woodlands boasted 2500ha with some of the best pasture on improved river country which rose to undulating hills that climbed steadily to their spectacular mountain backdrops. The view as you drove over the crest at Woodlands would literally take your breath away and it is a vision I will cherish until the day I die.”

Peter says he was “extremely honoured” that Jack and Bob entrusted him with bringing their vision of building a world-class stud and breeding facility to fruition. “I totally enjoyed working with these vibrant men, who had the highest of standards and admired quality. They were engaging, and bounced happily off each other. Jack, especially, had an uncanny eye for a horse. It was not a smart move to go against him or disagree with his opinion about a horse’s future prospects or its ability, because more than likely, you would be proved wrong – especially when it came to the racetrack.”

That all led to Woodlands winning many prestigious awards and titles during Peter’s years at the stud. “These included being leading breeder of Group winners in the world and successive breeders’ premierships in Australia. We bred such Gr.1 winners as Lonhro, Arena, Dracula, Unworldly, Freemason, Higher, Tributes, Preserve, Gordo, Hosannah, Omens, Viscount, Dextrous, Smash, Yell and Planchet – to name a few. Also of course, Lonhro was Australian Champion Racehorse of 2003-04.”

As well, over the years, successful stallions such as the English Derby winner Quest For Fame (GB), the Golden Slipper winner Star Watch, Octagonal – an Australian Horse of the Year in the Inghams’ all cerise colours – Canny Lad and Commands as well as Strategic and Viscount, who were both bred and raced by the Inghams, stood under the Woodlands banner.

“There is no doubt the Australian racing and breeding industries were very fortunate to have had the support of the Ingham brothers, with their huge investments and passion. When Woodands was sold on, it had the reputation of producing Group winners to rival the best in the world, which was a fitting tribute to Bob and Jack.”

Along the way Peter has, right from his days at Segenhoe, dabbled in breeding and racing horses. The first horse he raced was Miss Leilani, a metropolitan-placed winner in the late 1970s by Boucher from the Wilkes mare Kambella. “I raced and bred quite a few winners, and every horse except one, went on to win races.

“My favourites were Miceala, a Kaoru Star filly who was an early favourite for the Golden Slipper, and another Kaoru Star mare in Carosa who was a really good race mare and won five times. More recently I raced Shand who was a brilliant speed mare by Quest For Fame, and she went on to become the dam of the ill-fated Sycophant. I sold Sychophant at the Magic Millions and she was a Sydney metropolitan winner at her only start.”

Also over the past 12 years or so, he has become involved in breeding quarter horses at Coronation Park Stud in the Lower Hunter Valley. Operating in partnership with Kath, they bred Obvious Heir who was acclaimed as World Champion Quarter Horse in a competition conducted in Oklahoma in the United States.

“There is no better horse person than Kath, and we’ve had a high degree of success. We imported from Texas the multiple world champion paint horse stallion Just Shameless who achieved great heights for us. He was a dual Royal Show Champion in Sydney and Canberra Royals, and then went on to be the leading all-round western performance horse sire of the nation, siring national Futurity champions for nine years in succession.

“We recently imported world champion Palomino quarter horse stallion Uwantapieceofme, who we are expecting big things from as a result of joinings with our imported quarter horse mares. In all we have bred the winners of more than 250 Royal Show and national championships, and I think it is fair to say Coronation Park is one of the most highly accredited quarter horse studs in Australia. I can say though, that it is a very, very different world to the thoroughbred industry.”

These days Peter continues to be busy with outside activities – with Darley and on the mining front – as well as helping run the property. “I am employed as a consultant in the design and construction of most of the state of the art facility Darley is building at Richmond. It will include a private 1800m grass, pro ride and sand tracks, which will cater for 100 horses in work and 100 horses spelling. There will be accommodation for staff and associated facilities.”

In addition Peter is vigorously entrenched in fighting the spread of open cut coal mining into the Hunter Valley, which as he says is one of the world’s foremost thoroughbred breeding grounds. After producing the study entitled “The Upper Hunter Thoroughbred Horse Industry Jeopardised by Coal Mining” in March 2007, Peter has been trying to ensure the thoroughbred industry has an input in future planning of the coal mining industry. That has meant dealing with government, mining, minerals council and thoroughbred industry representatives and organising meetings and discussions groups in an attempt to achieve the best possible outcome for the parties concerned.

“It is hoped there will be a moratorium on new mines in the Hunter, a cap on coal exports from the Hunter region, and an inquiry on the impact of the coal industry on the long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability of the Hunter and its industries,” Peter said in his report.

“Thoroughbred horse breeding is a global industry, and the Hunter Valley is one of the three major thoroughbred nurseries in the world, along with Kentucky in the United States, and Newmarket in England. However the accumulative effects of the vast area that has already been mined in the Hunter Valley is of great concern to the horse breeding industry, as it needs quality grazing land in a pristine environment with clean air and water to produce these equine athletes of world standards.”