Features
It’s time to act to help breeding heavyweights in fight against mine
The Australian racing and breeding industry, so often in competition with each other and berated for its constant internal division, must once again unite for the greater good to immediately lobby against a Hunter Valley mining application which threatens prime agricultural land. Coolmore and Godolphin, the biggest players in the world of thoroughbreds, have the... Read More
More from It's In The Blood
Hindaam
In racing and breeding, sometimes champagne and caviar can come disguised as flat beer and sardines, with one person’s poison morphing into another person’s meat. In 2013, Gai Waterhouse and James Harron Bloodstock shelled out half a million dollars for a well-bred yearling – by Fastnet Rock out of Legally Bay. She was a bay,... Read More
What is a primary production activity?
Over the years I have written ad nauseum about what the ATO considers to be a “business” of horse breeding and/or racing for income tax purposes. This is a crucial topic as, unless your activity is considered a business by the ATO, losses cannot be deducted nor can GST registration be applied for. In addition,... Read More
Spring Carnival – the issues arising
What a delight it was to watch racing from Sandown last Saturday. What a tragedy it would be if it were to be sold. Sandown is the best racetrack in Australia (in my opinion). It is the best servant to the Victorian industry. It generates the most exciting racing which, for whatever reason, translates better... Read More
Fourth stakes winner for Belardo
New first season sire winners Belardo Belardo’s (Lope De Vega) fantastic year continued when his son Belloccio (2 c ex Three Cards by Mastercraftsman) maintained his unbeaten record in the Criterium du Languedoc (Listed, 1600m) at Toulouse and in the process provided his sire with his fourth individual stakes winner. Trained in Britain by David... Read More
A pattern that can’t be denied
If you were given the choice between a mare bred on the Bletchingly (Biscay)-Vain (Wilkes) cross or one bred on the Metal Storm (Kenmare)-What A Guest (Be My Guest) cross, it would likely be a no-brainer. Everyone would plump for the former. Not so fast. Bear with me because our subject has both, with the... Read More