Element Hill to leave on own terms
Hutchins family to exit breeding industry after Golden era
The owners of Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom) and breeders of Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro) will disperse their bloodstock interests, but they won’t be lost to the industry all together.
Element Hill’s Hutchins family will also sell their Innisplain property in south-east Queensland after operating the commercial thoroughbred breeding farm for about 14 years, a move they have thought long and hard about.
The sell-off will also allow the Hutchins’ to concentrate on their considerable other business interests in property development and investments, from storage to footwear operations.
After experiencing the highest of racetrack highs, through the deeds of the Peter Moody-trained Typhoon Tracy, who won six Group 1s from 2009 to 2011, and more recently breeding one of Hong Kong’s greatest ever milers, Golden Sixty.
“We’ve been doing it for a long time now and we just made that decision that we would rather move towards racing some nice fillies as opposed to breeding,” Element Hill general manager Josh Hutchins told ANZ Bloodstock News last night.
“Typhoon Tracy’s mother Tracy’s Element was the catalyst for us to start breeding and we’ve been breeding ever since. She was definitely the start of Element Hill.
“Now, we’re going to be able to enjoy the racing side of the industry.”
Magic Millions will conduct the dispersal at its National Sale in May, an auction which was used to disperse Ian Smith’s Edinburgh Park last year, as well as Spendthrift Australia, Teeley Assets and the weanlings and broodmares of the late Sheik Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud in 2021.
Among the dispersal of more than 40 lots will be Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor), the dam of Golden Sixty, who is in foal to Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), and a Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) yearling half-sister to the Francis Lui-trained gelding.
Other Element Hill-owned broodmares to go under the hammer include stakes winners Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice), Perfect Truth (Galileo), Risk Aversion (Encosta De Lago) and Shazee Lee (Ready’s Image).
Donovan & Co, in conjunction with Magic Millions, will have the responsibility for selling the 700-acre property, which has all the infrastructure required for a commercial thoroughbred breeder to take on the respected farm.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said Element Hill was a name that is synonymous with success.
“The H brand has adorned many stars around the world – none more so than Hong Kong’s greatest galloper and Magic Millions Yearling Sale’ graduate Golden Sixty,” Bowditch said.
“The Hutchins family have built up an impressive honour roll of success and the fruits of this work will be on offer at the National Sale in May.
“A wonderful group of weanlings will be presented along with Golden Sixty’s outstanding yearling half-sister and a group of broodmares that would fit into any elite breeding operation.
“John, Fu Mei and Josh have become great friends and important clients for Magic Millions over a number of decades and it will be very sad to see them leave the breeding game.”
Hutchins admitted that there will be mixed emotions when Element Hill’s horses are sold in May.
“It’s been an amazing journey and it’s something we are very proud of. Not all farms can say that,” he said.
“While it is very emotional to be selling the horses – it will be hugely sad to be saying farewell to our incredible staff at the farm. Some have been with us for ten to 15 years and become family.”
The 2024 Magic Millions National Sale is scheduled to be held from May 23 to June 5.