Matamata calling for returning Te Akau son Walker
“Racehorses are like vegetables. They’re perishable products, and whoever re-stocks their fridge every year is going to have a lot of success.” It’s something Mark Walker – looking to reload his fridge on the Gold Coast this week – learnt in Singapore. If it does not sound like eastern mysticism it’s because it came from... Read More
Family affairs
He died before his findings were published but Australian Bruce Lowe left a huge legacy when he devised a breeding system based upon tracing Classic winners to their earliest-known roots. Assigning the number one to the family that produced the highest total of Classic winners (he used the Derby, Oaks and St Leger), led to... Read More
Marketing moves up a gear as Gold Coast sale edges closer
This week we have seen marketing geniuses at work in the lead-up to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which begins tomorrow. Taking the prize for the best stallion promotion is Tom Magnier and the team at Coolmore Stud. A red Ferrari will go to the owner of the first Justify (Scat Daddy) foal... Read More
Which of the ‘Big Three’ will stand tall in the market’s eyes at the Magic Millions sale?
High-profile freshman stallions Trapeze Artist, The Autumn Sun and Justify under the microscope The fail-safe commercial mating plan for breeders is to turn to first season sires as, inevitably, the yearling market gravitates towards what’s new and the respective stallions’ racetrack deeds are still fresh in the memory of prospective owners. In the breeding season... Read More
Magic Millions announce two new races as prize-money boosted
The Magic Millions raceday is set to be enhanced next year with the introduction of two new races, along with an added investment of $1.5 million, taking the total prize-money pool to $11.75 million across the day. Yesterday, the auction house – in conjunction with Racing Queensland – announced the now ten–race card will become... Read More
Grenville’s Bart McCulloch keen to Excel after long haul to the Gold Coast
Tasmanian breeder Bart McCulloch has good grounds to be confident his ambitious mission to the Magic Millions sale will go better than his previous bold venture from the Island State to Queensland. Grenville Stud, the progressive 1100-acre farm south-west of Launceston which runs some 40 broodmares and stands young stallions Stratosphere (Snitzel) and Zululand (Fastnet... Read More