Riverstone Lodge maintains momentum with tightly held trio
It was only in 2024 that Blandford-based Riverstone Lodge burst onto the scene as the leading vendor by average (three or more sold) and median at the Inglis Classic Sale.
Established in 2023 on the former Rothwell Park property, Riverstone were on debut as vendors that year and managed a top ten position on the leading vendor table and set the bar rather high for future sales, a standard they are proud to maintain.
“We’re always improving, but I feel like we’re pretty solid now,” said assistant manager Billy Brooks. “We’ve capacity for about 120 horses and can still maintain attention to detail and quality.”
It is that attention to detail that has served Billy and his partners Alex Kemp and Nick Taylor so well while establishing the new business. Whilst they’ve traversed the country selling at most yearling sales to best place their yearlings, the partnership returns to where it all began to offer their sole draft of three weanling colts.
The trio by proven stallion, Toronado (High Chaparral), hot new-comer Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and first-season Shinzo (Snitzel) are scheduled to go through in a ‘half hour of power’ for Riverstone Lodge on Tuesday afternoon, with Lot 126 the eye-catching colt by Toronado to start proceedings.
“He’s flashy. I think he’s been well noticed around the complex, for all the right reasons,” Billy noted of the Toronado ex Yangarra Rose (Zoustar) colt.
Toronado needs no introduction adding his latest Australian stakes winner, Silvasista, as recently as Anzac Day and he has more stakes winners than any other sire in Hong Kong this season.
However, it is the mare that has Billy excited.
Yangarra Rose’s first foal is the brilliant 2YO Blandford Baron (Extreme Warrior) who won a metropolitan race early in October before taking on black type in the Inglis Banner (RL, 1000m) at Flemington.
Needless to say the partnership is keen to see him return for his second prep.
“This colt probably throws to the mare a little bit and she is doing the job. I really like him. He’s a little sharp thing, quick and strong. He’s a good looking rooster.”
Nick and Billy will need to retain a presence at the back of the box shortly after the flashy Toronado leaves the ring, as they’ll be back in action offering Lot 136, a colt by sire of the moment, Home Affairs out of Zouflu (Zoustar).
“He is a beauty,” Billy said with a mix of emotions, “We were really in two minds about offering him as a weanling, because we really liked him from the moment he was born, in fact we loved him, but, the sire been doing enormous with a Golden Slipper winner and everything lined up.”
As a general rule, everything gets offered off Riverstone Lodge which can be hard for vendors when they do like one, but Billy assures ANZ News he doesn’t play favourites.
“We own the mare and think pretty highly of her, she’s back in foal to Hellbent and I’m really curious to see how that comes out, but this guy? This colt hasn’t put a foot wrong. He’s a good mover, he’s strong with a great attitude. They are the three main things you need in a good horse.”
Hopefully Riverstone will have heard the hammer come down twice before Lot 145, the Shinzo ex Acquired (O’Reilly) colt, steps into the ring.
“This is one we did mark for the sales,” Billy said. “We brought the mare online and we’ve just loved it all the way through. It’s a good family, a good pedigree and we were sort of hoping for a filly, but it didn’t really matter as when this colt was born, we just said this thing’s a weapon!
“Interest has been real strong, he could go to January next year or Premier or Easter, he’s that sort of colt.”