Sonofkirk the latest product to emerge from Rheinwood’s family farm
Having bred sprinting sensation Private Harry (Harry Angel), Rheinwood Pastoral was already punching well above its weight even before Sonofkirk (Ole Kirk) became the latest graduate from the Willis family’s boutique farm to stamp his class with a statement win.
Despite bungling the start, Sonofkirk helped Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) extend his lead over his fellow freshman Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) in the race to be crowned the country’s pre-eminent first season sire when he became the Vinery Stud resident’s 13th individual winner of the season at Caulfield last Saturday.
His last-to-first victory – in a quicker time than the subsequent 1000-metre contest for three-year-olds – fully vindicated the high esteem in which the colt is held by co-trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman, who have sent him to the paddock with a view of targeting some stakes races during the latter part of spring.
A sizeable ownership group were at Caulfield to welcome Sonofkirk back to the winner’s enclosure, and some 800 kilometres away in the Southern Highlands town of Mittagong, the Willis family were also raising a toast to the colt who had been a firm farm favourite during the formative stages of his life.
His measured demeanour and striking looks had particularly appealed to Rheinwood’s manager Kirsty Willis, whose parents Ray and Marilyn own the 200-acre farm which is conveniently located just a 90-minute drive from Sydney.
After selling Lot 145 for $65,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale, the Willis clan had closely monitored the colt’s subsequent progress and were buoyed when he showed plenty of promise in his first two jumpouts.
Having finished a highly creditable third on debut at Flemington behind another Ole Kirk product in Clinton McDonald’s flashy filly Miss Ole, Sonofkirk made a quantum leap at start number two to justify favouritism in the hands of Jye McNeil.
“It was very exciting, I had to watch the race a couple of times because on first viewing I thought he had absolutely no chance of winning from where he was in the run,” Kirsty Willis told ANZ News.
“Even at the 100-metre mark I thought he was gone for all money, so to see him finish off like that was a big thrill for us. He was always a beautiful foal, like his siblings before him he was a bit of a farm favourite because the mare’s progeny have got such lovely temperaments. So we held high hopes for him, and then after he won his first two jumpouts we could see he had a fair bit of natural talent.
“He’s doing everything on raw ability at the minute, even on Saturday you could see he only really switched on and realised he was in a race over the last 100 metres. So if he can continue his progression and come back more mentally and physically mature as a three-year-old, he could be in for an exciting spring preparation.
“It would be lovely to add some more black type to the mare’s page, her first foal [Let Me Sleep On It] was a two-year-old stakes winner and she’s produced a lot of really nice foals since then, but this colt could potentially be the best of the lot.”
Sonofkirk’s dam Cheyenne Sue (Zizou) is one of 12 resident broodmares owned by the Willis family, who have gradually built up their business and reputation since first acquiring the somewhat ramshackle site 25 years ago.
Others include Orchid Beach (Hinchinbrook), whose son Flying Orchid (Flying Artie) was an impressive maiden winner at Newcastle earlier this month, and Defar (Wanted), the dam of stakes winner Upper Limits (Exosphere).
But perhaps the farm’s most prized asset is Happy Pilgrim (Congrats), whose mating with Harry Angel (Dark Angel) produced a foal whose remarkable racetrack feats recently persuaded Yulong proprietor Mr Zhang to delve deep into his reserves to acquire 50 per cent of the colt, who will carry the Nagambie operation’s bottle green colours when he runs in The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) later this year.
Given the dizzying figures involved – The Everest is worth $20 million and Kurrinda Bloodstock’s agreement with Yulong valued Private Harry around the same figure – Willis could be forgiven for experiencing a degree of seller’s remorse after they shook hands on a $115,000 deal with Kurrinda and trainer Nathan Doyle at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
However, Rheinwood’s operating model and budget isn’t conducive to retaining shares in the horses they produce – although they did make an exception for Private Harry’s half-sister by Captivant (Capitalist).
“We still feel heavily invested in the Private Harry story even though we don’t own him,” said Willis.
“We couldn’t be happier for Kurrinda and we made sure we kept ten per cent of his half-sister, so we’re excited about joining them on that journey. We put a reserve of $50,00 on her at last year’s Inglis Weanling Sale and given she was a later foal by a first season sire, even though she was always a lovely filly we weren’t all that surprised when she didn’t make her reserve.
“But all the Private Harry reports we had received from Kurrinda had been extremely positive, and our stud manager insisted that we hold firm on our valuation. So when the bidding stopped short of $50,000, we decided to take her home and wait for the yearling sale.
“By the time this year’s Inglis Classic Sale came around, Private Harry had already shown what he was capable of, so it was no surprise that Kurrinda were keen to get their hands on the filly as well. He hadn’t won his Group 1 at that point so they probably got a bargain because she would have gone for much more after that pedigree update, but we were still happy with the price at the time and we’re looking forward to seeing what she can do on the track.”
Last year, Happy Pilgrim gave birth to a Zousain (Zoustar) colt who is destined to grace the sales ring in 2026, and it seems almost certain he will be in high demand – particularly if Private Harry can achieve the seemingly impossible task of toppling Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) in the world’s richest race on turf.
After she missed to Harry Angel last year, Happy Pilgrim will be set for another date with Darley’s shuttler when he returns to Australian shores for the upcoming breeding season – where he will stand for $66,000 (inc GST).
While producing the stars of the future remains at the core of their business, given their relative proximity to Sydney’s metropolitan training stables, Rheinwood also provides spelling services for some of the country’s leading trainers.
“It’s absolutely torrential rain at the minute but generally the climate is pretty favourable, and the farm is also only a fairly short drive from Sydney so it’s well located for trainers to send their horses to us for a freshen-up,” said Willis.
“After winning his maiden recently, Flying Orchid came back to the farm for a three-week break before returning to John Sargent’s stables, and he really thrived in his time with us. So although we’re predominantly a broodmare farm, especially in the current climate you do need to offer a range of services to cover your costs.
“For the same reason we made the decision to retire some of our broodmares recently. Given the relatively small size of the farm, we need to focus on quality over quantity and all our mares have to earn their place. So although the mares we retired had done a great job, they were coming to the end of their careers.
“We pride ourselves on being hands-on and producing beautiful foals that will appeal to the market, and we’re already getting excited about the drafts we’ll be taking to the sales next year.”