New Chapter for Woodside Park Stud

Mark Rowsthorn’s “day job”, as he likes to call it, is leading a transport and logistics company in the mining sector that employs 1500 staff.

And in his precious spare time, the Melbourne based businessman is focused on engineering the transformation of Woodside Park Stud into one of Victoria’s biggest and most successful Thoroughbred breeding operations.

Woodside Park Stud, originally known as Wadham Park, was founded in 2007 by Mark’s father Peter who spared no expense in setting up one of the most lavish and ornate horse properties imaginable. In those early days, they stood imported stallion Grey Swallow (Daylami), and with a private full-time trainer on site established a racing and pre-training business. As oft can be the risk in the sport of kings, plenty of money was being poured in for very little in return.

In 2013 Peter, a highly astute businessman and former Chairman of Australia’s largest transport company Toll, invited his son Mark to the helm to set a more commercially viable course for the business.

“My father is still chugging along in the background. He set the infrastructure and early thinking in terms of location and the sort of business he wanted to produce but we have since refined that and made it more relevant to the market. You have got to keep changing, growing and thinking other-wise you get left behind,” said Mark.

Soon after the agreed directional change six years ago, along came Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and suddenly Woodside Park Stud was well on its way to a much more sustainable future.

A sustainable future

Today, Written Tycoon is Victoria’s leading stallion and heads a growing roster of promising sires that includes his son Rich Enuff (Written Tycoon), Cable Bay (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Tosen Stardom (Deep Impact) and recent addition Foxwedge (Fastnet Rock) who originally stood at Newgate Farm in the Hunter Valley.

There are plans afoot to increase the size of the roster considerably and Rowsthorn’s recent acquisition of one of Victoria’s most revered farming properties, ‘Morningside’, is a testament to that.

“We made a long-term decision to aggregate and consolidate the properties gradually to one property.”

“It’s circa 900 acres on the Goulburn River and the climate is probably a bit friendlier for horses than Tylden and there is scope to aggregate all our activities on one property which will make it more efficient and relevant to our customer base who are largely in that area.”

It’s a big change for Woodside Park Stud and especially for Peter Rowsthorn who led the early development of the Tylden based property in the Macedon Ranges. But with a clear vision in mind, the Rowsthorns know they must put sentiment aside.

Gallery: The Woodside Tylden complex, currently for sale

“He’s a bit upset Tylden is up for sale as it’s the soul of the place but he understands it’s time for a change and it was always our plan to consolidate to one property.”

“You can’t be half pregnant and with the properties and infrastructure and management we have got, you have to be a certain size and relevant to customers as well. There are 2-3 years to go before we hit our straps or get close to where we want to be. So far it has been fun and there have been lots of challenges but we have a very clear plan of where we want to get to,” he said.

New property plans

Morningside is situated just north of Nagambie, in the heart of Victoria’s Thoroughbred breeding industry and since the 1980s has been owned and run by the highly regarded former equine veterinarian and breeder Bill Burns.

For decades he used the farm to produce racing stock mainly for the Hong Kong market. Remarkably, more than 35 individual Group 1 winners including Melbourne Cup winners Shocking and Efficient as well as Hong Kong legends Silent Witness and Vengeance of Rain, graduated from Bill’s unique education and pre-training programs there.

In more recent years Bill stopped working with racehorses and turned his versatile hand to developing an 800-strong herd of valuable Wagyu cattle.

“We have had people look at it and it’s fair to say it’s one of the leading properties along the river in Central Victoria.”

Gallery: Woodside's recently purchased 'Morningside' property on the Goulburn River

“Bill has raised a lot of elite racehorses for the Hong Kong market there. It has abundant water, world-class soils, and pasture and we can grow our own lucerne hay and run some cattle which will help the efficiency of the property.”

“It’s pretty organic. Bill was famous for doing everything his way. He made sure things were built for a horse’s comfort and put a lot of thought into the place and we will try and carry that on.”

Bill has mixed feelings about parting with his beloved Morningside which he has put his heart and soul into since he purchased it in 1988.

“It was difficult in the sense that I really invested heavily in the property in terms of passion and have great memories but time marches on and I am getting past the age of being relevant in the horse industry. I don’t have the energy and enthusiasm anymore and don’t want to be just a bit player.”

Strong influence

The Rowsthorns have encouraged Bill to have an ongoing influence at the property. He’s formed a strong bond with Mark’s son Will, who is currently Stud Manager at their Seymour based farm, and is already passing on his vast knowledge of Morningside and ideas for raising quality horses.

“He’s been fantastic in the transition with my son Will and teaching him about the property. We have forged a really nice relationship and will carry on what he’s started.”

This spring, they relocate to Morningside and this will enable Woodside Park Stud’s long term growth strategies to be executed with the main aim being to continue building the stallion roster and a band of quality broodmares to support them.

“It gives us an opportunity to scale up. It’s hard to compete with all the big horses that come out but for the Victorian market you need to put a roster together that is interesting and hits all the price points to attract the right numbers.”

“We have a pretty good range and will continue to grow that to 8 or 9 stallions over the next three years and add one every year.”

Written Tycoon has some promising barn mates these days. Cable Bay, one of Europe’s leading first season sires with stakes performers and multiple winners, is shaping as one of the most exciting prospects.

Promising stallion line-up

“He’s come out of the blocks really well. With what we are seeing on the ground here in terms of foal quality and weanlings being sold people are very impressed and with the type that’s being produced and the racing success is evidenced in the UK and Europe it’s really encouraging.”

There’s also some expectation about Rich Enuff, a Group winning sprinter who bears a distinct resemblance to his father Written Tycoon.

“He’s producing some terrific types. The proof’s always in the pudding and his first crop will be on the track this year. From pre-trainer feedback, we hear that they like them and feel that they are athletic, precocious, intelligent types. In terms of value for money as a son of Written Tycoon compared to Capitalist and Winning Rupert, he's very well placed in Victoria to be successful.”

Group 1 Emirates Stakes winner Tosen Stardom, one of few sons of Deep Impact standing at stud in Australia, adds an interesting twist to the Woodside Park Stud roster.

“He hits that mid-teens market for price-point in Victoria and has really furnished out to be a fabulous looking stallion. For people looking for something different he’s a choice and an unsung hero with his breeding and racing success.”

In January this year, it was announced that Foxwedge would join their roster. That news has been met with enthusiasm from local breeders which has buoyed Mark’s confidence that he will quickly entrench himself at his new home.

“He just recently had another Group 1 winner and is a proven commercial sire in the Hunter Valley. We think he will be very successful in Victoria at that price point. He’s a terrific looking horse, a big handsome brut.”

Now that they have a quality bloodstock platform solidly in place and with a proven high-class horse property to support it, the next 12 months will mark one of the most significant chapters in the Woodside Park Stud story.

“I think the challenge of turning around a business that was not sure where it was going and putting a plan in place is most satisfying for me.”

“The rewards in the future will be with our progeny on the racetrack and horses we own or keep a leg in. That’s the next step in the journey to see success on the track.”

And, above all else, family is what matters for Mark.

“To see both my sons Will and Tom develop, it’s very satisfying as a dad to watch them enjoy themselves in the business,” he said.