Cover image courtesy of B2B Thoroughbreds
Surace spent two years searching for the right property before purchasing 160 acres in the Mittagong-Bowral area and developing the infrastructure has been a major undertaking over the last eight months.
“The dream was always to have a farm of my own and have my own brand. Commercially, we will run it as a business, but at the end of the day we just want to breed racehorses,” he told TDN AusNZ.
Surace recruited the experienced Alex Kingston to manage B2B Thoroughbreds following a 14-year stint with Kia-Ora Stud and, prior to that, extensive overseas experience in the United States.
Ricky Surace (holding trophy), after Ringerdingding won the Ladbrokes Sandown Guineas
She graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Equine Management) from the University of Sydney before going to Lexington, Kentucky, in 2003 where she worked at Three Chimneys, Ashford (Coolmore), KESMARC and at Bluewater Farm.
At B2B, Kingston works alongside husband Jose Ramos, a former Assistant Broodmare Manager at Three Chimneys for two years. In 2010, he joined Vinery Australia where he became Stallion Manager in 2011 and remained there until 2017, and in more recent years has been a stay at home Dad to care for the couple’s children.
Alex Kingston
Kingston said the ongoing development of the B2B operation had been challenging and satisfying to see the fruits of labour becoming a reality.
“It was walk in and set up so we had to design everything, it was all a blank canvas. There’s been a huge amount of work going on and I think we should be finished within the next year.
“There’s been a huge amount of work going on and I think we should be finished within the next year.” – Alex Kingston
“We’ve still got a yearling barn to go up, walkers, day yards for all the yearlings and small paddocks and houses to go up.
“It’s been a big venture that Ricky wanted to do and something he’d always wanted to do. The timing was right for him.”
In between all the planning and creating infrastructure and buildings, Kingston has overseen B2B’s first yearling draft and the finishing touches being put on the second to the upcoming Inglis Classic Yearling Sale at the Riverside Stables complex.
“We had a big, empty shed which we converted and put temporary stables in there to be able to prep the Magic Millions yearlings, which we had four, and five for Classic and then we’ve got another three for Easter,” Kingston said.
“Ricky did very well at Magics, we averaged $100,000 with a top price of $500,000 and it was a good sale and we were received very well, which was nice.”
Stallion shares
Surace has shares in a number of stallions, including Merchant Navy, Xtravagant (NZ), Cable Bay (Ire) and Star Witness, with the latter two having female representatives in the Classic draft.
“The Cable Bay out of Our Vidia is a lovely filly and she’s prepped up very well,” Kingston said. “She’s got a good head and is very well balanced.”
She is a first Southern Hemisphere representative of Europe’s second leading first crop sire in 2019 and will be offered as Lot 362. Her dam Our Vidia (NZ) (Denman) was successful three times and is out of a half-sister to the G2 Magic Night S. winner Downhill Racer (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Lot 362 - Cable Bay (Ire) x Our Vidia (NZ) (filly)
“The Star Witness-Miss Ready is a very precocious filly and strong with a good walk and attitude,” Kingston said.
She is Lot 316 and is a daughter of a winning More Than Ready (USA) mare with the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce S. winner Rhythmic Charm (NZ) (Sackford {USA}) the headline act in the pedigree.
Lot 316 - Star Witness x Miss Ready (filly)
“The Sebring is a typical Sebring and has a lot of presence about her. A very good body and a good walk as well,” Kingston said. “The Fastnet Rock is probably more of a 3-year-old type and not an early horse and the Territories filly is a neat horse as well.
“The Sebring is a typical Sebring and has a lot of presence about her.” - Alex Kingston
Lot 492 is the daughter of Sebring and her dam Stormy Publisher (Arg) (Bernstein {USA}) was a stakes winner in Argentina and the United States while the Fastnet Rock colt, Lot 15, is out of a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Appearance (Commands).
Lot 492 - Sebring x Stormy Publisher (Arg) (filly)
The Territories (Ire) filly is out of Feels Like Home (More Than Ready {USA}) and a winner and Group 3 performer and the second dam is the Listed Canonbury S. winner Danehill Smile (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
“At the moment, we’ve got about 30 broodmares and Ricky wants to get that up to 40 to 50 so there’s room to grow there,” Kingston said.
“We only had 14 yearlings this year, which was good for us starting out and this year we’ve got foal numbers in the 20s and we’ll get bigger and bigger when we cap off at about 50 broodmares. It’s exciting times.”
