Adam Cook - Kingstar Farm
TDN AusNZ: Where are you from and what is your earliest racing memory?
Adam Cook: I grew up in Camden. My earliest racing memory was my father taking me into Warwick Farm races when I was 10-years-old.
TDN AusNZ: Which is your favourite racehorse of all time? Why?
AC: It's hard to split Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}), but I'll give it to Sunline. She went overseas, she was a great mare that did it here [in Australia] and overseas over several seasons.
TDN AusNZ: Do you have a favourite day on a racecourse? Why?
AC: I don’t get much of an opportunity to get off the farm as we’ve been growing at a great rate, so Scone Cup is a favourite, a great day with many talented horses on our doorstep.
Matthew Sandblom and Adam Cook
TDN AusNZ: Could you tell us how you got into this industry, about your job now and what you love most about it?
AC: I bought a share in a Maizcay colt with Shelley Hancox, trained by Ronnie Quinton – it ran second at its first two starts at Gosford and I’ve loved horses ever since. My first job in the industry was for Westminster Stud at Razorback, then at Arrowfield doing yearling preps and I learned a lot at Corumbene early on.
I manage Kingstar Farm for Matthew Sandblom now and have really enjoyed developing the property from scratch and working closely with Matthew and his evergrowing portfolio of mares and stallions.
TDN AusNZ: Who do you believe to be a value sire for the upcoming breeding season? Why?
AC: Unite And Conquer. He is an exceptional early type, built like a brick outhouse and he’s been extremely well received by those that have come to see him. Only on the track for three starts but very impressive, he is a definite value.
Unite And Conquer | Standing at Kingstar Farm
TDN AusNZ: Is there a stallion that you consider to be under the radar?, and why?
AC: Would have said Bull Point until recently as he’s bobbing up on a lot more radars! His book tripled from his third to fourth seasons such are the types he gets. He looks to have a good future.
TDN AusNZ: Which stallion, ever, do you think was the best type?
AC: Catrial (Arrowfield) was exceptional and still sticks in my mind.
TDN AusNZ: Which first-season sire (other than your own) do you believe is most exciting?
AC: I haven’t had a chance to see many of the new sires yet, I’m looking forward to the Stallion Parade week to see how Unite And Conquer measures up on type. We have had several nice weanlings/yearlings from the first crop of Winning Rupert, so I am interested to see them hit the track.
Winning Rupert | Standing at Newgate Farm
TDN AusNZ: What was your favourite weanling, yearling or mare purchase this year?
AC: Mare purchase - Tinkermosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}). She was a well-bred, Group-winning mare bought out of the Inglis Chairman's Sale this year for Unite And Conquer. I'm excited about the mare and mating.
TDN AusNZ: Who do you think is a rising star within the industry? (Person not horse).
AC: Matthew supports quite a few up and coming trainers, Nathan Doyle is one that we’ve watched closely and seems to be doing a great job.
TDN AusNZ: What positive change would you like to see in the industry?
AC: I think we’re on the right track with many of the welfare issues the industry has faced recently.
TDN AusNZ: If you weren’t in this industry what would you do?
AC: Male model, lifestyle coach, microbrewer, investor in online education programs, the list is endless… I love to cook and have owned/run restaurants so probably something in hospitality.
TDN AusNZ: How did you keep busy in isolation?
AC: I built and fitted out a new foaling hut. It came up well! #isoproject #bunnings #diy #WFH
Adam's isolation project - a new foaling hut for Kingstar
