Cover image courtesy of Woodside Park
Through a successful business career, Hirsch, the co-founder of United Petroleum, has kept a low-public profile, preferring to let his commercial acumen do the talking, and it’s a similar story with his involvement in the thoroughbred industry.
He and his late brother Jack, who bred G1 Australian Oaks winner Rose Archway (Archway {Ire}), set up Hirsch Racing and initially from the family property at Yarra Glen, raced a host of horses with both John Sadler and John Salanitri.
Hirsch had already built up his broodmare band considerably when in early 2019 he ramped up his thoroughbred investment with the purchase of then Newgate stallion Foxwedge, who was brought to Victoria to stand at Woodside Park, then owned by the Rowsthorn family.
Foxwedge | Standing at Woodside Park
A few months later, Hirsch purchased the pre-training facility which Woodside Park had developed at a property adjacent to its stud operations in Tylden, and moved its racing operations to the facility, renamed Hirsch Park, with Salanitri as the resident trainer.
Given his ongoing association with Woodside Park, it wasn't a complete surprise that Hirsch was keen to further his investment after it became clear that the Rowsthorn family were looking for possible buyers for the stallion farm.
While it took some time to work through the details, the sale was finalised earlier this month, with the stud's three resident stallions, Foxwedge, Rich Enuff and Tosen Stardom (Jpn) retained on the roster.
Respected former Inglis Bloodstock Consultant Mark Dodemaide has worked closely with Hirsch for a number of years, playing a major role in the acquisition of Foxwedge back in 2019, and he has been brought on-board by the new ownership to head up nominations for the upcoming season.
"I was at Inglis for over 30 years but I've known Eddie for at least a half a dozen years. I’d helped him buy some mares and we were both involved with Foxwedge together," Dodemaide told TDN AusNZ.
"I was at Inglis for over 30 years but I've known Eddie for at least a half a dozen years. I’d helped him buy some mares and we were both involved with Foxwedge together." - Mark Dodemaide
"Eddie had bought the training track 1km down the road and he saw that the Rowsthorns were looking at moving on from this part of the operation. He's got his mares down at Yarra Glen, so he thought he could centralise them all, and so he decided to take over this place.
"Eddie is really keen to make this work. It’s a very positive move for him and he's keen to make a mark."
Having completed the sale on the eve of the breeding season, the focus at Woodside Park Stud has quickly turned to continue the business. Hirsch will lend his experience and acumen but has also entrusted Dodemaide and Stud Manager, David Collison to keep things on track.
"Not a lot needed to be done in the transition," Dodemaide said.
Stallions standing on their own reputation
The timing of the change of ownership has put a little bit more pressure on Dodemaide when it comes to securing nominations for the upcoming breeding season, but he is confident that the stallions speak for themselves.
"Foxwedge has had 22 stakes winners and five Group 1 winners. His oldest are only seven, so he's not an older horse. There are not many young stallions who get up to that percentage of stakes winners within their first handful of years at stud. He's had 50 stakes-performers all up," he said.
Foxwedge, a Group 1-winning son of Fastnet Rock, increased his book from 67 in his first year at Woodside Park to 115 last year at his fee of $11,000 (inc GST), where he stays this year.
The past season has seen him sire 92 winners, the fourth season in a row that he has produced 90-plus winners. His four Australian stakes winners for this season include G1 Australian Guineas winner Lunar Fox, while he has also had Run Fox Run claim the G1 Cape Flying Championship in South Africa.
His first Victorian-bred progeny will hit the yearling sales in 2022.
Rich Enuff stands his sixth season at $8800 (inc GST) off the back of a season where he has had 31 Australian winners, the eighth-most of any second-season sire.
"His oldest progeny are three and he's got two early stakes winners and got two unbeaten stars that have got big futures," Dodemaide said.
"He's got Dosh, with Grahame Begg, who has had two starts for two wins in Group 3 races. He's also got Orbisyn in Queensland, and they have already knocked back big offers for him. He's in the markets at around $34 for The Everest. I'm not sure he is at that level, but they are pretty wrapped up in him."
Orbisyn (Rich Enuff) has won all four starts for trainer David Vandyke by a combined margin of over 15l.
"When you look at stallions and you say 'they just need a horse or two', Rich Enuff has already got those horses. If they come back improved from last time in, he will have those high-profile horses," Dodemaide said.
A son of former Woodside Park Stud resident Written Tycoon, Rich Enuff was a triple stakes winner, whose marquee career performance came in the G2 Danehill S. where he won down the Flemington straight in an ultra-quick time of 1:08.13, not far off the track record set by his grandsire Iglesia, and in one of the fastest times for a 3-year-old.
Rich Enuff | Standing at Woodside Park
Tosen Stardom's first crop are set to hit the track in the upcoming season, with the dual Group 1-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) set to stand at $7700 (inc GST) in 2021.
"He was a horse that won the Toorak H. and then won the Mackinnon S. like Phar Lap, but he was also a ¥250 million yearling, which works out to about AU$3 million," Dodemaide said.
"He was also an unbeaten 2-year-old stakes winner. He had that star quality and he's a son of Deep Impact with a big female pedigree."
"He (Tosen Stardom) was also an unbeaten 2-year-old stakes winner. He had that star quality and he's a son of Deep Impact with a big female pedigree." - Mark Dodemaide
Tosen Stardom has covered books of 123, 108 and 80 in his three seasons at Woodside Park and Dodemaide expects that first crop to make their presence felt in the upcoming season.
"I couldn't imagine him necessarily getting spring 2-year-olds, but if one or two popped up in the autumn, he’ll be in a good position," he said.
Planning for the future
Dodemaide said Hirsch is pleased with the mix of stallions they have on the farm, but confirmed that if the right product was to present itself, he would be keen to add to the roster.
"If the right stallion was to pop up in the next few months, we’d definitely look at it for next season. We will definitely be in that market," he said.
"If the right stallion was to pop up in the next few months, we’d definitely look at it for next season. We will definitely be in that market." - Mark Dodemaide
Hirsch is by no means the only one to ramp up his investment in the Victorian thoroughbred industry of late, and that surge of broader confidence is something which backs up his decision to buy Woodside Park Stud, according to Dodemaide.
"You've got to respect the amount of investment that has been made. You've got Yulong leading the way and Rosemont are having a real go and plenty of others as well. When you go to these big sales, Victorians are there throwing their weight around and that can only be a good thing," Dodemaide said.
