Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Eighteen months into setting up their own farm near Geelong, the emergence of Galaxy Witness as a potential Hong Kong star couldn't have come at a better time for Bird Rock Farm.
Last week, through the Woburn Farm draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, off the back of Galaxy Witness' excellent start to his career, his yearling half-brother by Rubick sold for $300,000, the highest price of 2022 so far for his sire.
Galaxy Witness' half-brother, Rubick x Black Tulip (colt), sold at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Hong Kong Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for $300,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
The buyers, not surprisingly, were from Hong Kong, with Hong Kong Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) combining to win out for the colt, catalogued as Lot 387.
Six days later that purchase was franked when Galaxy Witness stormed home to claim a Class 3 race over 1400 metres and raise prospects that he could be a serious contender in the 4-year-old features for Fownes in 2023.
"He’s a nice horse, he’s slowly improving – he’s gone from 1000 to 1200 to 1400 (metres) and he’s still learning. So, he’s quite nice for next season, we’re going to have some fun with him,” Fownes said before confirming the 2023 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which culminates in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, is a long-range aspiration.
Ben Mills of Bird Rock Farm may have bred the son of Star Witness but doesn't wish to claim much credit for Galaxy Witness' success, with the rising star raised on Edinglassie by Mick and Michelle Talty.
"All credit goes to Mick and Michelle and the team at Edinglassie. The mare was with them and they raised Galaxy Witness for us. They did all the hard work, prepared him and got him to the sale and through the ring," he told TDN AusNZ.
"He certainly looks promising and the mare has done a really good job."
"All credit goes to Mick and Michelle (Talty) and the team at Edinglassie. The mare was with them and they raised Galaxy Witness for us." - Ben Mills
Galaxy Witness, owned by Winnie Law Wing Yin, was purchased by John Foote for $160,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The Foote factor
That it was Foote that signed for Galaxy Witness shouldn't have been surprising given it was the respected bloodstock agent who picked out his dam, Black Tulip (Lonhro), for $60,000 on Bird Rock Farm's behalf in 2015.
A half-sister to Group 2 winner Hanks (Encosta De Lago), she was to be the Millses breeding operation foundation mare and mated to Not A Single Doubt, produced an outstanding first result.
Galaxy Witness as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
"Her first foal was Niedorp, who was by Not A Single Doubt, and she's a stakes winner," Mills said.
Niedorp was also purchased by Foote as a yearling, in combination with Tony Gollan, for $270,000 and has won six of her 25 starts, adding some important black type to the family by claiming a Listed race.
"She was bought for us and we sent her to Edinglassie and John did the mating for Star Witness. It’s all credit to John, who is very good with his matings and helped us out in the initial stages with our mare purchases and bloodstock portfolio," he said.
Niedorp | Image courtesy of Black Soil Bloodstock
A Russian Revolution filly from Black Tulip, now named Spicy Hotpot, was sold to Viribright Racing through Edinglassie at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $130,000 and she is now in work with Mark Newnham.
The Rubick colt, off the back of what Galaxy Witness has been doing in Hong Kong, looked set to create plenty of interest at Oaklands Junction last week as part of Woburn Farm's draft and so it proved.
"He was very popular. He was a horse that was very clean-winded and had very good x-rays. He was very much like the mare, Black Tulip, and threw more to the mare side than the Rubick side," Mills said.
"He (the Rubick yearling colt) was very popular. He was a horse that was very clean-winded and had very good x-rays. He was very much like the mare, Black Tulip, and threw more to the mare side than the Rubick side." - Ben Mills
"We had a lot of interest from Hong Kong, based on Galaxy Witness' performances. We were hoping he might bring $200,000, but to get $300,000 was a great result."
A commercial opportunity
The progressive nature of the pedigree also attracted plenty of interest in Black Tulip as well. After she lost a Dundeel (NZ) colt last year and then visited So You Think (NZ), the fledgling Bird Rock Farm received a strong offer for the mare.
"Another farm like ours, which is just setting up, made a strong offer. It was certainly a deal we were happy to entertain. From both ours' and the buyers' perspective, everyone has got a good deal," he said.
Ben Mills | Image courtesy of Bird Rock Farm
"One of the reasons we were happy to sell her was because we kept Ventisette who is a Dundeel filly out of Black Tulip. We will more than likely send her to Star Witness this year to get a three-quarter to Galaxy Witness. If he can keep going strong, then a three-quarter to him would be a pretty hot commodity."
It was only 18 months ago that Mills decided to ramp up Bird Rock Farm's operations and the 200-acre farm itself is still being set-up to accommodate their breeding interests as well as their racehorse agistment business. While there was sentiment attached to Black Tulip, Mills said it was important to remain commercial in how they operate.
"Black Tulip was our foundation mare, and she has done a really good job for us. We had a soft spot for her, but as we are setting up the farm, building a lot of fencing and stables, and put all the infrastructure in, you do have to make those commercial decisions," he said.
"We had a soft spot for her (Black Tulip), but as we are setting up the farm, building a lot of fencing and stables, and put all the infrastructure in, you do have to make those commercial decisions." - Ben Mills
Bird Rock Farm has nine other broodmares and will look to build that up to around 15 when they can move in to the farm from their currently leased 80-acre property 'around the corner', which is owned by farm manager and advisor Billy Cockram.
Mills said the ambition is to breed high-quality stock to proven stallions, taking advantage of the boom of investment in the Victorian industry in recent years.
Galaxy Witness is one of four Hong Kong winners this season for Star Witness, who relocated to Widden Victoria last season.
Star Witness | Standing at Widden Victoria
Other Australian-based stallions to get winners at Sha Tin on Sunday were Twin Hills Stud's Smart Missile, who had a double, Oaklands Stud's Exosphere - who had his first winner, Flying Season - and Power (GB), as well as Dundeel (NZ) and Press Statement.
Windsor Park Stud's Turn Me Loose (NZ) also had his first Hong Kong winner through Smiling Collector (NZ), while Westbury Stud resident Swiss Ace also got a winner through Flying Ace (NZ), who has now won four-straight for David Hall.
