After being introduced to the sport by his father, Mills decided, after working in construction, to make racing and breeding his full-time venture.
“I am not from a family of horse people at all. I guess when I was in my late teens my father raced a horse called Fat Al with Gai Waterhouse and it was then when I got the love of racing and I was fortunate enough to get a bit of security and dabbled in a few racehorses with Archie Alexander and that’s how I met Johnny McKeever, who is helping me out at the Sales,” Mills told TDN AusNZ.
Ben Mills and his son Junior
Mills first incursion into the bloodstock industry was a successful one when he and John Foote purchased unraced Lonhro mare Black Tulip for $60,000 at the 2015 edition of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
After mating her to Arrowfield stallion Not A Single Doubt, Mills sold the resulting foal to Gold Coast-based trainer Tony Gollan and John Foote for $270,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The filly would later be known as Neidorp and would go on to win six races including the Listed Spirit Of Boom Fillies and Mares' Classic.
“After racing a couple of horses, I thought I might like to try my hand at breeding, so I bought a mare and the passion developed from that. I call it beginner's luck because the first mare was quite successful.
"...I thought I might like to try my hand at breeding, so I bought a mare and the passion developed from that. I call it beginner's luck because the first mare was quite successful." - Ben Mills
"We bought Black Tulip for $60,000 and her first-foal was a $270,000 Not A Single Doubt filly and was subsequently a stakes winner and I think the passion grew from that,” explained Mills.
Red-letter year
This year was an exciting year for the burgeoning Bird Rock Farm, when they offered two yearlings through the Woburn Farm consignment at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and they both brought memorable results for Mills and his team.
The most expensive of the pair was an Iffraaj (GB) colt who was purchased by The Osher Group and Gelagotis Racing for $360,000, while Miller’s colt by Rubick - a half-brother to Neidorp - realised $300,000 when selling to Andy Williams and Hong Kong Bloodstock, making him the most expensive yearling sold by the stallion in 2022.
“We had a good Sale in Melbourne this year. We sold the most expensive Rubick colt for $300,000 and we also got $360,000 for an Iffraaj colt and this was really the first year of doing it commercially, so it was great to get some good results to put us on the map a little bit.
Gallery: Some of Bird Rock Farm's yearlings sold through the Woburn Farm draft at this year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis
“It also gave me confidence that we have got the systems right going forward and laid the foundation of what we are trying to achieve,” he continued.
Mills has also recently purchased a property which is in the process of being built into a working farm, which is where the yearlings will be prepped for the Sales.
“We are located in Barrabool at the moment, which is just out of Geelong and it is about 200 acres which we are in the process of setting up a place in Ceres which will be in the main property. Bird Rock Farm is currently a concept and we are based elsewhere just waiting for our buildings to be set up,” Mills said.
Sourcing mares to upgrade the band
With currently around eight broodmares on the property, Mills, his Farm Manager Billy Cockram and bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever - who was been advising him on bloodstock - will be looking to buy a mare at the Sale over the next three days, with Bird Rock having teamed up with McKeever to buy two weanlings on the Gold Coast last week.
Johnny McKeever and Billy Cockram | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
After last week's efforts, they left the Sale with a colt by Dundeel (NZ) who they purchased from Ambergate Farm for $90,000, while they went to $220,000 for a filly by Darley’s first-season shuttler Too Darn Hot (GB) from the Yarraman Park draft.
With four weanlings already safely on the farm for next year’s yearling Sale, Mills said he was keen to add to the band ahead of 2023.
“I think we wanted to add some more weanlings to our four foals at home headed to the yearling Sales next year and we just wanted to add to the foals we already have,” he explained.
“Our brief is to try and get one mare every year to upgrade the broodmare band and sort of trade our way up to the better stock.”
"Our brief is to try and get one mare every year to upgrade the broodmare band and sort of trade our way up to the better stock." - Ben Mills
Planning for a big future
The end goal is for Bird Rock Farm to build their broodmare band and to offer yearling drafts at the best Sales in Australia in the future and Mills said the profits he makes from the pinhooking will go directly back into buying broodmares.
“We currently have eight mares and I think the magic number we want to get to is around 15, but we want to get into the Sales like Magic Millions or Easter with our horses and our business plan is to trade our way to the better mares,” said Mills.
“Obviously, it is hard at the moment because the market is so hot, but if you can have a little bit of success it can go a long way. In terms of pinhooking, all the profits will go back into sourcing better mares, so then hopefully they can go to better stallions, because at the end of the day we all want to breed fast racehorses.
"In terms of pinhooking, all the profits will go back into sourcing better mares, so then hopefully they can go to better stallions, because at the end of the day we all want to breed fast racehorses." - Ben Mills
“I’m very lucky to have Billy Cockram to help me out and he has been a great help to me, especially with me given that I am not from a horse background. He has guided me through this integral part of Bird Rock Farm going forward and I am really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
