Matings mix: ‘The main purpose of our breeding programs is to make stallions’

Cover image courtesy of Kingstar Farm

Prominent owner-breeder Matthew Sandblom is prepared to travel far and wide in a bid to secure the best available bloodstock to support his business interests.

That has seen him head overseas to sales including the Arqana August Yearling Sale in Deauville and the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Kentucky, and he has also enjoyed great success locally, buying and selling at Australia’s pre-eminent sales - the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

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Sandblom, who grew up selling racing books at Harold Park Paceway, is a significant shareholder in one of the country’s leading breeding operations, Newgate Farm, and is the principal of Kingstar Farm.

The education publishing entrepreneur has become a significant player in the Australian thoroughbred industry and his investment bore fruit in 2016 when Capitalist, a $165,000 yearling colt he part-owned, won the G1 Golden Slipper S.

That result enhanced Sandblom’s appetite for producing stallions, and he has taken great joy in seeing Capitalist become a success at stud. The son of Written Tycoon was runner-up to Extreme Choice as Australia’s Leading First Season Sire in 2020-21, before finishing second to Maurice (Jpn) as the country’s leading Second Season Sire last season. Capitalist, who stands at Newgate Farm at a fee of $99,000 (inc GST) has eight stakes winners to his credit, headlined by G1 2021 Champagne S. hero Captivant.

In 2018, Sandblom paid $90,000 for Nothin’ Leica Storm (Anabaa {USA}) at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale. The mare was offered by Widden Stud and was in foal to Extreme Choice. A winner of three races, Nothin’ Leica Storm is from the extended family of G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Wonderful World, as well as the Group 1-winning sprinter Spartacus (Snippets).

The resultant foal was named Stay Inside and Kingstar Farm sold the colt for $60,000 to Newgate Bloodstock at the 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, the following year. Stay Inside was offered by Newgate Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he was knocked down to Michael and Richard Freedman and Rick Connolly Bloodstock for $200,000.

Five years after Capitalist took out the world’s richest race for juveniles, Stay Inside emulated that colt’s deeds, much to Sandblom’s delight. Stay Inside only raced on two more occasions before being retired to Newgate Farm, where he stands alongside his father for $77,000 (inc GST).

As Sandblom explained to TDN AusNZ, his primary focus is to breed the next Capitalist or Stay Inside.

“The main purpose of our breeding programs is to make stallions, so when we are acquiring mares and mating mares, that’s top of mind, and applicable to Newgate Farm and Kingstar Farm,” Sandblom said.

“We consider what type of mares, both on breeding and type, will best support the stallions that we have and about 95 per cent of our mares will go to our own stallions.”

Sandblom not only has stallions at Newgate Farm, he also stands four at Kingstar Farm. They are Group 2 winner Time To Reign, Group 3 winners Bull Point and Lord Of The Sky, plus Listed winner Unite And Conquer. Approximately two thirds of the broodmare band will be covered by Newgate Farm-based stallions, with the remaining third served by the Kingstar Farm quartet.

He said the decision-making process regarding which mare goes where was a team effort.

Sandblom explained: “Henry (Field, Newgate Farm managing director) is pretty much involved across the board. I will do an initial run through of all the Kingstar-based mares, which is approximately 140… I’ll do it on a spreadsheet with all of the possibilities and what they have produced and the pedigrees. Then, I sit down with Adam Cook (Kingstar Farm's Manager), Conor Phelan (Kingstar Farm’s nominations manager) and Henry and we go through and adjust the list.

“There may be a reason, either on type or pedigree, that might standout for someone, so we consider all of those things. We probably adjust 25 per cent of my initial list.

“We bought some mares particularly for some stallions, then there’s mares that have also produced progeny by the stallions and we like the progeny, so they are much more likely to go back.”

Strong support for Extreme Choice

Given the feats of Extreme Choice during his fledging career at stud, it’s little wonder Sandblom is sending a number of his top mares to the Group 1-winning sire.

From just 40 runners last season, Extreme Choice had 23 individual winners combine for 39 wins and six individual winners took out nine stakes races, including She’s Extreme, who was victorious in the G1 Champagne S.

Not surprisingly, Nothin’ Leica Storm will return to Extreme Choice.

“She did the job for us with Stay Inside and then she had a nice filly by Russian Revolution, who is with Annabel Neasham,” said Sandblom.

“Extreme Choice is the obvious one, but she’s not a mare that gets in foal every year. Hopefully we can get her in foal to him again, but if not, Capitalist is the back-up option.”

Another mare to be covered by Extreme Choice is Group 1 victress I Am A Star (NZ) (I Am Invincible).

She already has a Deep Field 2-year-old colt and a Fastnet Rock yearling colt, and is in foal to Extreme Choice.

Shane Nichols, who trained I Am A Star, paid $800,000 for the Deep Field colt from the Newgate Farm draft at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“He’s a nice colt, I don’t know if he’ll race before Christmas, but he’s coming along nicely,” Sandblom said.

“We got her (I Am A Star) in foal, pretty much first go, to Extreme Choice, which was a bonus.

“This time, she’ll probably go back to Extreme Choice, with Russian Revolution the fallback option.”

Mischief Night (Shamardal {USA}) has already thrown a stakes winner, two-time Group 3 victor Our Playboy (Sebring).

Having just given birth to an Extreme Choice colt, she will return to him this season.

“The colt she just had is a very nice colt and we’re happy with that, because she’s a good mare, she’s already produced a stakes winner,” said Sandblom.

“Based on the colt, we’d like to go back to Extreme Choice.”

Sweet Bouquet (Dream Ahead {USA}) – a relation to Group 2 winner Santos – has already produced a colt by Extreme Choice and she will return to him this season.

“Her first foal by Extreme Choice is a cracker; we reckon he’s one of the best Extreme Choices we’ve seen as a foal,” he added.

“Based on that first foal, she’ll obviously go back to him.”

A quality first book for Slipper hero

Stay Inside will stand his first season at stud and he will get every chance, with the Golden Slipper winner's book boasting an abundance of quality broodmares.

Sandblom has high hopes for Stay Inside and is confident he will cut the mustard.

“He was very impressive in the Golden Slipper; he had a few hoof issues, which prevented him from showing his best in the spring, but he was dominant in the Slipper which is always a good sign,” he said.

“He’s a nice medium-sized horse and will suit plenty of mares.

“He’ll get plenty of opportunity to serve mares.

“We’ve bred plenty of good horses over the years, but nothing like Stay Inside.”

Imported mare Decorous (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) is out of the unraced mare Considerate (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a half-sister to globetrotting Group 1-winning superstar Enable (Nathaniel {Ire}). Sandblom bought her at the 2019 Arqana August Yearling Sale in Deauville.

“She didn’t get to the races, but she’s got a bit of a pedigree behind her,” Sandblom commented.

“She’s a nice, big, strong mare and she is in foal to Capitalist, she’s a little overdue.

“We will give her a chance with Stay Inside.”

Strawb (Fastnet Rock) won five races and $113,130 in prizemoney and hails from the same family as Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}), More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}), Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}) and Joie Denise (Danehill {USA}).

She will also be served by Stay Inside.

“She’s a nice, big, strong mare. And she’s a good-looking mare, so hopefully she gets in foal,” he said.

“A medium-size horse like Stay Inside should match well. I think she will produce a nice foal; she’s got plenty of substance to her, so I’d be surprised if she didn’t.”

Stakes-placed mare to visit Capitalist

Cafe Royal boasts a lovely pedigree, being by Snitzel from the family of Redoute’s Choice and Manhattan Rain, among others.

She won eight races and $261,370 in stakes money and was placed in Listed grade.

Her first cover will be Capitalist.

“She’s a mare we bred ourselves, Henry and I own her. She’s from a very good family, from the Redoute’s Choice family and she’s a Snitzel mare. She was a good metropolitan mare,” Sandblom said.

“I suppose with these young mares there’s a tendency to go towards things that might be more precocious, so you get something that will get to the track earlier. Hopefully, it’s performing when some of the other foals out of this mare are coming through later on,” said Sandblom.

Returning to Russian Revolution

Munjai (Trusting) is a three-quarter sister to dual Listed winner Whittington. Their dam, Maha Chakri (Beautiful Crown {USA}), was a Listed winner.

Sandblom paid just $7000 for Munjai at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (Book 1).

Her first foal, a Capitalist colt, sold for $220,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, while her second, a Russian Revolution filly, made $560,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

She is in foal to Russian Revolution and will be covered by him once again this season.

“Munjai is a bit of a surprise packet. She’s a cheap mare that Henry and I bought. Her first couple of foals have sold very well,” Sandblom remarked.

“When you sell a yearling for $560,000, not surprisingly, you go back to Russian Revolution.”

Deep Field keeps delivering

Dance Music (War Chant {USA}) is a mare Sandblom co-bred and he raced her mother, Fast Flowing (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}). Dance Music won five stakes races, including two at Group 3 level.

This will be her first cover.

“She’s a nice compact mare, so we thought we would go to a proven stallion, but also with a bit of scope for her first mating,” he said.

Collins (Desert King {Ire}) – a full sister to triple Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva (GB) – will also visit Deep Field.

“She’s just had a filly by So You Think and then she’ll go to Deep Field,” Sandblom said.

“She’s probably not the prettiest of mares, but one of the reasons I bought her was she had a good colt by So You Think sell for $290,000 as a weanling and she’s also produced another good son of So You Think.”

Table: Some of matings Matthew Sanblom is planning for the 2022 season