Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
The daughter of Debbie Kepitis, part-owner of the legendary Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), Lara Kepitis is racing manager for Woppitt Bloodstock, who enjoyed their biggest success so far last Saturday when Lazzago (Capitalist) won the G2 Sweet Embrace S.
It was a memorable day for the family, who have had a part to play in racing history for many decades, and may yet add another branch to that come March 18 when the G1 Golden Slipper S. rolls around at Rosehill Gardens.
Saturday’s victory was six years on from the same raceday at which Winx won her second G1 Chipping Norton S. and surpassed Phar Lap’s (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}) benchmark of 14 successive victories, which was itself 20 years on from Bob and Jack Ingham winning the Group 1 with Octagonal (NZ).
Preceding the history-making Winx was the historic, half-billion-dollar sale of Bob Ingham’s Woodlands Stud (including Lonhro and Octagonal), which launched Sheikh Mohammed’s serious involvement in Australian racing and breeding.
So, the family history is rich, but there was a particular pertinence about Saturday’s win. The granddaughter of Bob Ingham, Kepitis was winning a race named after his and brother Jack’s Golden Slipper winner of 1967.
Twenty-five-time Group 1 winner Winx | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
A true passion
Long surrounded by horses, Kepitis reflected on the year since she was named racing manager of Woppitt Bloodstock, admitting she never really stood a chance.
“It’s about the animal, that’s where we’ve come from,” Kepitis told TDN AusNZ. “As kids growing up, we’d be on the farm and our grandfather would drive us round the paddock to see the horses and the mares and foals.
“It was just the done thing for us, we were around them all the time.
“I’m still buzzing from Saturday, it was so good.”
Lezzago with Lara, Eden, Debbie, Alinta and Paul Kepitis after winning the G2 Sweet Embrace S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The family-wide enjoyment of racing hasn’t waned over the years either, and both of Kepitis’ sisters were there to watch Lazzago land herself a guaranteed spot in the Slipper last weekend.
And that’s by design, according to Kepitis, as her mother Debbie has encouraged the sisters’ enjoyment of the sport through her own branch of the family interest, Woppitt Bloodstock.
Named after the first horse she purchased herself, Woppitt Bloodstock represented Debbie Kepitis branching out from the family’s Ingham Racing brand, and in recent times she’s pushed more control into the hands of her daughters.
“We’ve all been in it with our family, but Mum is very keen on getting the next generation into it and enjoying it while we’re all at an age where we can,” Kepitis said.
“We’ve all been in it with our family, but Mum is very keen on getting the next generation into it and enjoying it while we’re all at an age where we can.” - Lara Kepitis
“I’ve been in this role for a year properly now, and I’m really loving experiencing what it’s like to work more in the industry. I’ve had some amazing chats with some real experts.
“Talking to people like Sebastian Hutch at Inglis, Guy Mulcaster and listening to the reports from Chris (Waller), you start to get a different feel for what’s going on in the industry.
“It’s been pretty exciting, and of course I’ve always got Mum to go back to and discuss things. She’s all about building us up being able to continue it. I think that’s the biggest plus, that we’re all in it together, Mum wants us to take over and make a few more decisions, and she’s always there as well.”
“It’s been pretty exciting (being racing manager), and of course I’ve always got Mum to go back to and discuss things. She’s all about building us up being able to continue it.” - Lara Kepitis
A natural talent
Having experienced “some really amazing highs” through her mother’s involvement in the sport, Kepitis’ increasing role within Woppitt Bloodstock has coincided with a dream run for the now synonymous white and purple colours.
Having previously scored at Listed level, Saturday’s Group 2 was a landmark for Woppitt, and not long before the same horse provided them with a notable bonus.
Running fourth in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium on her previous start, Lazzago not only picked up $88,000 for her efforts but was also the recipient of the inaugural $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus, falling within the category of minimum 75 per cent female owned.
Alinta, Debbie, Lara and Paul Kepitis after winning the $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus | Image courtesy of Inglis
A dream result in istelf, tust two days later Inglis also provided Woppitt with a similar cheque. Normally retaining to race the progeny of their 15 mares, Woppitt branched out this year and offered up a son of their five-time winning mare Limerock (Charge Forward).
A half-brother to G3 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) winner and Group 1-performed Limestone (Limerock), the colt by Yes Yes Yes sold via the Coolmore Stud draft to Yes Bloodstock and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $450,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
“...it’s pretty awesome what the industry does,” Kepitis concluded.
“We’re still pinching ourselves. As we know with horses, anything can happen. We want to just look after her (Lazzago) and make sure she’s right as well.
“You take every win as it happens, and yes we can look forward to something but we also keep our feet on the ground, and still celebrate our Wednesday winners as well.”
“You take every win as it happens, and yes we can look forward to something but we also keep our feet on the ground, and still celebrate our Wednesday winners as well.” - Lara Kepitis
As far as Kepitis’ influence within Woppitt Bloodstock goes, she and her sisters can take credit for the purchase of Lazzago. Although they lean on Guy Mulcaster through the sales season, Kepitis explained that her mother has a rule when it comes to purchasing - one that took the persuasion of all three sisters for her to break.
“Guy Mulcaster goes through and does a shortlist for us at the sales,” she said. “We posed a different type to him, we wanted to see something more precocious, and she (Lazzago) was on the final list that we took to Mum.
“You’ve got to pick a particular type of horse to get the up-and-coming 2-year-olds, as you can’t pressure them too much, and that’s come through with the Capitalist line.
Lazzago as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Us girls got a little bit more of the rein this time, and had to convince Mum because it’s a chestnut and she doesn’t like chestnuts.
“Dad had come along with us, we were all on board, we got the vetting done and she just looked ready to go. We were really excited to aim at something a bit different to what we’d done before.”
Branching out
Placing Lazzago with Chris Waller, who looks after the vast majority of Woppitt’s 22 horses in training, Kepitis praised the Champion Trainer for his patient approach.
“He takes his time, he’s definitely about what the horse shows him,” she enthused. “He was even in two minds whether to run last Saturday or this coming Saturday.
“He definitely takes the time and listens to what the animal wants, especially in this regard, with building her up.
“He said another three weeks before the Slipper is good timing, and he feels comfortable in getting her through this run, and then moving on to getting her ready.”
“He (Chris Waller) said another three weeks before the Slipper is good timing, and he feels comfortable in getting her (Lazzago) through this run, and then moving on to getting her ready.” - Lara Kepitis
Whether the dream comes true in a few weeks at Rosehill or not, Lazzago has already earned a place in the Woppitt Bloodstock broodmare band into which she’ll very likely retire once her racing is done - a band that might be harder for fillies to find their way into as things develop, with Kepitis outlining the desire to keep the scale small and manageable.
“We tend to buy one every year from a sale, depending on what jumps out at us,” she said.
“We were at Magic Millions this year and we went to Karaka, but there just wasn’t anything that met what we wanted.
“We’ll keep looking, and we’ll go back to Inglis Easter this year.”
With Lazzago a $460,000 purchase at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, it may be fateful that they’re still waiting to pounce on a yearling so far this sales season; at the same sale last year they also broke the one-a-year rule and ended up with a second smart juvenile filly for this term.
Mumbai Muse | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“That’s a bit of a story because there were two of them on our final list, and Mumbai Muse went for a bit much,” Kepitis explained.
A daughter of Zoustar, Mumbai Muse was secured instead by Michael Freedman and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA) for $525,000. Approached post-sale by the filly’s new trainer, Kepitis said they ‘jumped’ at the chance to get involved in the filly, and their share in her ownership saw her third-placed debut in the G3 Widden S. undertaken in the purple and white colours.
Was it worth breaking the rule? Kepitis said it certainly was.
