Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Legendary Corowa horseman Len Rhodes gave a young man starting in the game this piece of advice: “The first twenty years of breeding are the hardest.” Fast forward a few decades and Miranda Park's Gary O'Meara reckons he was spot on.
“I say that myself now and people have a laugh,” O'Meara said, noting that he knows looking back that Rhodes was attempting to temper the enthusiasm of someone new to the world of breeding thoroughbreds... it is certainly not an endeavour for the faint-hearted!
But O'Meara is still going strongly, from his first homebred maiden winner at Murray Bridge to feature race success at Flemington and lots of ups and downs in between.
Saturday was one of those ups, the Miranda Park-bred Sirileo Miss (Pride Of Dubai) racing away to a big win in the G3 Matron S. at Flemington - her third success at that level having won the last two editions of the G3 Ladies Day Vase at Caulfield.
Whilst O'Meara was not on course - watching with his son, Tom, on a television from the barns at the Magic Millions Adelaide complex where he has six yearlings making their way through the ring - it was still a big moment.
“We'd had this Flemington hoodoo on our back for so long, it was the only Melbourne track we had not won on, so to do it in a Group 3 with a homebred mare, well that sent a shiver up my spine!”
“We'd had this Flemington hoodoo on our back for so long, it was the only Melbourne track we had not won on, so to do it in a Group 3 with a homebred mare (Sirileo Miss), well that sent a shiver up my spine!” - Gary O'Meara
Whilst breeding horses for the sales ring is at the centre of the Miranda Park business model, O'Meara also has the track in mind and will not breed a horse he would not be happy to retain ownership in.
In fact, keeping shares in horses bred at the Hesket farm is another core part of the business - they have about 15 at the moment, showing faith in what they breed whilst also supporting trainers who support them.
Upgrading stock
With the long-term aim being to constantly upgrade, Tom O'Meara headed to the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale with a short list, returning to Victoria with a couple of mares including one whose pedigree greatly appealed.
She's Sirius | Image courtesy of Inglis
“By Galileo out of a Rory's Jester mare, a great blend of stamina and speed.”
Secured for $75,000, She's Sirius (Galileo {Ire}) had made an encouraging start to her stud career with her first foal Coys (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) a multiple city winner and she was in foal to a well-regarded first-season stallion, Coolmore Stud's Pride Of Dubai.
“A very strong, neatly put together” filly (Sirileo Miss) arrived that spring and during her preparation for the 2019 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, O'Meara was confident that he had a horse who would be “at the pointy end of the sale.”
“But by the time the sale came around she (Sirileo Miss) was going through a growth spurt, and we sold her for only $60,000.
Sirileo Miss as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We thought that was unders and that the best way to get full value out of her was to stay in.”
From early days trainer Symon Wilde was confident in Sirileo Miss' ability and O'Meara is excited that there is more to come.
“We had a substantial offer for her a few months ago that we resisted, and we think that was the right call,” O'Meara said, noting that his fellow owners including the Bryant family “absolutely adore her.”
Gary O'Meara with Sirileo Miss | Image courtesy of Miranda Park
Saturday's win was an especially impressive one, Sirileo Miss setting up a good clip in front (they ran nearly three seconds faster than the G2 Kewney S. over the same trip) with O'Meara waiting for her run to end.
“I thought coming to the turn that she'd be entitled to tire but she just kept going, she is such a tough mare.”
Unfortunately, Miranda Park does not have a yearling out of She's Sirius to sell this year (she was not served in 2020) and sadly her Merchant Navy colt (another who the O'Mearas stayed in after selling him for $125,000 at last year's Inglis Premier sale) died after showing ability for the Kris Lees stable.
But there is more to come with her recently weaned King's Legacy filly a real favourite.
“She (King's Legacy x She's Sirius) is such a nice foal that we decided we didn't want her travelling so we kept She's Sirius in Victoria. She is in foal to Hanseatic who, apart from his obvious attributes, is bred on the same Street Cry/Danehill cross as Pride Of Dubai.”
O'Meara puts plenty of research into the Miranda Park matings, both at home and interstate.
“Between Tom and I we do quite a few trips to the Hunter Valley each year as we think that it is very important to choose an appropriate physical match for each mare.
“We also look at the proven crosses and try to duplicate dominant females whilst staying commercial. And we tend to send our maiden mares to proven sires - even if they are not the 'bells and whistles' types... we want to give our mares a good start with stallions who have shown they can get runners.”
“... we tend to send our maiden mares to proven sires - even if they are not the 'bells and whistles' types... we want to give our mares a good start with stallions who have shown they can get runners.” - Gary O'Meara
Mares currently in foal at Miranda Park include Highfalutin Gal (All Too Hard) whose Hanseatic foal will be line-bred to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}) and the local speed influence Scandinavia (Snippets) and the homebred four-time winner Destiny Diamond (Raphael's Cat) whose Kermadec (NZ) foal will be bred along very similar lines to his triple Group 1-winning close relation Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}).
As well as Supriym Story (General Nediym), dam of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Lasqueti Spirit (Beneteau) who is in foal to the in-form Dundeel (NZ).
A family affair
Focusing on young mares as they upgrade, O'Meara thought they'd be at the stage now of downscaling their thoroughbred interests but with the enthusiasm Tom has for the sport, Miranda Park is instead looking further into the future.
A teacher by trade, spending three decades teaching Chinese language at PEGS (Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School), O'Meara has been involved in horses all his life - attributing his love for racing to the stories told around the family table as he was growing up.
“My dad's family lived on a small block next to the Smith family (yes, that Smith family!) and as a kid, Dad was best mates with Tommy Smith's brother. Both families moved on but there was always talk about that era going on when we were growing up.
Miranda Park | Image courtesy of Miranda Park
“Shane and I were both fascinated and we'd spend every spare minute at friends' farms, riding horses. I broke my first horse in when I was 12 and I am still doing that now; I did four last year.”
In the late 1970s the O'Meara family purchased a farm and began to breed thoroughbreds. In the mid 80s they were gifted a Manihi horse called Increase who they stood before acquiring Warmington (Ire). Both stallions were a long way out of the commercial sphere but breeding fascinated Gary and Shane so much that they started to buy mares... on the strict budget allowed by a young teacher and a meat inspector (Shane).
In November 1989 the homebred filly Gunsu (Heir Presumptive {GB}) broke her maiden at Murray Bridge, a moment still treasured; even the day after Sirileo Miss' third Group 3 success, O'Meara admitting that “it is still my biggest thrill.”
Though another exciting moment was winning a race at Hanging Rock with O'Meara being vice president of the Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club. Miranda Park's 200 acres sit out the back of the track... “as we were on the podium accepting the trophy we could see the paddock where our winner was born!”
Purchased by Gary and his wife Helen in 2003, Miranda Park is home to a select group of O'Meara's and clients' mares with agistment, foaling, walk-in and yearling preparation services offered.
Miranda Park offered nine yearlings at last week's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale with a $150,000 Star Turn colt who sold to Hong Kong the highlight. Magic Millions' Adelaide Yearling Sale kicks off on Tuesday with Miranda Park offering six youngsters by Turffontein, Highland Reel (Ire), Alpine Eagle, Divine Prophet, Toronado (Ire) and Tassort.
Gallery: Miranda Park's yearlings to be offered at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
The Highland Reel colt (Lot 74) is a half-brother to the Listed winner Zin Zan Eddie (Zizou) whilst the Alpine Eagle filly (Lot 219) is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Buoyant (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}). And the dams of the Tassort (Lot 397) filly and the Toronado colt (Lot 266) have been represented by recent winners.
