Cover image courtesy of Twin Hills Stud

Expecting to foal around 150 mares this season, a busy time lies ahead for Olly Tait and his team at Twin Hills Stud in Cootamundra. Soon coming to fruition are the mating plans started around March of 2022, and which never really stop “right up until the mare is actually covered.”

It’s now six years since Olly and Amber Tait took control of the farm, having purchased it from Godolphin, whose Australian arm was started by Olly years ago.

It’s four years since they first took a draft of yearlings to the Magic Millions Gold Coast in January, and all-up they have now sold 505 horses under the name of Twin Hills Stud, for just over $33 million - an impressive sum for a young commercial farm.

“Sadly that’s not all ours,” was Olly Tait’s good-humoured response.

It’s still early days in the timeframe of breeding, producing and trading horses, but the success has been there with numerous examples already. Latterly, they include the $500,000 garnered by a Written Tycoon filly out of Exceeds (Snitzel) at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Exceeds, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Rock Kingdom (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), was a $200,000 purchase herself by Tait at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, when carrying the fancied filly.

She has a Maurice (Jpn) colt to follow, and is in foal to Tagaloa again, though a late cover means she may not be served in 2023.

“I sent her to Tagaloa and I've got another mare going to Tagaloa this year,” Tait explained.

“I wanted to support Tagaloa himself, because he's a very good racehorse, but also wanted to support Yulong. The investment that Mr Zhang has put into the industry in Australia is extraordinary. So, in my own little way, I wanted to support that operation.”

That’s despite Twin Hills itself standing five stallions in 2023, with new boy Daumier very much the centre of attention.

Getting him off to a good start

Sales appeal aside, a late foal from Exceeds might not bother Tait as it certainly didn’t hold back Daumier. The only Group 1-winning 2-year-old colt of his foal crop, Daumier was a November 26 foal. It’s a fact that Twin Hills is proudly promoting.

“You don't get many opportunities as a stud farm to stand a Blue Diamond winner,” Tait said. “We see it as a great opportunity for Twin Hills… and we've got some good shareholders in him.

“He's a lovely looking horse. We took him down to Melbourne for the Great Southern Sale and showed him off there.

“Then we've had a number of people through the farm and we're going to have a lot more people through the farm in the next few weeks.”

The son of Epaulette stands for $16,500 (inc GST) in his debut season at Twin Hills, and will be in receipt of significant in-house support according to Tait.

“I've got a good knowledge of our own mares, of what they've produced, what their own physical attributes are and, if they've had foals already, what the physical attributes of those foals are, and where they fit commercially,” he said.

“Naturally when you stand your own stallions as well, you're trying to assist those stallions and trying to get them off the ground at the same time.”

Giving Daumier every chance will include sending him Demetria (Conatus), a three-time winner and half-sister to Champion Female Sprinter in Australia in 2013/14, Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}), the dam of G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Shinzo (Snitzel).

“Demetria's sister is a Blue Diamond winner, and she's going to a Blue Diamond winner, so there's a bit of symmetry there,” Tait added.

In the past couple of years, the support of such a mare has been directed at Peltzer, to whom Demetria carries this year, with a “beautiful” yearling colt on the ground. Whilst Tait is by no means ignoring the rest of his roster, he’s plain that it’s time to get behind Daumier.

Another that will be sent his way is Moonlight Music (Redoute’s Choice), whose first foal was the stakes-winning juvenile Moonlight Hussler (Hussonet {USA}). She has a strong back pedigree too, being out of US juvenile winner Heavenly Night (USA) (Woodman {USA}), from the family of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). Not served in 2022, her latest foal is a Peltzer yearling colt.

“She's an older mare, and Redoute’s Choice mares are getting rarer and rarer, naturally… and he was Champion Broodmare Sire again this year,” Tait said.

“She's been a very good-producing mare. And again, I think she's the sort of mare that could get Daumier off to a good start, and that's the most important thing for us.”

Another smart-looking recent mare purchase for Tait, Redeeming Spirit (I Am Invincible) cost $120,000 via the Inglis Digital April (Late) Online Sale this year. A winner and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Sweet Redemption (Snitzel), she was bought in foal to Wild Ruler (her maiden mating), and will also visit Daumier.

“Interestingly, she's descended from Dark Jewel, which was a mare that my grandparents owned many years ago,” Tait added.

“She's a phenomenal broodmare who produced a Golden Slipper winner, a Thousand Guineas winner and an Epsom Handicap winner.”

Gallery: Some of the mares visiting Daumier this season

Love for Peltzer

Peltzer’s second crop of foals are due this spring, and he is by no means forgotten about by Tait. Standing at the top of the Twin Hills roster alongside Daumier at $16,500 (inc GST), Peltzer covered over 80 mares in his first two years, which Tait has previously described as “solid books.”

“You've never heard of a horse stud who stands a stallion, that hasn't said that they like the first foals by their stallion,” Tait laughed, as he described how Peltzer is stamping his stock.

“They've got plenty of size,” he added. “Peltzer himself is a bit more refined than your average So You Think, and So You Think himself is such a phenomenal stallion that really stamps them.

“They're largely very correct, with good bone. He had a foal make $100,000 this year and another one went for $60,000. For a horse off a $15,000 service fee, that's good going.”

The $60,000 weanling, which sold to Lyndhurst Farm at this year’s Inglis Great Southern Sale, is out of Twin Hills’ Fastnet Rock mare Infinite Love. She’s from a speedy, stakes-winning American family, was covered by Peltzer in 2022, and will visit him again this year.

“There isn't a whole heap of science to that mating except for the fact that it worked the first time round, so let's give him another go with him,” Tait said.

Keeping it commercial

Tait might be putting a considerable portion of Twin Hills’ mare power behind the home roster, but some smart mares will still step outside the property in 2023.

“We're in the business of selling horses,” Tait summed up. “We feel that, if you're going to play in the commercial market, then there are certain stallions that you want to have exposure to.

“Naturally, you’re just trying to find the ones that are heading in the right direction. We'll send the majority of our own mares to our own stallions, but we do send some out.”

For the second year in a row under Tait’s guidance, juvenile stakes winner Let Me Sleep On It (Manhattan Rain) - a half-sister to Group 1 winner Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) - will head up to the Hunter Valley, and towards Arrowfield Stud.

She was sourced from the 2022 Inglis Chairman's Sale for $200,000 when in foal to Capitalist, now a yearling colt.

“We're only in the first few seasons of Maurice,” Tait noted. “What he’s achieved in a short period of time is impressive.

“It’s an obvious mating for her. She was a stakes-winning 2-year-old, and you’re producing a close relative of Mazu.”

Also visiting the Hunter, but this time heading to Newgate Stud, is Tiny (Lonhro). Another Twin Hills purchased from this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, dual winner Tiny was bought from Godolphin carrying her maiden cover to Earthlight (Ire).

Tait paid $280,000 for the mare, and had the mating to Russian Revolution in mind from the outset.

“Despite her name, she’s a very big mare so I thought that, physically, he would suit her,” he said.

“He looks like he's consistently getting good 2-year-olds. He's obviously had a Group 1-winning 3-year-old this year. So, again, he’s a horse that I feel is heading in the right direction.”

Just down the road from Newgate, Too Darn Hot (GB) stands at Darley Kelvinside, and will receive Nevershotthedeputy (Written Tycoon).

From the family of Time For War, Nevershotthedeputy was bought in partnership with Watership Down for $200,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, with Tait happy to join in the venture with the British stud who co-own Too Darn Hot.

The family jewels

Aside from the commercial proceedings at Twin Hills, Tait oversees a handful of family owned homebreds. These include Tortoni (Strategic), who is out of Group 1 winner Whisked (Whiskey Road {USA}), and from the great Corumbene family of Ichihara (General Nediym) and Isurava (General Nediym).

“She's an interesting mare in that she was the last foal of Whisked, who was Australian Broodmare of the Year and dam of Tie The Knot,” Tait explained.

“Before we owned Twin Hills, she was served by Strategic at Twin Hills when it was owned by Darley. She then came back the next year to have the Strategic foal, and she sadly died having that foal, who is Tortoni.

“Not the most glamorous-looking mare,” a severe sway back didn’t stop Tortoni winning a race before she retired to breeding duties, at which she’s been very successful.

“After Amber and I bought Twin Hills, Cherry Tortoni was in the first crop of foals that were bred here.

“He obviously went on to win a Group 2 and was Group 1 placed, a fabulous horse. So, I guess she's a meaningful mare for us.”

Tortoni is “still knocking around,” at Twin Hills, whilst her fifth foal, Jenny Jerome (Churchill {Ire}), was stakes placed last spring and not too far away in the G1 Thousand Guineas.

Owned by Tait’s father and aunt, Tortoni will head back to Churchill (Ire) this year and is carrying to St Mark’s Basilica (Fr).

Also, amongst the family mares, being owned by Tait’s parents, G1 VRC Oaks runner-up Douceur (No Nay Never {USA}) will be paired with So You Think (NZ) for her maiden mating, and may become another fruitful mare for Tait and Co., being from the family of Group 2 winner Shania Dane (Danehill {USA}) and, further back, Group 1 scorer Summer Passage (Snitzel).

Table: Some of the matings Twin Hills Stud is planning for the 2023 season

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Stuart Boman was an inaugural graduate of the prestigious Godolphin Flying Start program in 2005. In 2010, Boman joined the Newmarket, United Kingdom-based Blandford Bloodstock and has specialised in sourcing Northern Hemisphere thoroughbreds for a vast range of Australian clients.

Boman has found immense success in this field, often with inexpensive horses ranging from yearling purchases to the tried-horse markets in the Northern Hemisphere.

Last week, two Boman graduates found the winner’s circle, the hugely talented Floating Artist (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and the progressive Warnie (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}).

The 7-year-old Floating Artist, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, reminded everybody of his ability on Saturday at Moonee Valley, Australia, when second-up he surged to victory over 2040 metres, carrying the colours of Seymour Bloodstock.

It was an emotional victory for those connected to the son of Nathaniel (Ire), as he had been on the sidelines for an extended period after a paddock accident.

Floating Artist had shown a high level of ability in his first Australian preparation when he ran a courageous fourth in the G1 Melbourne Cup behind the star gallopers Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Incentivise (Shamus Award); he could find himself in the famous race again in 2023 when connections outlined it would be a dream to try again.

“He was off the track for a very long time, and they (the owners) have done a really fantastic job to be patient and give full credit to the horse; he's incredibly tough. It's just great to win another race with him,” Eustace said.

“Whether he sort of stays at that trip or we go up in grade, I think he'll be running in Cups - which ones they are, we'll see. We'll look after him, make sure he's not racing on ground that is too firm; what races they are, he'll tell us as we gradually go up in trip and grade.”

Value buys

Boman sourced Floating Artist at the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, paying 95,000gns (AU$195,200) with Ciaron Maher Racing.

Earlier in the week, the Boman-sourced and Joseph O’Brien-trained Warnie stamped himself as a horse to follow when he was successful in the Listed Churchill S. at Tipperary, Ireland.

Warnie carries the colours of the Australian-based Bennett Racing, which is becoming more active in the international market.

Boman, alongside Bennett Racing, secured the son of Highland Reel (Ire) from the 2023 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale for 65,000gns (AU$133,500).

Boman shared with TTR AusNZ his approach to sourcing thoroughbreds and his latest stars.

“There are no real hard and fast rules; I suppose I’m always just trying to find good value for my clients,” he said.

“We bought Warnie from the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale. I have been trying to convince clients in Australia that the European breeze-up sales is a good opportunity and probably the last frontier, they need to delve into, and they’re starting to.

“Annabel Neasham has bought a few from the breeze-up sale this year, and Nathan (Bennett) backed me on the idea, he had a couple of horses running at the Royal Ascot meeting this year, and I said, ‘Well, let’s add to the team’, and we were knocked out on earlier prospects which profiled as speedier five to six furlong 2-year-olds,” Boman told TTR AusNZ.

“We switched targets and started looking for horses that could get a mile. As there’s an interesting race at Royal Ascot called the Chesham S., which is restricted to progeny of either sire or dam that has won over 10 furlongs or further.

“So, it’s trying to promote the breeding of stayers, and so we switched to targeting Chesham-qualified pedigrees, and we went through pages, the times, stride data and the conformation, and we came up with Warnie.”

As Warnie is an Australian-owned horse, we may see Warnie competing on our shores one day. However, Boman indicated the plans for Warnie remain open, with several options and paths.

“Look, he will probably end up in Australia at some point, with the prizemoney being as it is. There has been interest from Hong Kong for Warnie, but I don’t think Bennett Racing will sell the horse; I think he will remain with Joseph (O’Brien),” Boman told TTR AusNZ.

“It’s a very good crop of 2-year-olds in Europe this year, and we’re not getting carried away with where we stand in the pecking order, but he’s obviously a very progressive horse.

“We have a few things in mind for him internationally and in Europe this year; we hope and dream that he progresses to a Guineas horse next year and then bring him down to Australia, with races like the Golden Eagle as options.

“It’s just a matter of how he progresses from now.”

Other star graduates

Warnie and Flying Artist are not the only stars Boman has sourced for the Australians.

The Neasham stable has benefitted from Boman’s expert eye hugely, with the acquisition of My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Group 2 winner who was a private purchase.

The recently retired Top Ranked (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who claimed a thrilling edition of the G1 Epsom H. was also a private purchase.

Last but not least! The incredible Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), who will return to action on Saturday in the G1 Winx S.

Gallery: Some of the stars Stuart Boman has sourced for Australians, images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Boman sourced Zaaki from the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale with Annabel Neasham Racing for 150,000gns (AU$308,000). The 9-year-old has won over $10 million in prizemoney for his connections.

“It’s a matter of identifying value and the opportunities that come along. In a variety of ways, but I do feel generally, at public auction, you do get the best value for your clients; I do source horses privately, but Floating Artist, Warnie and Zaaki were purchased from Tattersalls at auction,” Boman explained to TTR AusNZ.

“Private horses make up a large percentage of horses that I send to Australia with good success. Generally speaking, those private purchases are horses with a specific target, like buying a Melbourne Cup horse or a Golden Eagle horse or meeting a specific deadline, with a shipment going to Australia.”

Countless hours

Boman has made finding these ‘diamonds in the rough’ almost look easy. However, Boman and his team spend countless hours compiling data and assessing race performances and pedigree.

“I suppose that’s a point of difference for me is I probably do more research and more due diligence than others may, and it is watching a lot of races and putting systems in place to help streamline or, at least better organise the information that needs to be assessed,” Boman said.

“So we’ve developed a database, with the help of some third-party contractors and taking on some extra people to help get through everything.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s not a real job. I’m doing what I love, so it's quite easy and enjoyable.”

Boman explained how he approaches buying from different sales, whether they are breeze-up sales or tried-horse sales, the areas he zones in on.

“I think pedigree is foremost, in every assessment I make. In saying that, I’m probably most flexible regarding the stallion. I find the mare is probably the most important aspect or dynamic in determining whether a horse will be a good horse or not,” Boman explained.

“The stallion generally affects how much you will pay for them. I’ve always been willing to compromise on the sire, and in Warnie’s case, Highland Reel was a horse that I always admired as a racehorse.

“Highland Reel as a son of Galileo, but a bit of an Australian pedigree being out of an Australian-bred mare (Hveger), he was the most extraordinary racehorse, and we are very quick to condemn these horses if they don’t perform with their first 2-year-old crop.

“Ottoman Emperor was another, by Excelebration, who wasn’t extremely fashionable as a sire, and we purchased him two years ago for OTI, and he turned out a decent horse.

“There are plenty of other examples. I bought a Decorated Knight, these are fashionable stallions, but the pedigree of the female side stacks up and excels, and I do focus a lot on pedigree. But we’ll be flexible when it comes to sires and buy sires that may not be perceived as being fashionable.”

Boman explained his approach to tried sales is slightly different; although the emphasis is still put on the pedigree of the subject, it isn’t the most critical factor.

“When you’re buying from a tried sale or private purchase, you’re buying the proven article, Floating Artist and Zaaki; they had the runs on the board,” he said.

“So, what influences your decision-making shifts a bit. I’d focus more on their race record and then analyse their stride and times over the pedigree.

“I still have pedigree in the mix, but the horse is fairly exposed, and I use pedigree analysis more at the breeze-up sales as you’ve got less information at your hands to assess their level of ability,” Boman explained to TTR AusNZ.

“It’s a bit of a matrix, and you just tweak it according to how much information you’ve got about that horse’s level of ability.”

Prizemoney driving appetite

With Australian prizemoney at an all-time high and numerous million-dollar pop-up races appearing around the country, demand for international gallopers is at an all-time high.

With 14 years of experience in this role, Boman marked the mass change that has happened in just the last five years since the rise of prizemoney levels and the new pop-up races.

“These pop-up races like Five Diamonds, the Golden Eagle and so on, are driving business,” Boman told TTR AusNZ.

“They are driving massive amounts of business.

“People five years ago wouldn’t have even really thought too much about it. But now people call to see if a horse is suitable for the Cox Plate or a Golden Eagle, trying almost to position the horse to sell, with races in mind in Australia.”

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, Boman outlined some gallopers he sourced that look to have promising careers.

Among them is Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), trained by Neasham and racing in the Bennett Racing silks. The now 5-year-old won his first four starts in Australia before losing nothing in defeat when running second at Randwick last start.

Another galloper is Jimi Hendrix (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who Neasham will also train.

“Fawkner Park is leading the team among the newer ones. He’s obviously a horse that has run several times in Australia already,” Boman shared.

“We have another horse called Jimi Hendrix; he’s coming down for The Five Diamonds, in particular. He will be staying in Australia.

“He’s shown to be a talented horse; he ran a good race at Royal Ascot. We are working on a couple of others; buying privately has been competitive, and we’ve lost a few on vettings, this year which has been unfortunate.”

On an endnote, Boman added, “I’ve been with Blandford for 14 years, and we have a great team that I’ve worked with, and I’ve learned a huge amount from them. I think they really set the standard in professionalism and the outcomes we achieve with them.”

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

While his days in the covering shed are no longer, the echoes of Lonhro’s name will be heard for many seasons to come in Australian racing circles.

An Australian Champion Racehorse title, Champion Sire and now one of the country’s leading broodmare sires, there is little wonder as to why Lonhro is widely referred to as the ‘people’s horse’. The sire of over 1000 individual winners, close to 100 stakes winners and numerous titles to his name, Lonhro has been a horse of a lifetime for Darley’s Australian operation. Last season the 25-year-old produced a host of stakes performers including G1 Rosehill Guineas winner Lindermann, but it was his performance as a broodmare sire that really had people talking. In the 2022/23 racing period, Lonhro’s daughters produced 23 stakes winners across six countries including Godolphin’s own G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile (Astern).

Table: The 2022/23 Australian Champion Broodmare Sire table

With seasons earnings exceeding $22 million, Lonhro has enjoyed his best period to date having finished sixth on last season’s Australian Leading Broodmare Sire tables. Entering stud in 2004, he is one of the youngest sires of the top 10 stallions represented which bodes well for the 11-time Group 1 winner’s future as a maternal sire. Not only was it the former champion sire’s best season to date by earnings, but he was also the most represented sire by stakes winners with his daughters producing the winners of a combined 26 stakes races for the period. The next closest was the highly regarded broodmare sire Encosta De Lago whose daughters produced the winners of 24 stakes events for the period.

Table: Leading broodmare sires by stakes winners to runners

While his runners naturally increase with time, Lonhro’s daughters are maintaining an exceptional stakes winners to runners strike rate of close to six per cent which is the best of his peers. In a testament to his versatility, of the stakes winners produced from daughters of Lonhro last season, four were juveniles while 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds accounted for five and eight of his stakes winners respectively. While over 50 per cent of his maternal stakes winners last season were bred by Darley and raced in the Godolphin blue, three were sold at public auction for an average purchase price of $100,000 and a further three black-type winners were homebreds.

Table: Lonhro's broodmare sire nicks

With breeders on the hunt for Danehill (USA)-free blood, daughters of Lonhro have become a sought-after commodity in the bloodstock marketplace. There are no surprises when it comes to Lonhro’s maternal sire nicks with seven of the top 10 stallions by stakes winners to runners being Darley-based sires. While his former barn-mates account for a significant proportion of the sample, there is certainly plenty of diversity in the sirelines represented.

Descendants of Invincible Spirit (Ire), including reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible and his son Brazen Beau, have a strong affinity with Lonhro with the nicks accounting for 15 per cent and 27 per cent stakes winners to runners respectively. Danehill is represented by four of the top 10 nicks with Snitzel, Fastnet Rock, Exceed And Excel and Helmet all represented by multiple stakes winners from Lonhro mares. Descendants of Machiavellian (USA) being Astern, Medaglia D’Oro (USA) and Street Cry (Ire) account for nine of Lonhro’s maternal stakes winners and further testify his genetic affinity with an array of bloodlines. Shuttling to Darley’s Lexington-based Jonabell Farm from 2012 to 2014, Lonhro’s daughters are represented by over 60 runners in the United States with over six per cent of those being stakes winners.

With over $107 million in earnings and nearing 70 maternal sired stakes winners worldwide, Lonhro has certainly confirmed his status of one of Australia’s leading broodmare sires of the modern era. While the stud career might be over for the well-regarded ‘people's horse’, Lonhro’s legacy will continue to live on through his sons and an ever-expanding group of promising broodmares. It appears only a matter of time before the former Australian Champion Racehorse and Champion Australian Sire adds yet another accolade to his mantel in the form of Champion Australian Broodmare Sire.