Matings mix: Trelawney Stud

Taking over Trelawney - a farm with links to seven G1 Melbourne Cup winners as well as one of the superstars of the Australian turf in Tulloch (NZ) - in the early 1990s - the Taylor family have certainly honoured the stud's remarkable history.

Since coming under their ownership, the stud has produced 33 individual Group 1 winners of 49 Group 1 races and they have cheered on a recent stakes winner with their Singapore star Lim's Kosciuszko (NZ) (Kermadec {NZ}) just recently recording his sixth win at stakes level.

Lim’s Kosciuszko, who was sold privately by Trelawney, has built an outstanding record winning 16 of his 20 starts. Crowned Singapore Horse of the Year, the Trelawney-bred galloper is out of the Listed-winning mare Jacquetta (NZ) (Keeper), who sadly passed away last year.

Group 1 success stories from the Trelawney paddocks in the last few years include Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel), Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), Sky Field (Deep Field), I'm Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), Loire (NZ) (Redoute's Choice), Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel), (The) Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) and Sword Of Osman (NZ) (Savabeel).

Trelawney has already bred a successful stallion in the shape of the 2012 G1 WS Cox Plate hero Ocean Park (NZ) and it may be that there is another on the horizon with that horse's dual Group 1-winning close relation Grunt (NZ) making such an encouraging start to his stud career in Victoria.

Ocean Park is one of the variety of stallions Trelawney will be sending mares to this spring, Cherry Taylor telling TTR AusNZ, “Obviously, we love Ocean Park having bred him! And we think he is underrated, so we will continue sending mares to him.”

The Taylors are also fans of Satono Aladdin (Jpn) and have supported him from day one - “we have loved him since he first arrived and have bred to him each year.”

And of course, like any New Zealander, they have Savabeel on top of the list

“We breed as many as we can to Savabeel as he is such a super sire... you can never have too many Savabeels!”

Trelawney have already welcomed a couple of “nice Savabeel colts” this spring, sons of the young stakes-placed mares Vamos Bebe (I Am Invincible) - full sister to the dual Group 3 winner Holyfield out of the popular Group 1 mare Hurtle Myrtle (Dane Shadow) and Samiam Seussie (Hinchinbrook), daughter of the stakes winner Bippo No Bungus (Dubawi {Ire}).

Whilst not standing their own stallions (in the past standing Kingdom Bay {NZ} and Carnegie {Ire}), the Taylors like to purchase shares in New Zealand-based horses, noting that “we like to use them but we are equally happy to pay and go to any other stallion we like and who we think will suit our mares.”

A collaborative approach

“We take a collaborative approach to making our mating decisions,” she explained. “We look at pedigree, type and performance. Brent looks at the pedigrees and then we discuss type and talk about who we think will be a good match.”

Due to foal down 26 mares this spring and mating “close to 35,” the Taylors don't always book stallions in advance.

“Often we wait until a mare has foaled to see what type of foal she has produced before we confirm any mating for the current season.

“The resulting foal can be the make or break when it comes to our choice of stallion. For instance, if a foal is on the smaller or lighter-boned side we might then choose to go to a big, strong stallion for the next mating.”

Using a mixture of first season and proven stallions, Trelawney keeps both racetrack and sales ring in mind.

“We believe in producing for the racetrack but need to temper our matings with a commercial blend as we still require a return to continue breeding.

“We tend to send the better race mares or the daughters of good mares to proven stallions as we want them to have the best opportunity to produce a racehorse that will help the families going forward.”

Especially with the mares they send to Australia - “for us the costs increase if a mare is getting covered in Australia so for that reason we tend to stick to the proven stallions.”

It has been a good spring so far for Trelawney, Taylor noting that, “We have had a lot of lovely foals on the ground already and one that has stood out is the Frankel colt out of our Group 1 winner Loire.

“You might think that is easy to pick based on pedigree alone, but he is just a cracking type with the personality to match.”

Loire has been served by Savabeel, Taylor looking forward to news of a positive!

Trelawney families

Gallwitz (Bernardini {USA}), a half-sister to the stakes winners Retrieve (Rahy {USA}), Reparations (Exceed And Excel) and Abduction (Street Cry {Ire}) “has produced a lovely filly by Satono Aladdin” whilst the G1 Captain Cook S. winner Two Illicit “has had a lovely Snitzel filly.”

And Trelawney are hoping for a three-quarter sibling to that foal next season with Two Illicit due to visit Newgate Farm's Russian Revolution.

Also in Australia is one of Cherr's favourite mares Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) (Savabeel), the dual Group 3 winner to be served by Coolmore Stud's Wootton Bassett (GB).

“We are excited to get her covered and hopefully she can produce a filly for us to race.”

Also visiting that stallion - due soon to Snitzel - is the G2 Matriarch S. and dual Listed winner Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel). Last year's G3 WJ Healy S. winner Juan Diva (Snitzel) has already been served and has been confirmed in foal to Widden Stud's Zoustar.

The Caulfield winner Addison (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) - Grunt's half-sister - foaled an Exceed And Excel filly in August and has paid a visit to So You Think (NZ).

Meanwhile in New Zealand, the G3 Counties Cup and Listed Caloundra Cup winner Igraine (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) has been confirmed in foal to Satono Aladdin whilst Grunt's dam Ruqqaya (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy {USA}) has tested positive to Proisir (both stallions residents of Rich Hill Farm).

Sancerre (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), dam of this year's G1 Coolmore Classic runner-up Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and daughter of the G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Vouvray (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) is in foal to Cambridge Stud's Hello Youmzain (Fr) whilst Rockadubai (Fastnet Rock) has been served by Windsor Park Stud's Circus Maximus (Ire).

Rockadubai's Hong Kong-based 3-year-old son Ka Ying Victory (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) is showing great promise winning his first two starts for the David Hall stable and she is also dam of the G3 South Australian Oaks winner Chabaud (NZ) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}).

The family had a nice update to the page only recently with the daughter of Rockadubai's dam's triple Group 1-winning half-sister Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) in flying form in the Northern Hemisphere - Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) winning the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and the G1 Prix Vermeille.

Which all gives the Taylors plenty to look forward to whilst New Zealand racing can be assured that its history will continue to be enriched by Trelawney Stud.

Table: Some of the matings Trelawney are planning in 2023