‘We’re essentially going to replicate our colts’ model’: Newgate Farm launches fillies’ syndicate

Written by Trent Masenhelder

Cover image courtesy of Newgate Farm

Newgate Farm has enjoyed some great success racing colts and making them commercial stallions in recent years.

Russian Revolution was bought for $320,000 by China Horse Club / Michael Wallace Bloodstock at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He won two races at the highest level and is now a Group 1 producing sire at Newgate.

Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) was purchased by China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing for $550,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The gun 3-year-old has already won three Group 1s, ensuring his future at stud.

Other Group winners that are recent additions to the Newgate roster include Cosmic Force, Tiger Of Malay, In The Congo and Wild Ruler. The former has made a flying start to his career, with three individual winners from 10 runners.

Gallery: Some of Newgate Farm's successful colt purchases

The Hunter Valley farm also purchased Extreme Choice on the eve of the 2016 G1 Golden Slipper S. He added the G1 Moir S. to his CV before retiring to Newgate and has become a freak stallion, siring 11 stakes winners, including three Group 1 scorers, from limited opportunities.

Following Newgate’s good fortune with colts, it has decided to try its luck with fillies. Newgate has teamed with corporate betting agency Ladbrokes to initiate the Ladbrokes Racing Club, with the aim of buying and racing quality fillies and earning black type.

“We’re essentially going to replicate our colts model; hopefully the success can be repeated on the female side,” said Newgate Farm supremo Henry Field.

“We’re unbelievably happy to be working with Ladbrokes and the Entain team. What they’re doing for the sport is incredible and any time there’s an opportunity to do our part and broaden the ownership base in horse racing, both in Australia and New Zealand, we’re only too happy to help.

“We’ll send them back to Australia, break (race educate) them in, they’ll go through the exact same system as our colts.

“We’ll identify some trainers once they’re broken (race educated) in.”

On Monday, Ladbrokes Racing Club/Newgate Farm paid Riversley Park NZ$215,000 for Lot 182 - a Blue Point (Ire) filly from the stakes performer Le Castile (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}).

Then, on Day 2, Ladbrokes Racing Club/Newgate Farm went to NZ$390,000 for the Elsdon Park-consigned Lot 275 - a filly by Ardrossan out of the unraced O’Reilly (NZ) mare O’Misty (NZ), before buying Lot 396 off Rich Hill Stud – a Proisir filly from the winless Pentire (GB) mare She’s Aloof (NZ) - for NZ$150,000.

“I loved that filly (Lot 275) from the minute I saw her,” Field said. “She could easily come back here, she’s a Karaka Millions-type filly. I was really happy to get her, because I thought she was very good.”

The Ladbrokes Racing Club delivers racing ownership experiences to its customers. It is completely free to join and participate for Ladbrokes customers.

Ladbrokes’ Dan Cobby told The Thoroughbred Report the betting agency “wanted to partner with someone that has a phenomenal reputation and is one of the best in the business”.

“When we sat down with Henry, he was happy to raise some capital and come into partnership with us, so our yearling strategy this year for the Ladbrokes Racing Club is with Newgate,” Cobby said.

Gallery: Some of the fillies purchased by Ladbrokes Racing Club/Newgate Farm, images courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock

“It’s just fillies, we didn’t want to clash with his colts syndicate. He’s done a great job with that.

“We’re happy with just fillies, it safeguards us a little bit in terms of residual.

“With the budget we have put together with Newgate, we can buy the fillies we want.”

Cobby revealed some of the fillies will race in Australia, but at least two will be trained and compete in New Zealand.