Cover image courtesy of Racing SA
On Saturday, there was widespread celebration over Benedetta's (Hellbent) maiden Group 1 victory in the Goodwood H. The Jason Warren-trained mare has been nothing short of sensational in her 15-start career, showcasing the traits of a Group 1 winner in the making.
With a purchase price of $75,000, Benedetta has already amassed over $1.5 million in earnings. Her victory also underscores the remarkable success of broodmares sold by Willow Park this season.
The Scone-based nursery, owned by Glenn Burrows, has notched up an impressive feat this season by offering and selling the dams of three individual Group 1 winners, with Benedetta's dam Whatalovelyday (Domesday) the latest.
Speaking on the success and business model, Burrows told TTR AusNZ, “In total Willow Park Stud has sold six mares that have subsequently produced a Group 1 winner in the last three years. I’ve worked the total cost for the six mares, and it was $1 million dollars exactly, so that’s an average cost of $166,000 and a median of $145,000.
“I’ve been trading mares for 21 years, but I would say I increased numbers around 16 years ago.
“It was a fabulous race. I didn’t know who I wanted to win because obviously we have a connection with Benedetta, but I have several mares in foal to Harry Angel, the sire of Stretan Angel and Climbing Star, I recently purchased her half-sister before Climbing Star had won her first stakes race and then ultimately won the Robert Sangster S.”
A lifetime in the business
Burrows embarked on his journey in the industry right after high school, stepping into the esteemed auction house of Inglis. Those early days of manually writing pedigrees not only laid the foundation but also honed the expertise he now employs in his current business.
“I started at Inglis as a kid, straight from Year 10, and I went into the pedigree department. Back in those days, there were no computer-generated pedigrees, so I and the other staff had to basically go through the Stud Books and find out what foals were out of what mares. Then, we looked up their race records in things that were called Turf Registers or Race Results.
Glenn Burrows | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was amazing for your memory and also taught you at a good grassroots level what’s what and how many horses actually race and the levels they are at.”
Leaving Inglis after 20 years, Burrows branched out and purchased Willow Park Stud. “I just developed a passion for presenting a pedigree in the right light. I bought Willow Park Stud, which was originally 140 acres - but now we’re 700!
“I just developed a passion for presenting a pedigree in the right light. I bought Willow Park Stud, which was originally 140 acres - but now we’re 700!” - Glenn Burrows
“Pretty soon after that, I started doing matings for the clients and buying mares but for the longer term. I thought I should probably give this a bit of a go and try to find mares that are racing and that I believe have commercial pedigrees - some of them with pedigrees that would be commercial for the Inglis Classic Sale, the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling, the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, or across the board.”
Explaining his method, Burrows said, “At that point in time, there was a real hunger for young mares in foal for the first time. You tried to play it a bit safe with your matings, like you’d go to successful stallions like Commands, General Nediym, and Testa Rossa; those kinds of horses you could access for reasonable money, but that whole dynamic has changed dramatically.
“Sometimes I would race these mares on if I thought there was more in them and save them to trade the following season. Generally, I like to buy a great pedigree because it’s just in my blood. I love trying to present a mare with just two dams on the page and full of really good winners.
“Generally, I like to buy a great pedigree because it’s just in my blood. I love trying to present a mare with just two dams on the page and full of really good winners.” - Glenn Burrows
“So, every night religiously, I’d go through the race results from every single meeting in Australia and New Zealand and create shortlists of mares with pedigrees that may produce a horse in the future and that were attainable.
“You would follow and cross some of your list and just keep working through. You had to be patient and sort of assess when you may be able to buy the horse. For example, one mare may be owned by a syndicate, and they’ve raced her, and they won’t want to breed her, and they’ve probably had enough by now. So, that’s when I’d make the call. I’ve bought mares like that from anywhere and everywhere, some very far-flung places.”
Changing landscape
Burrows admits the introduction of platforms such as Inglis Digital has been fantastic for the industry but has caused him to change his business model in order to obtain stock. “Things have changed since the introduction and enormous success of the Inglis Digital platform. Once upon a time, we’d have mixed sales, and they were every three months, so if the last mix sale was done and dusted, I could find mares that people didn’t want to keep until the next sale.
“Things have changed since the introduction and enormous success of the Inglis Digital platform. Once upon a time, we’d have mixed sales, and they were every three months, so if the last mix sale was done and dusted, I could find mares that people didn’t want to keep until the next sale.” - Glenn Burrows
“My biggest opposition used to be what was called the Sydney Easter Broodmare Sale and the Magic Millions National Sale when it evolved 12 or 14 years ago.
“If you were looking to buy one of these mares and sale entries hadn’t quite shut yet, you knew that could miss out because the horse is on the public domain for sale and the representatives from the auction houses have advised them, they could get this or that.
“So, that ruled out a certain part of the year to buy mares in, but now with the success of Inglis Digital, it’s certainly a lot harder. I’m still chasing and accumulating mares but just nowhere near the numbers that I used to.
“I have purchased a few from the online sales, but to be frank, for the money they make, they’re usually for an end-user who wants to breed and then sell the progeny, whereas my model has been to buy, mate, and resell. So, I have to be buying them at very good value in the first instance.”
“... my model has been to buy, mate, and resell. So, I have to be buying them at very good value in the first instance.” - Glenn Burrows
Burrows shared he feels although the platform has made him change his business, Inglis Digital are world leaders in the innovation, “I’ve always purchased horses from overseas, mainly America and that hasn’t changed; I actually bought two in the last couple of months from there in one of their online sales (Fasig-Tipton Digital).
“They’re in the very early learning stages of online and auctions and it will pick up and it will be strong but it still needs some work. Inglis have done an exceptional job with their platform, they’re purely and simply the digital leaders.”
Burrows shared he’d likely keep these mares long-term, “I’ll actually keep those mares full term as resident mares and put a couple of clients in to stay and sell yearlings from there. As the whole trade mare situation has become extremely difficult especially with the polarisation of the market.”
Group 1 girls
Benedatta’s dam, Whatalovelyday, a daughter of Domesday, won three races and placed in the G2 The Roses. She was offered in foal to Starspangledbanner at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by Willow Park Stud, fetching $150,000 from Hancock Quality Bloodstock (FBAA).
Unfortunately, Whatalovelyday’s resultant foal, Quick Call, never raced and passed away in 2020. However, her luck turned with her third foal, Benedetta, sired by Yarraman Park Stud’s Hellbent during his debut season.
Whatalovelyday | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Joining Whatalovelyday as Willow Park Stud-sold mares are Parmalove (Snitzel) and Chaquinta (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}). Parmalove, a daughter of the four-time Champion Sire Snitzel, was acquired by Inglewood Stud for $230,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, carrying a cover to Capitalist.
Parmalove's dam, Love’s Here (Dehere {USA}), won four races and was placed in the Group 2 Sunline S., also producing the Listed victress Liesele (Exceed And Excel). Parmalove added further prestige to her family when her resultant foal, Mozzarella (NZ), displayed talent with two victories before retiring prematurely.
Parmalove then produced the Listed-placed Penvose Lad (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}), followed by a mating with Yulong’s Champion Sire Written Tycoon, resulting in Velocious. This star filly triumphed in the Listed Counties Challenge S., the R. Listed Karaka 2YO Million, and asserted her dominance in the G1 Sistema S.
Chaquinta (NZ), a five-time winner, was presented in foal to Choisir at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale alongside Whatalovelyday. Rosemont Stud acquired her for $120,000. Her resultant filly, Madam Cha Cha, secured two victories. Her third foal, Quintessa (NZ), sired from a mating to Shamus Award, established herself as one of her generation's best with victories in the G1 Levin Classic and the G2 Hawkes Bay Gold Trail, alongside finishing fourth in the G1 Australian Guineas, the G1 Australian Oaks, and the G1 Waikato Sprint.
“Chiquinta is a prime example of a mare purchased privately, who had a fantastic pedigree but was lacking a race record. I bought her for around $8000 from memory.
“Chiquinta is a prime example of a mare purchased privately, who had a fantastic pedigree but was lacking a race record. I bought her for around $8000 from memory.” - Glenn Burrows
“I’d seen her in the race results and was able to buy her. I sent Chiquinta to a trainer and I don’t know if it was just a maturity thing or if he found the key to her but I said, ‘Look, I just want to win a race.’
“She’d never run a place in her life, so I said let’s just take her to a picnic race.
“I think the meeting was at Bathurst and the trainer said to me, “She’s much better than this,” and I said, “Well, that’s great we can go on from there if need be.
“He was proven correct because Chiquinta won by 10l and ended up winning three city races in Sydney in succession. So, that was amazing to improve her record that much and she’d already had a nice pedigree behind her.”
Stakes success
While Group 1 winners take centre stage, Willow Park Stud has also proven to be a reliable source of broodmares whose offspring have achieved success in Group 2, Group 3, and Listed races.
This season, alongside the Group 1-winning trio, Willow Park Stud has also sold Zenaida (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) for $240,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale. Zenaida, at the time, was the dam of the Group 3 winner Macroura (Snitzel), while her third foal, Sunshine In Paris (Invader), was unraced.
Sunshine In Paris made a significant impact by winning the G1 Surround S. last season and followed it up this autumn by claiming the G2 Sheraco S.
Sunshine In Paris returning to scale victorius in the G1 Surround S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Godiva Rock (Stratum), dam of the American Group 2 victor Flag Of Honour (American Pharoah {USA}), was sold for $150,000 to Baramul Stud at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Libertad (Russian Revolution), a dual Group 3 winner and victor of the G3 San Domenico this season, is another example. His dam, Electric Charge (Charge Forward), was offered by Willow Park Stud at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, where Rheinwood Pastoral paid $200,000.
Other notable examples this season include In Style (NZ) (Fast ‘N’ Famous), sold for $400,000, dam of Group 3 winner Brazen Style (Brazen Beau); Jackpot Queen (Not A Single Doubt), sold for $30,000 and dam of Archo Nacho (Sioux Nation {USA}), a Group 3 winner; and Listed winner Indispensable’s (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) dam, Essence (Fastnet Rock), sold for $160,000.
Lincoln's Sunset (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), sold for $65,000, is the dam of the Listed victress Material Dreams (Lean Mean Machine), while More Beautiful (More Than Ready {USA}), sold for $450,000, is the dam of the Listed scorer Kinloch (I Am Invincible).
Gold Coast bound
Under his Willow Park Stud banner, Burrows will head to Queensland for the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, where he will present a draft of 22 fillies and mares. These mares are in foal to stallions such as Justify (USA), Spirit Of Boom, Wild Ruler, and Stay Inside.
Among them is Lot 942, Salem (Fr), a daughter of the Champion racehorse Sea The Stars (Ire), who sired his 120th stakes winner on Saturday with the impressive Sea What I Sea (Ire). Salem hails from the family of Sea The Moon (Ger), the sire of the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Durston (GB) and the star filly Alpine Star (Ire). Salem herself was unraced and visited Newgate Farm’s G1 Golden Slipper winner, Stay Inside.
Also bringing international flavour to Willow Park Stud’s draft is Lot 766, Glimmering (GB), a daughter of Kingman (GB) in foal to Coolmore’s Justify.
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore, USA
Another mare in foal to the North American Triple Crown winner is Lot 760 Free Flying Star (Zoustar), a daughter of South Africa’s Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Asylum Seeker (SAf) (Count Dubios {GB}).
Despite some a tricky market at the recent Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale which showed a shift in what buyers were chasing, with some almost hesitant to dip their toes in the market Burrows is keen to head to the Gold Coast.
“We experienced some polarisation at the sale. If I’d offered the same sort of mares a decade ago, they would have sold gangbusters.
“We experienced some polarisation at the sale (Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale). If I’d offered the same sort of mares a decade ago, they would have sold gangbusters.”- Glenn Burrows
“I had 21, and I still have around seven to sell; they were all in foal to well-credentialed horses on their first matings, so their records unblemished.
“I bought these mares because I thought they’d have commercial appeal. I thought they’d be appealing to several different regions as nice additions to their broodmare bands. I was a little bit disappointed there wasn’t more of a market of people from those regions like Western Australia or New Zealand.
“I think some people are jumping at shadows, and it frustrated me a bit because the weanling sale was sensational, and I thought that would have given everybody a confidence boost.”
“I think some people are jumping at shadows, and it frustrated me a bit because the weanling sale was sensational, and I thought that would have given everybody a confidence boost.” - Glenn Burrows
If a similar situation is encountered on the Gold Coast, Burrows said, “I want to sell them because of the cash flow situation. I’m far from devastated with the several I couldn’t sell as I’ve got other options. But I definitely am being harder when sourcing mares than in previous years because I’ve averaged around 45 mares annually between the two sales.
“But I think I will cut back to 15 or 16 mares for the broodmare sales because the market has just been extremely picky, thin and unnecessarily so in my opinion.
“I’m thrilled with the results we’ve had on the track. Our three Group 1 winners this season have come in less than 12 months, and we’ve actually had another eight stakes winners. So, there’s been 11 individual mares that have come out and produced black type winners.”
Commenting on the mares in foal Burrows said, “I have mares in foal to Justify and he won’t be returning to Australia this season. So, it’s a great opportunity for buyers. I also have a mare by Kingman, Glimmering. It’s interesting because in the 1000 Guineas I was watching the Justify filly (Ramatuelle) and I’d thought she was going to win then the other filly got in front and she was by Kingman, so I couldn’t lose.”
