The beginning of a new chapter as Canning Downs disperses their broodmare band

Cover image courtesy of Canning Downs

On one hand, the winding down of an historic stud such as Canning Downs can be viewed as the end of an era, and a great one at that, with the Warwick property home to thoroughbreds since the 1840s and which has been owned by the Barnes family since 1917.

And as such, a sale of the stock that have wandered the Canning Downs paddocks is quite sad.

But on the flipside, it can also be seen as the start of something else, and that is how Canning Downs' Joy Mackay and John Barnes are choosing to look at it, as “another chapter.”

“When there are winners out of the mares we sell, I will be the first one cheering,” Mackay said, confident that the families they have fostered over generations will find good new homes with enthusiastic new owners.

Mackay has derived great pleasure in watching young people make their way into the breeding and racing game, somewhat in awe of their passion and dedication.

“You see these young people working the long hours, putting everything they have into it. They are at farms, having kids who by the age of three are in the stables helping out! I think it's great; I really admire how hard these young people are working.”

And she hopes that some of the Canning Downs mares, who make their way through the Inglis virtual sale ring as part of the Inglis Digital March (Late) Online Sale, will end up in the hands of such up-and-comers.

A Vibrant highlight amongst a strong selection

It is a strong group of broodmares up for grabs in the catalogue, with the final countdown on Wednesday, mares who Mackay and Barnes have formed strong attachments to over the years; getting to know their individual personalities and traits.

Such as one of the sale highlights, Vibrant Rouge (Written Tycoon), offered in foal to G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Shinzo, who Mackay describes as a mare who “likes to live the quiet life.

“She is happy in a small paddock with a few others, she is not really into being part of a big mob,” she laughed as she added that several of the Canning Downs mares have “particularly sweet natures.

“And I am sure it will not take them long to endear themselves to their new owners.”

Whilst Vibrant Rouge is not, Joy said, a mare who stands out on looks, she is producing the sort of foals any breeder would be happy to have.

“She produces extraordinary foals, absolute crackers,” Mackay said of the G3 Vamos Stakes winner, whose first foal Yangarra Rose (Zoustar) fetched $460,000 as a yearling and whose second, Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun), sold for $260,000.

The former won two races and is now at stud, whilst the latter was a dominant all the way winner of last year's G1 Australasian Oaks.

She is one of a number of Group 1 performers bred and raised at Canning Downs, a farm with such great links to Australian racing history with John's father Ceb Barnes (who died in 1998 aged 96) having bred, by the farm's multiple Group 1-winning resident stallion Dalray (NZ), the wonderful galloper Tails.

The mighty Tails and "his" political career

Such was the success of Tails who won major races in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, that Ceb Barnes joked that his horse helped him during his lengthy political career; one which saw him serve in the House Of Representatives and as Minister For Territories.

Having such a good and well loved horse, he would say, helped considerably with his popularity!

Canning Downs enjoyed great success with Dalray, winner of the 1952 G1 Melbourne Cup, and Tails also ended up back at the farm, though unfortunately his stud career was sadly of little consequence.

But Dalray, in the era of small books, did well with his 15 stakes winners. Tails was his stand-out, but he also sired the big race winners Grand Garry (Pr Sydney Cup), High Society (Pr Doomben Cup), and Ton (Pr Queensland Oaks).

Ceb Barnes' father (John's grandfather) JHS Barnes also enjoyed big race success out of the Canning Downs paddocks with Highland (Highfield {GB}) and Rivoli winning a number of features.

The former took out the seventh running of the WS Cox Plate in 1928, as well as consecutive Stradbroke Handicaps in 1925 and 1926 whilst the latter, who had a solid career at stud, won the 1922 AJC Derby.

Home to Queensland's oldest homestead, Canning Downs also had the 1948 Doncaster Handicap winner The Diver (The Buzzard {GB}), and two horses who both won the Queensland Derby and Caulfield Cup; Basha Felika (The Buzzard) and High Syce (Highfield {GB})

Hendra Lad (Bonnement {GB}) was another Queensland Derby success for Canning Downs, as were the Queensland Sires Produce Stakes winners Refulgent (Dalray {NZ}), Rayland (Rivoli), Great Idea (Rivoli), and Regular Bachelor (Bachelor's Persse {GB}). There was also the Queensland Oaks heroine Canning Queen (Highfield {GB}) whose daughter Lady Buzzard (The Buzzard) won the Brisbane Cup.

All this success meant that Mackay and Barnes had big shoes to fill, and they stepped into them admirably; in more recent times Canning Downs home to the likes of the G2 Theo Marks Stakes winner Chat (Deep Field), the G3 Tibbie Stakes winner Madam Legend (I Am Invincible), the G2 Autumn Stakes winner Holy Snow (Fastnet Rock), and the dual Group winner Masked Assassin.

Also racing a number of classy performers such as the G3 Blue Sapphire Stakes winner Extreme Warrior, the dual Group 3 winner Generation and the four time Group winner Only Words (End Sweep {USA}), Canning Downs have enjoyed ongoing success with their families both old and new.

Links with Canning Downs' history

An older example being Masked Assassin and his Listed James HB Carr Stakes-winning half-sister Royal Mask (Royal Academy {USA}), whose ancestors have been Canning Downs residents for decades; their third dam being Dalray's Queensland Oaks winner Ton. Their dual stakes-winning dam Duk Duk (Claudius {Ire}) was one of the last stakes winners bred and raced by Ceb Barnes.

An example of the newer blood is Only Words, who was purchased as a yearling in 2002, doing great things on and off the track for Canning Downs with Chat and Holy Snow being her sons.

Gallery: Successful sons of Only Words bred by Canning Downs, images courtesy of Sportpix

Her final foal Boomtown Chat (Spirit Of Boom) is one of the "half dozen or so" horses Canning Downs have retained ownership in, their way of staying involved in the sport they have loved so much.

Another is the promising Blonde On Blonde (Pierro), who is showing good promise for the David Vandyke stable.

“And we have a few small shares which is great,” Mackay said. “It will keep us interested, keep us checking up on the results and seeing what is happening.”

It is very hard, she noted, to totally give up on all things horse.

Getting one's fix!

“It is a disease and we have to keep getting our fix!”

Also breeders, with Dermot Farrington, of the G1 Prix de la Foret winner Aclaim (Ire) -who they supported during his sole Australian season at Aquis Farm - Canning Downs have proven themselves to be good judges over the years and buyers can benefit from their expertise.

Aside from Vibrant Rouge, they also have on offer the Rosehill juvenile winner Sancy (I Am Invincible) in foal to Shinzo and the proven broodmare Coralina (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), whose exciting 2-year-old son Grafterburners (Graff) recorded an easy win in last weekend's $500,000 The Jewel at the Gold Coast.

Others looking for new homes are mares in foal to the likes of Harry Angel (Ire), Spirit Of Boom, Better Than Ready, All Too Hard, and Microphone as well as mares with foals at foot including one by So You Think (NZ).

Breeding rights in Pierata and Graff will also attract strong bidding, and Mackay is confident that both young stallions are heading in the right direction.

It will be, she admits, a sad day when the horses leave Canning Downs, although a handful of retirees will still call the stud home.

With spring her favourite time of year, she said it will be strange this year to not see the foals as she takes her dog on the traditional evening walk.

A sobering decision

“It is all a bit sobering, but we have made the decision and we are comfortable with it,” Mackay said, noting that Barnes' sons don't have the same passion to make Canning Downs keep moving.

“They didn't inherit those dangerous addictive horse genes,” she laughed.

“So at some stage we had to make the call and we think doing so now gives buyers a great opportunity.”

Looking forward to “working on my golf handicap,” Mackay has, as does Barnes, a lifetime of horse experience to look back on (she with stock horses and he at Canning Downs) with many great memories.

She finds it hard to pinpoint a favourite horse amongst many, but did say that “Only Words holds a special place in our hearts as a mare able to win stakes races and produce stakes winners.”

The couple have seen many changes in the racing and breeding industry during their time, the emergence of the big studs one of those.

“People are investing a lot and they deserve to be rewarded, and even with the big farms, it is not without risk,” she said, though always having a soft spot for the smaller breeders.

“When we lose a foal, we feel it more,” she said. “And all of us do it because we love it, there is often not a lot of profit if any to be made and we all rely so much on luck.”

Inglis’ NSW Bloodstock Operations Manager Chris Russell said it was an honour to have the opportunity to offer the Canning Downs stock on Inglis Digital.

“John and Joy are very conscientious breeders who are incredible custodians of what is a beautiful farm at Canning Downs,” he said,

“People looking to invest in these mares can do so knowing that they have been afforded the highest standards of care and attention, while the pedigrees have been carefully collected and developed over the years.”