Relationships and fair business matters to Lovatsville

Cover image courtesy of Lovatsville

Rising thoroughbred industry figure Sam White helped form Lovatsville around 12 months ago as part of a strategic restructure of the Victorian stallion operation, Leneva Park.

White, who previously held roles at Coolmore and later Ciaron Maher Racing, joined forces with Seymour Park owners Darren Thomas and Mark Pilkington, along with Leneva Park’s Luke Vandersluys, to establish Lovatsville at the Northwood Road property.

When asked how he wants Lovatsville to be known and perceived, White was clear in his intentions.

“First and foremost, we want to be known for doing fair business,” he said. “Beyond that, we’re openly looking to make partnerships and enjoy working with people. We’re open-minded about how that looks, whether that’s trading or selling in partnerships.”

The foundation of Lovatsville’s business philosophy places an emphasis on the importance of relationships as well as results.

“We want to work with good people. This industry is amazing, but it’s demanding,” he said. “A big reason why a lot of us do it is because we love the animal and we love the game,” White said.

Lovatsville operates solely as a stallion station, and while there’s no immediate plan to expand beyond that scope, White sees room for careful and considered growth.

“At the moment, we’re focused on the stallion side, we don’t have plans to change that,” he said. “We’ll look to grow with the right horses. I can see us having six to eight stallions in time, but there’s no rush. We’ll do it properly.”

White also believes the industry needs to think creatively to attract new participants, especially as the landscape becomes more challenging for small breeders and owners.

“I think we have a responsibility to entice new people into the industry,” he said. “We’re looking at some new initiatives that might be a little outside the norm, more experience-based or entertainment-driven. That’s what this industry needs to offer if we want to stay vibrant and grow.”

Knowledge across the industry a big asset

Sam White brings a mix of experience to his role at Lovatsville, having worked across both the breeding and racing sectors. His time at Coolmore Stud, followed by a stint with the Ciaron Maher Racing team, has helped shape the way he approaches stud management, stallion management and business strategy.

“I had a great time at Coolmore, I can’t speak highly enough of them as an organisation. It was very much run like a family, and they were very good to me,” White said. “But I was eager to get back to Victoria, and it was great to be at the coalface of racing with Ciaron.

"I joined Ciaron when it was only one stable at Caulfield and I had a great time with him, he has been a great supporter of me.

“I think it’s absolutely important to have experience on both sides of the industry. It really helps paint the full picture of what this business is.”

White also credits his wife, Sarah Wall, for influencing the way Lovatsville approaches promotion and communication. A former elite netballer and founder of Netfit Netball, Wall brings strong marketing acumen from the world of women’s sport.

“Sarah has a really sharp marketing brain, especially when it comes to storytelling and building engagement,” he said. “I've learnt a lot from her in terms of how we position ourselves and communicate with breeders.

“To understand the outcomes of breeding from both the beginning and end user perspective is important. We need to know how trainers operate, what they’re looking for at the sales, and how we can breed horses that will fit seamlessly into their systems.”

Move To Strike: A Group 1 star with strong foundations

There has always been a sense of something special about Move To Strike who takes his place on the Lovatsville roster at a fee of $16,500 inc GST.

A $525,000 Magic Millions yearling from Baramul Stud, Move To Strike was snapped up by David Ellis for Te Akau Racing, who have developed a reputation for unearthing elite juvenile talent.

Precocious from the outset, the I Am Invincible colt won one of the earliest trials of the season and made a winning debut before Christmas. His form quickly stacked up: he finished second in the G2 Eclipse Stakes behind stablemate Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), who later won the G2 Schillaci Stakes and was runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. In third that day was Velocious (Written Tycoon), the eventual G1 Sistema Stakes winner.

Move To Strike was also fifth in the G3 Matamata Slipper behind Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel), who later won the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas and placed in the G1 Australian Guineas. He reached the pinnacle as a juvenile with a Group 1 victory over 1400 metres in the G1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes, defeating future G1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Captured By Love (Written Tycoon).

Out of G2 Let’s Elope Stakes winner No Evidence Needed (Shamardal {USA}), his dam also placed in the G1 Robert Sangster and G1 Australasian Oaks and has produced five winners, including the G2-placed Discharged (Snitzel). This family traces back to G3 Gimcrack winner Kincay (Marscay).

“It’s exciting for us,” said White. “He has been very well-received and it’s comforting that when you do make a decision to stand a new stallion, to be validated has been very reassuring. It makes him a very viable addition.

“Physically, he has a profile that will suit the Australian market, and pedigree-wise he is a standout. He’s big, strong, dark and sexy.”

He also brings the right temperament. “From the moment he stepped on the farm he’s been a pleasure, so easy. That’s something the Te Akau team pointed out early on.”

White confirmed that Move To Strike is already proving popular. “We’ve had bookings from Adelaide, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand. At the moment, he has about 90 mares on his list, so we’re in great shape.”

Lovatsville stallion lineup

Joining the Group 1-winning 2-year-old Move To Strike, are emerging sire prospects: Royal Meeting (Ire), Fierce Impact (Jpn), Generation and Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip (Fr), all standing at their 2024 service fees.

Lovatsville has decided to hold things steady, and even offering the scope for individual deals that could provide extra value.

Gallery: Lovatsville's emerging stallions, images courtesy of Lovatsville

“We are conscious that times are tough and we need to support each other,” said Sam White. “Small breeders are the backbone of the game, and our attitude towards business is reflective of that understanding. We want everyone to win.”

White said the approach to pricing was deliberate and focused on fairness.

“It is a fairly priced roster, and at the same time we aren’t in a position to increase the fees either. These horses still have to prove themselves to warrant rises.”

“We are encouraging breeders to get in touch. We’re extremely open to doing business and think we can make a fair deal for everyone. The early bird may get the worm. We want to do good business from the get-go. Breeders can call us with confidence.”

The ATA Partnership

Last spring, Lovatsville launched a strategic partnership with the Australian Trainers’ Association (ATA), offering stallion nominations as incentives in select fillies and mares races across regional Victoria.

The initiative provided two nominations to each stallion on the 2024 roster for winning trainers who were ATA members. The trainers could either use the nominations themselves or on-sell them.

“It worked really well,” said White. “Having worked in both the training and breeding sides of the industry, I’ve seen how important it is to build circular relationships.

"As a result of the initiative, trainers such as Matt Cumani, Archie Alexander and Troy Corstens sent mares to Lovatsville stallions. White said the program may expand into other states.

“I’m a big believer in giving if you want to receive. I have huge respect for trainers, the workload they take on and the financial risk they’re exposed to. It’s one of the main issues the industry is facing and we should be able to talk about it.”

“The ATA partnership is an acknowledgement of that risk and one way we can help. We need to support each other.”