'It can’t just be about the top end' - Ritchie and shareholders saying ‘Yes’

10 min read
The Thoroughbred Report caught up with one of the major owners in Yes Yes Yes, Julia Ritchie, to hear the story around the relocation of the young stallion, what the new ownership makeup now looks like, and how the market has initially reacted to the move, where he now stands for $16,500.

Cover image courtesy of Gooree Park

Yes Yes Yes has already made the move to Gooree, and everything has gone smoothly for the stallion, who is enjoying his new environment.

While his racing career was cut short through injury after just eight starts, his loyal group of shareholders is in for the long haul, committed to giving him the time and opportunity to make his mark at stud at his second residence after starting his stud career at Coolmore Stud.

“He has settled really well at Gooree and the team are very happy with him,” Ritchie said.

“He has settled really well at Gooree and the team are very happy with him.” - Julia Ritchie

“It’s a great location being not too far from anywhere and I feel he fits a niche market at an affordable fee ($16,500), as a high-quality horse at the beginning of his career that is getting plenty of winners.”

Ritchie acknowledges the reality of modern stud operations and how Coolmore’s business model doesn't always align with longer-term projects without instant success.

Julia Ritchie |Image courtesy of Australian Turf Club

“All the owners are thrilled to have him now at Gooree, we all know how the game works and Coolmore can only sustain so many on their portfolio. They are a global business model, and realistically they give them three or four seasons to make it and some stallions take a little longer.

“Yes Yes Yes is in that boat so as a group of shareholders, we are giving him the opportunity of time as we all own mares to send to him.

“All of the smaller shareholders have kept their shares, Coolmore were the major shareholder, but I bought them out, and I have actually ended up selling off some of my shares, so that has been great.

“I love the loyalty of it all, but I also love the belief that everyone has in the horse.

“We need stallions like Yes Yes Yes, we need racing stock that is affordable, it can’t just be about the top end. The old $300,000 is now $500,000, we need a range of stallion options that then provides a market that people can buy in.”

Yes Yes Yes | Standingat Gooree Park

The ownership group retains some of Australia’s most respected breeders and owners of horses:

“Brae Sokolski, The Inghams, Linda Huddy, myself, have all retained our shares, as well as others, all of these people were 2.5%, or 5% or 7.5% holders, and we have actually picked up a reasonable amount of new people such as Dr Dennis O’Brien.

“The plan is we will send our broodmares to Gooree to agist and get in foal, and we look forward to building a good relationship going forward. We know he will get the very best of care with the Gooree team at Mudgee,”

“The plan is we will send our broodmares to Gooree to agist and get in foal, we know he (Yes Yes Yes) will get the very best of care with the Gooree team at Mudgee.” - Julia Ritchie

How is Yes Yes Yes going

A fast pre‑Christmas juvenile who trained on to win The Everest at three, Yes Yes Yes has had solid early opportunities at stud, with his oldest crop now ending their 3-year-old season. Across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, he has sired 47 winners.

Although yet to register a stakes winner, he’s posted seven stakes performers, a 7% stakes performers-to-runners ratio, and he sits fifth on the second-crop sires table by winners, behind only Too Darn Hot (GB), Pierata, Blue Point (Ire) and Zousain.

Among his standout progeny is the Annabel and Rob Archbald-trained Firm Agreement, a $140,000 yearling who has banked just over $775,000 with placings in two Group 1 races and several other Group races. Also impressive is Yes Queen, who performed strongly in juvenile stakes races in Western Australia.

Firm Agreement | Image courtesy of Triple Crown Syndications

“A week doesn’t go by that he doesn’t sire winners, and he’s had some nice stakes horses, but what he really needs is that one seriously good horse to come along and when it does, he will get numbers,” Ritchie added.

“What he (Yes Yes Yes) really needs is that one seriously good horse to come along and when it does, he will get numbers.” - Julia Ritchie

“He does have some of his higher quality horses to come back for the spring, the likes of Firm Agreement, and I know Kate (Nivison) thinks that Oui Oui Oui has black type potential, so fingers crossed there.

“I know it is hard to make comparisons, but Not A Single Doubt only had his first stakes winner in July of their 3-year-old season, and that was at Listed level, and his first Group winner was when his first crop were 4-year-olds, I’m not saying that Yes Yes Yes can be another Not A Single Doubt, but wouldn’t that be lovely!. But more so illustrating that sometimes some stallions take a while to hit their straps.”

Thoughts from the market

The timing of the relocation meant that some early‑season promotional opportunities were missed, but interest has already begun to build.

“By the time we had announced the move, the stallion book had been printed which wasn’t ideal, but we are up and going now.

“But I’ve actually had about four phone calls last week, so the reception has been good, I’ve even had a few enquiries from Queensland which is great.

“With the ownership structure we all have mares that we will be sending to him, so I think numbers will be okay when they are mixed with people also looking to use him.”

“The conversation and the chat about him is around, which is great, and it also helps that since he has been announced he has been getting two or three winners every week.”

“The conversation and the chat about him is around, it also helps that since he has been announced he has been getting two or three winners every week.” - Julia Ritchie

Recent winners include Useapin, an impressive Saturday winner for Chris Waller, and Yoyo Yeezy, who impressed at Eagle Farm and is a half-sibling to G1 winner Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}), along with the likes of Happiness and Yeah Right.

“If he keeps it up with getting several winners each week, people will keep talking,” Ritchie said.

Useapin | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

It can be a tough industry on horses

For Ritchie, the key to success has been patience, especially in an industry that can often move too quickly with both race horses and stallions.

“It is an industry that can kick horses to the curb too quickly, and everyone has their own models that they go by, and that is fine.

“I believe that this is the case for stallions and for racehorses that retire too quickly.

“I always think to myself, what if Winx had retired at the end of her 3-year-old season, she would have retired a very good 3-year-old after winning the Queensland Oaks, but look at what she went on to achieve as an older horse.

“I am a bit of a stalwart for giving horses time and being patient, I believe Yes Yes Yes would have trained on well if he didn’t pick up a tendon injury as a 3-year-old, he could have been a what‑if story.”

“I believe Yes Yes Yes would have trained on well if he didn’t pick up a tendon injury as a 3-year-old, he could have been a what‑if story.” - Julia Ritchie

One thing that Ritchie acknowledges that helps her use a patient mantra is having her own farm, and also staff who also believe in giving horses time.

“I’m lucky as I have my own farm, and have great staff, which is half the battle, and a great bunch of trainers that listen, and I listen to them, so we are able to give our horses time.

“But I really want to own horses with owners that give them lots of patience as do I, horses need the opportunity to be given time and I think stallions do need time sometimes also.”

When you breed at the top-end, how do you keep the drive at the lower level?

Ritchie has had success at the very top of the breeding industry, including owning shares in elite stallions and elite quality broodmares, yet she remains committed to supporting the middle market.

“I do think our ownership group of Yes Yes Yes is full of people that are committed to the industry at not just the top level, some people like to flirt with it, but our crew are committed and want to breed mares to him.

“The gap is getting bigger between the top and the middle range.”

I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park

“I breed at several ends of the breeding chain, I bought an I Am Invincible share when he was standing for about $100,000 which was a purely commercial decision, the same with Zoustar, and I therefore had an opportunity to breed my top mares to those top stallions.

“I do have an upper range of quality broodmares, I am a part-owner in Champagne Cuddles and Invincibella.

“I have got a breeding right in Brave Smash, I think he is an interesting one on the horizon, I have been involved with Ozzmosis, Profiteer, Jacquinot, Best Of Bordeaux.

“You have to invest, you have to support, and you have to take risk, even if that means keeping the faith or supporting them for a longer duration.”

“You have to invest, you have to support, and you have to take risk, even if that means keeping the faith or supporting them for a longer duration.” - - Julia Ritchie

The long game that is commercial breeding and riding the ups and downs

Ritchie explains that commercial breeding is a long-term pursuit that requires resilience and a holistic strategy.

“The fact of it is, you have to be wired a certain way to be on for the long ride in racing and breeding. If you want to do things commercially, you have to have a business plan, and a map that you can ride out the highs and lows with it.”

“You have to be wired a certain way to be on for the long ride in racing and breeding. You have to have a business plan, and a map that you can ride out the highs and lows with it.” - Julia Ritchie

“I was a part owner in the Home Affairs colt that sold for $3.2 million at Easter this year and that paid for a series of ones that didn’t work out as well. But for me it is about making money, but it is also about making it sustainable, and building relationships with people you know and trust, and the Yes Yes Yes group is a great group of people.

“Not all stallions are going to be successful, but our group have faith in Yes Yes Yes, are prepared to give him more time, and hopefully he fills a role of producing good racing stock.

“The game and the breeding industry do need to cater for all breeders, and we need breeders to stay in the game.” - Julia Ritchie

“The game and the breeding industry do need to cater for all breeders, and we need breeders to stay in the game.”

Yes Yes Yes
Gooree Stud
Julia Ritchie
Bangaloe Stud
The Everest