The Silverdale way: Setting horses up for life

Cover image courtesy of Silverdale Farm

The win brought together breeder, vendor, buyer, trainer and ownership group in one cohesive story. Both youngsters wore the Ridgmont colours and were purchased by Jim Clarke of Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) - Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) in partnership with trainer Bjorn Baker, and Masvingo (Zoustar) with the Ridgmont Fillies Partnership.

For Silverdale Farm Manager Rob Petith, the performance of both the juveniles was immensely rewarding.

“It was a very special result for the farm, it’s what we do it for, it was very exciting.”

The result also lit the fuse for bigger ambitions, with both 2-year-olds now shaping as serious chances for the $3 million R. Listed Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

'The Silverdale Way'

Ask Petith what lies behind Silverdale’s success, and his answer is clear: the farm aims to build racehorses for the long term, not just polish yearlings for the sales ring.

Petith said, “When talking about the Silverdale way, it’s about setting them up for life, not just the sales ring.”

This approach is made possible by farm owner Steve Grant.

“We are lucky here - Steve (Steve Grant) provides the environment that we can focus on the one percenters, which we believe can be so important.”

For Silverdale, education is as important as conditioning.

“We aim to get these yearlings prepared for life, not just the sales. We are under no illusion that we can’t have everyone become a Group horse, or a star, but we attempt to.”

That philosophy flows into how they handle pressure training. Silverdale deliberately exposes their horses to tight areas and varied experiences.

“We want these yearlings to be able to handle pressure, so we do things like putting them through the treadmill, not working on them, but going through them, and through tight areas, like they have to when in the gates.”

The goal is to ensure that by the time the horses leave the farm, the basics are deeply ingrained.

“If we educate our horses the way we want to and do the one percenters, after the sales process, hopefully the breakers can spend more time on their back as a lot of the groundwork is done.”

Clarke and Baker: buying from Silverdale and getting results

The connection with Clarke Bloodstock and Bjorn Baker has strengthened with each passing year.

“Jim and Bjorn, and Mitch (Cunningham) bought two horses out of our draft from Magics this year, and they have done a great job with them.”

Both Paradoxium and Masvingo showed that they were precocious enough to start their careers in the G3 Breeders’ Plate and the G3 Gimcrack Stakes, where they both performed well, and they have continued to develop.

Gallery: Silverdale graduates now bound for the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic together

“To get them performing then and now, and keeping them up, Bjorn does a great job.”

For Silverdale, these relationships are the backbone of future success.

“Repeat business is very important to us, so for Jim, Bjorn, and Ridgmont to get these results is great.

“In fact, Jim and Bjorn are coming out to the farm for inspections of our draft next week. It’s always good to get people out to the farm for inspections, and hopefully they like what they see and buy more Silverdale graduates.”

When asked about the performances of the two juveniles, co-purchaser Jim Clarke commented, “It was a great result - and in a way, slightly coincidental, I guess, that they’re both from Silverdale and from the same draft. We look at every horse across all farms.

“But both Paradoxium and Masvingo stood out to us. Using a bit of a cliché, they really did tick all the boxes - and Silverdale graduates always come from lovely mares.”

Regarding how much importance he places on buying horses from proven farms and producers, not just Silverdale, but in general, Clarke explained:

“We spend a lot of time studying farms, their results, and the particular sales they target. A lot of research goes into it.

“I believe the early life of a foal and the education they receive plays a big and crucial part, and Silverdale do it very well. Rob (Petith) is extremely experienced, even before his time at Silverdale.

“So it’s a combination of things, but the early stages of a horse’s life are absolutely crucial.”

The story behind Paredo and her talented son

Silverdale purchased Paredo (Better Than Ready) for $475,000 at the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, with Paradoxium in utero at the time.

“She is a lovely looking mare, loads of quality, has that dark brown colour. Being in foal to Extreme Choice was also a huge attraction when we purchased her. He is one of our leading sires, and it isn’t always easy to get a pregnancy to him.”

Her pedigree continues to strengthen.

“It really is a lovely deep page, and Private Harry has only helped it in recent times.”

Paradoxium himself has always carried an air of quality.

“He always had quality and stood out, he was a fantastic first foal, not overly big as you would expect with the sire and being a first foal, but well put together.”

In preparation he was genuine and consistent.

“He was always so workmanlike, had a great preparation and responded well. He was a good result, without being a great result, you could say he was well bought.”

Paredo has continued to produce strongly for the farm.

“Paredo has a lovely Zoustar filly heading to Easter, she just looks a touch later, so will head that way, but she has loads of quality and has that typical Zoustar big action.

“She produced an I Am Invincible filly, and she has scanned in foal to Zoustar, so it is very exciting.”

For Petith, having supportive partners in the mare adds to the enjoyment.

“We are lucky to have Ken Lowe and Brian McGuire in the mare, great mates that ride the ups and downs with us in this game. Brian is instrumental in the horses that we purchase.”

Rotator: An astute broodmare purchase

Another key broodmare for Silverdale is Rotator (Not A Single Doubt), a mare they purchased through a trusted friend.

“We secured her through our good mate Brad Spicer after she had raced well, we actually sent her to David Vandyke in Brisbane and won a race with her before she retired,” Petith said.

Laurel Oak joined the ownership, and Rotator has made a strong start to her broodmare career.

“Her first foal, a Zoustar, was purchased for $300,000 by Bennett Racing, and he hasn’t raced yet but is with Ciaron Maher. Her subsequent Maurice filly is heading to Easter, and she has a Zoustar colt on the ground with a positive test to Ole Kirk."

Masvingo, her talented daughter, was always a standout.

“Masvingo was a beautiful filly, huge action, I know Mitch really loved her.”

Her $580,000 sale price reflected that promise.

“$580,000 was a really good result for her as a yearling. Breeding isn’t for the faint-hearted, there is a whole lot of risk involved, so it was a really good result.”

The 2026 Magic Millions draft

Silverdale will take 16 yearlings - eight colts and eight fillies, to the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Preparation is well underway, and the mood around the farm has lifted noticeably after the great result at Wyong.

“When we were doing the handwalking of the yearlings this morning in our batches of about eight at a time, there was a clear spring in the step of the team. Success brings excitement.” Petith commented.

For Petith, the most exciting part is knowing that another Magic Millions contender may already be walking among them.

“It’s exciting to think which one of the yearlings we are currently walking or prepping could be in this spot next year.”

He is enthusiastic about the depth and range in the upcoming draft.

“It’s a very exciting draft. We have a Justify filly out of a Group 3-winning Snitzel mare. She has a nice big loose action, she actually reminds me of Masvingo in that regard. We have a couple of Snitzel fillies, including a three-quarter-sister to Qafila. We actually have a nice spread at all different price points.”

The quality continues throughout the group.

“A nice Rebel Dane filly out of Thunder Beauty, who was a Listed winner and Group placed at Royal Ascot, so she has lots of residual. A big tough, fast-looking Maurice colt, a Too Darn Hot colt we pinhooked whose dam was a stakes winner in America, a Vinnie colt who is a beast of a horse, and we have a Trapeze Artist full brother to Griff.”

This time of year is always intense, but the team is fully committed.

“It’s a chaotic time with the Millions preparation overlapping the breeding season which hasn’t quite finished. But it is full steam ahead, and we can’t wait to let rip at Magic Millions.”

Silverdale’s Wyong success was not just a good day at the races; it was a validation of a long-term approach built on education, detail, environment and belief. If Paradoxium and Masvingo are any indication, the next wave of Silverdale graduates may already be waiting in the wings, ready to follow the same path from careful preparation to racetrack success.