Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
There are several beneficiaries behind every racetrack win, and Ross Hatton’s Rathmore Lodge is one of the groups celebrating the victory of Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in Saturday’s $160,000 Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury. Hatton offered the son of Wootton Bassett (GB) at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, where he was purchased by Tasman Bloodstock for $70,000.
Reoffered in Coolmore Stud’s draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, he was a $300,000 purchase for Chris Waller Racing, Mulcaster Bloodstock, and Hermitage Thoroughbreds, and his debut victory puts a sizable dent in that price tag.
The initial weanling sale was also a satisfying result for Hatton, who purchased Rose Memory (Ire) (Elusive City {USA}) with Stormy Marco in utero at the 2023 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $55,000, in partnership with regular collaborators Avesta Bloodstock and McConnell Bloodstock.
Hatton’s methodology revolves around finding the value that will bring the best results, and he hopes to offer another Stormy Marco at Riverside Stables this week.
Return on investment
The purchase of Stormy Marco in utero is emblematic of Hatton’s typical process. There is no strict selection criteria for the types of mares he purchases at the sales, but the vast majority will be carrying a pregnancy that he sees great potential in.
Ross Hatton | Image courtesy of Sky Thoroughbred Central
“It’s about where we see value,” said Hatton. “It’s all about doing our research and buying smartly. A lot of the mares we buy tend to be mares that have had a few foals and that they are either proven producers on the racetrack or at least proven producers in the sales ring. That is indicative that the mare can throw a good type.”
The star of Hatton’s 2026 draft is Lot 224, a Home Affairs colt out of Debate (So You Think {NZ}), who Hatton purchased for $60,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale in partnership with McConnell Bloodstock and Arrawed.
Lot 224 - Home Affairs x Debate colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
“With Debate, her King’s Legacy yearling colt (sold in 2024) made $200,000 at Inglis Easter, and her first foal was a smart filly with Chris Waller called Naina,” Hatton said. Naina (Pierro) had broken her maiden at start number two in February of last year, and has since added three placings and a second win in November.
“And obviously, she was in foal to Home Affairs, and we are very, very particular about the stallions that we purchase pregnancies of. If we are buying the mare for the pregnancy, then we want to know that the progeny are going to be by the right stallions that people will want to buy at a weanling sale.”
“If we are buying the mare for the pregnancy, then we want to know that the progeny are going to be by the right stallions that people will want to buy at a weanling sale.” - Ross Hatton
Home Affairs has, of course, done exactly what every breeder, consignor, and yearling manager could have hoped for in the 12 months since Hatton purchased Rose Memory for $9000 (excluding GST) less than his 2024 service fee.
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore
“He was unproven 12 months ago, but we had huge faith in him, and he couldn't have done much more this season,” said Hatton. ”He's an exceptional stallion physically, and then he's passed that on into his progeny. And they can clearly run, so he has earned his fee increase this season.”
“He (Home Affairs) was unproven 12 months ago, but we had huge faith in him, and he couldn't have done much more this season.” - Ross Hatton
And value comes in all shapes and sizes.
“I was sitting here 12 months ago, looking at the Inglis Digital sale in the afternoon and we were having a drink and I put one bid on a mare in foal to Captivant for $600,” Hatton recalled.
“And I've come back here this year with a very, very nice Captivant colt as well. He's not going to make the same money as the Home Affairs, but I think there's definitely potential for profit in that.”
Building year on year
Another member of the 2026 cohort is out of a mare that Hatton initially purchased with a commercial pregnancy who has become a long-term member of the Rathmore Lodge broodmare band.
“There are some mares that we keep for a few years and we don't just buy specifically for pregnancy,” he said. “We bought Smokin’ Val a couple of years ago in foal to Bivouac, and then we sold that weanling for $85,000 here last year.”
A tidy profit in the span of a year, given that Smokin’ Val (Valentia) was a $25,000 purchase at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale in 2024. Hatton was pleased enough with the stakes performer’s foal to reinvest in her with sizable service fees over the next two seasons, and will offer her Stay Inside filly as Lot 35 in the catalogue on Tuesday.
Smokin’ Val | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We are back here this year with her Stay Inside filly, and she is in foal to Street Boss,” he said. “That is a little bit about spreading the risk around. If you have your finger in enough pies, hopefully a few of them will go the right way and balance it out.”
“If you have your finger in enough pies, hopefully a few of them will go the right way and balance it out.” - Ross Hatton
Bivouac is a stallion that Hatton has been keen to return to, and Lot 409 is his sole offering by the stallion, out of a mare that adds another dimension to Hatton’s value method.
“Bivouac is a stallion I have supported every year of his career,” he said. “I have a really nice Bivouac colt this year, and I actually bought his dam as a dry mare on Inglis Digital - I am always hunting for value, so they don’t always have to be in foal.”
Bivouac | Standing at Darley
Listed Warstep Stakes winner My Nikita (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior), a three-quarter-sister to dual Listed winner Happy Hippy (Shamardal {USA}) from the family of Mildred (Hinchinbrook) and Salty Pearl (Tagaloa), was a $2500 purchase in August of 2024 on the Inglis Digital platform. After foaling her Bivouac colt, she patronised Southport Tycoon in 2025.
“I sent her to Bivouac and she has produced an absolutely cracking colt,” Hatton said. “He has size, substance, and a terrific attitude.”
Attracting the market
The aforementioned Home Affairs colt is, for Hatton, the real highlight of his 14-strong draft in 2026. Given Home Affairs’ flying start at stud, the colt has understandably been the busiest weanling in the Rathmore Lodge section of the complex.
“He's the obvious one in the draft,” said Hatton. “People ask me, ‘what's your best horse?’, and the Home Affairs is definitely the obvious one. He's probably the nicest weanling that I've ever brought to the sale here. Hopefully a few people agree with me.
“For me, he's (Lot 224) almost faultless.” - Ross Hatton
“He's just got size, strength, presence. He's well put together and correct, and he's got a lovely action and a great attitude. For me, he's almost faultless.”
Another element in how Hatton has spread the risk is in the types and stages of sires he has targeted. His draft encompasses 12 different stallions at varying stages of their careers, including two representatives each for Ozzmosis and Cylinder, who will have their first crop of foals sell at this year’s weanling sales.
Ozzmosis | Standing at Newgate Farm
“The two Ozzmosis weanlings that we have are both good-looking, very attractive, good movers, and very well-balanced with lovely hips,” said Hatton. He has a colt, Lot 128, and a filly, Lot 385, on offer by the Newgate Farm-based G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner.
Lot 128 is out of Your Time (Your Song), a half-sister to Cosmic Force, while Lot 385 is out of a winning full sister to Giga Kick (Scissor Kick). The latter’s dam Miss Gaga (Scissor Kick) was an $80,000 Inglis Broodmare purchase for Avesta Bloodstock, McConnell Bloodstock, Hatton, and Lovatsville from the Newgate Consignment.
Your Time has changed hands a few times, and most recently was purchased by Hatton and Klara Bloodstock for $125,000 from Willow Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale in 2025.
Gallery: The Ozzmosis progeny being offered by Rathmore Lodge at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis
“I’m very happy with them both,” Hatton said. “Ozzmosis is a son of Zoustar and he won a Coolmore, so he was always going to be well supported. The race has a cracking record. I am a sucker for the so-called stallion-making races. Everybody always remembers the Golden Slipper winner, the Coolmore winner, the Caulfield Guineas winner. He has a real chance.”
“I am a sucker for the so-called stallion-making races. Everybody always remembers the Golden Slipper winner, the Coolmore winner, the Caulfield Guineas winner.” - Ross Hatton
Hatton will also offer a colt, Lot 163, and a filly, Lot 111, by Darley’s Cylinder. The dam of Lot 111, Waikato River (NZ) (Savabeel), is an example of the type of proven producer that Hatton desires to purchase; a $50,000 purchase at last year’s Inglis Broodmare Sale, she has produced four winners from six to race, including Listed-performed Spectacle (Teofilo {Ire}), and her yearlings have sold for up to $400,000.
Lot 163’s dam Artisanale (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a daughter of three-time Group 1 winner and Champion Stayer Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill {USA}) and a half to four stakes performers, has produced two winners as well as Hand Crafted (Brazen Beau) who was fourth in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes.
Gallery: The Cylinder progeny being offered by Rathmore Lodge at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis
“Both the Cylinders are really strong,” said Hatton. “They look quite fast and quite early. In particular, the filly has a great depth of girth and good movement. She is very well put together and has good bone.
“I love having first season sires in my draft because people get very excited about the first season sires, and sometimes you can use them to draw people in so they look at the rest of your draft as well.”
“Sometimes you can use them (first season sires) to draw people in so they look at the rest of your draft as well.” - Ross Hatton
The right foundations
The recurring comment across Hatton’s draft is the strength of their walks, and while Hatton admits he has “gotten lucky” in some aspects, he does believe that setting his weanlings up correctly has been instrumental to Rathmore Lodge’s success over the years.
“We do quite a lot of education with them,” he said. It's just myself and my partner, Max. She's absolutely fantastic with the young weanlings and their education. That is what I find is key to getting these weanlings to the sale in the right shape.
“We don't push them hard or anything during their development. We just try and let them be horses, but also ensure they get the right education along the way. If they're well educated, and able to walk and be push button by the time they go to the sales, that makes them a lot easier to parade, and makes them parade better as well.
“If they're well educated, and able to walk and be push button by the time they go to the sales, that makes them a lot easier to parade.” - Ross Hatton
“And I have found that, if your weanlings parade themselves well, buyers will come to look at them.”
Rathmore Lodge team | Image courtesy of Rathmore Lodge
Hatton returns to Riverside Stables for the fifth year running in 2026, and looks forward to further strengthening Rathmore Lodge’s image as a premier consignor of weanlings at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
“We bring most of our foal crop here,” he said. “I love selling at Inglis, and I love selling at this complex. We have established ourselves here now and it has become a fairly big part of our model to come to this sale. I feel that people can buy off us with the confidence that we are genuinely bringing our best up here.”
