Woodlow Equine strikes the right balance with $600,000 Inglis Ready2Race result

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

For Australian eventing riders Shenae Lowings and Sam Woods, success in the saddle has taken them to the Olympic Games and World Championships. Their latest achievement, however, came in the bloodstock ring, where their first-ever draft at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale produced $775,000 in sales from just two colts.

Operating as Woodlow Equine at Theresa Park in New South Wales, the pair have combined their experience in educating young horses with an understanding of athleticism, temperament and development to make their first foray into the breeze-up market.

The highlight was a colt by Wild Ruler out of the three-time winner and Group 3-placed juvenile Icebomb (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who sold for $600,000 to Lucky Owners Pty Ltd to become the joint top-seller of the 2026 sale.

The colt had been purchased by Full Circle Racing for $110,000 from the Mill Park Stud draft at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, before being prepared by Woodlow Equine for the Ready2Race market where he also become the most profitable pinhook result of the sale.

A second colt, by Portland Sky out of Promada (NZ) (Proisir), sold to Silk Thoroughbreds and Anton Koolman Bloodstock for $175,000. Previously purchased by B Croft for $40,000 from the Goodwood Farm draft at the 2026 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, he provided a strong result alongside his draft mate.

For Lowings, the returns were beyond what she had anticipated, although the quality of the pair had given her confidence heading into the sale.

“It was pretty awesome, it still feels a bit surreal the results we were able to get.”

A first draft from a farm with plenty of promise

The decision to try the Ready2Race market was a natural extension of the couple's existing business, which centres on breaking in, pre-training, rehabilitation and spelling.

Based at Theresa Park, a property rented off triple Olympic medallist Shane Rose and his wife Niki. Having both previously worked for Rose, they were well placed to build on the horsemanship and young-horse education skills developed during that time.

“We have great facilities there and decided to get a couple of nice colts and have a crack and it has paid off.”

The pair's first draft consisted of two contrasting types, both of which Lowings believed had the temperament and ability to make the preparation process straightforward.

“Both the colts were lovely with the Wild Ruler colt proving to be a little bit exceptional.”

The Wild Ruler colt attracted considerable attention during inspections, with his breeze-up performance further strengthening his appeal.

“His breeze-up was very impressive and he did it easily, he was very popular throughout the sale inspections and I thought he would sell well as there was plenty of interest, but not that high so it was great.”

Lowings was particularly pleased with how the colt handled the process, crediting his attitude as a major factor in his development.

“It’s been a great experience but I’ve loved every second of it. It's really exciting,’’ Lowings said.

“It’s turned out really well and is definitely something we’ll keep doing.

“The Wild Ruler colt has been amazing to deal with, he’s got a great attitude and I see big things for him.’’

Reflecting on the result, she said the colt had made his preparation straightforward from the outset.

“That colt’s just been an absolute pleasure the whole way through. He’s got an amazing temperament, he’s found it all really easy, and his breeze up was pretty exceptional.

“I wasn’t quite expecting that much but I was thinking it is worth it – he really did breeze well.”

The Portland Sky colt offered a different physical profile but proved equally rewarding and smooth to prepare.

“The Portland Sky is also a lovely type, quite different to the Wild Ruler, he is a lot more solid and well put together, but he also breezed up nicely, has a great brain also, we have been really lucky with these two colts as they have made our job easy.”

Building on a foundation in understanding the horse

While the sale result has put Woodlow Equine on the map in the Ready2Race market, the foundations of the operation were established well before the pair entered the sales ring.

Lowings and Woods have built their business around a shared passion for horses and an understanding of the importance of producing confident, well-educated individuals.

Their experience extends beyond eventing, with both having spent time working with young thoroughbreds at Bimbadeen Park under Shane Rose. Woods was head breaker at the property for a number of years, while Lowings also gained valuable experience there.

Rose's influence has been significant, providing a foundation in horse education that has carried across both their professional and competitive pursuits.

“He (Shane Rose) has played a big part in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve. Sam was a head-breaker there and I also spent time working at Bimbadeen Park as well as our eventing horses being located there.

“He has given us a great foundation, set us up nicely and always been a great sounding board.”

That experience has helped shape the approach they now take at Theresa Park, where they aim to develop horses with the physical ability and mental attributes to progress successfully into their next careers.

Woodlow Equine offers boutique breaking-in and pre-training, supported by facilities including sand tracks, a grass hill gallop, water walker, eight-horse walker, treadmills, all-weather gallops, a round yard, two large stable blocks and extensive turnout paddocks.

The facilities allow the couple to manage young horses through different stages of their development, with the emphasis on building the right foundations rather than rushing the process.

For Lowings and Woods, that approach is closely aligned with their work in eventing, where patience, confidence and a clear understanding between horse and rider are equally important.

Two careers, one equine expertise philosophy

Balancing a growing thoroughbred business with the demands of international eventing is no small undertaking, but the couple have established a team they trust to keep both operations running while they compete overseas.

Lowings represented Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics with her off-the-track thoroughbred Bold Venture, having previously competed at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni. At Paris, the pair travelled as reserves before being called upon for the final showjumping phase.

They continued to build their record in 2025, securing several four-star wins, while Woods won the CCI4*-S at Sydney International aboard SS Eight Count and represented Australia at the World Championships for Eventing in July 2026 in Aachen.

With both riders continuing to pursue the highest level of competition, the thoroughbred business provides a complementary source of income and an opportunity to apply their horsemanship in another part of the industry.

“The balance between eventing and Woodlow Equine seems to work well, we are both obviously very invested in eventing and have performed at Olympic and World Champs level.

"Sam has actually recently been to Germany for the world champs, so we were away for about three weeks in July," Lowings explained.

“We have great people in our team that we trust with our eventing horses as well as the thoroughbreds, we trust them and the success we have helps fund our hobby, as everything to do with horses is very expensive.”

The crossover between the two disciplines is also central to their philosophy. Educating a young thoroughbred for racing and developing an eventing horse may lead to different competitive arenas, but the principles underpinning their preparation remain closely connected.

“Both eventing and educating thoroughbreds is very linked, educating a race horse is very similar to educating a performance horse, everything is built on the same basics and the thoroughbreds also make great eventers.”

With the Los Angeles Olympic Games firmly in their sights, the couple are determined to keep progressing in eventing without losing momentum in their thoroughbred operation.

“We are both targeting Los Angeles, so fingers crossed we can get there.”

Building towards the future and more sales

The $775,000 return from their first Ready2Race draft has provided an encouraging start, but Lowings is realistic about the challenges of growing a young business in a competitive market.

The couple have recently built a new stable block at Theresa Park and are keen to expand their client base, while gradually increasing the number of horses they prepare for breeze-up sales.

“We are keen to keep building, we would love to have a bigger draft to take to the same sale next year, we have made a great start but also know it’s not always easy.”

The immediate focus remains on developing the business at a sustainable pace, with the possibility of preparing yearlings further down the track.

“We have just built a new stable block at the property, so naturally we are keen to keep expanding our business and our client base.

“We will increase numbers for breeze-up sales and maybe down the line yearlings might be an aim, but as long as we keep building and managing the balance between the thoroughbred business and the eventing, we will be happy.”

For Woodlow Equine, the first Ready2Race sale has delivered both a significant financial result and a clear indication of what the operation might achieve. The Wild Ruler colt's $600,000 price tag was the headline, but the broader story lies in the horsemanship, experience and careful management behind the preparation.

With a growing business at Theresa Park and two international eventing careers still progressing, Lowings and Woods are intent on building on the result while maintaining the balance that has brought them this far.