Altomontes make move from Dunedoo to Hunter Valley
Corumbene’s thoroughbred breeding operation to be based in Scone
The family of two-time Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m)–winning breeder George Altomonte have committed to the thoroughbred industry for at least another generation after securing a suitable property after a decade-long search.
The famous Corumbene Stud, established by octogenarian Altomonte more than 40 years ago, will move its breeding operation from Dunedoo in the NSW Central West to the thoroughbred heartland of the Hunter Valley.
George’s son Anthony Altomonte and grandson Tommy Altomonte are putting the final touches on well-known property Invermein in Scone, which borders Bhima Thoroughbreds.
The 381-hectare farm was sold last year by Duncan and Jill Macintyre to the Altomontes and they have been making capital improvements to the stud since taking over the property ahead of the 2024 breeding season.
Anthony Altomonte is excited about the prospect of Corumbene having a permanent presence in Australia’s horse capital of Scone with the new farm to be home for the family’s band of 35 to 40 broodmares mares and their offspring.
“If you’re staying in the horse breeding business you’ve got to be in Scone,” Antony Altomonte told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Horses are one of those things you’ve got to be passionate about and Tommy, my son, is really into it and very passionate about it.
“He’s got a very good memory for horses, particularly around their breeding, so with Tommy showing so much interest in it we thought that if it’s going to go for another generation we should buy something in Scone and set him up properly.”
A decision to relocate Corumbene from Dunedoo – a farm that produced 2008 Golden Slipper winner Sebring (More Than Ready) and 2013 scorer Overreach (Exceed And Excel) – has not been a sudden one.
The Altomontes weren’t prepared to rush into such a large investment until they found the right property.
He said: “We’ve been looking for about ten years at various places and the few that we’d seen, they were either too big, too small or we couldn’t afford them, but this one came up and we just had to buy it.”
There will also be efficiencies brought about by the new farm given its proximity to the leading stallion operations in the Hunter Valley and the ability of trainers and bloodstock agents to easily inspect Corumbene’s yearlings on-farm ahead of prominent sales like they do with other major vendors each year.
“We didn’t get the volume of pre-sale inspections that we will probably get in Scone because they’re here looking at all the other nearby farms,” Altomonte said.
“They will put us on the list and come on through and have a look at the yearlings. That’s definitely a benefit of being in Scone and the equine hospital is here as well.
“But also our poor truck driver spent his life in the truck driving one mare to the stallion to be served and no sooner would he get back to the farm than another one was due and he’d have to reload and drive back to Scone.
“By being here, the access to all the good stallions makes life so much easier.”
All but about ten of Corumbene’s horses have already moved to Scone, but Altomonte is also continuing to improve the fencing with Duncan Equine’s stallion rail being installed throughout the property.
Once the fencing is finished, Standout (Exceed And Excel), the Group 2-winning brother to the Altomontes’ Slipper winner Overreach, will continue his stallion duties from the rebranded Corumbene in Scone.
He has stood at the extensive Dunedoo stud for the past two seasons where he was on the roster alongside another homebred in Menari (Snitzel), who sadly died last September.
As well as investing in a new property, the Altomontes have been attempting to refresh their breeding portfolio, buying six mares in the past three years, while they are also racing some homebred fillies including Excess (Snitzel), the sister to Lofty Strike and a half-sister to Standout and another half-sister in the unraced Ninette (Zoustar).
They have also retained rising two-year-old filly Loera (Capitalist), another daughter of Overreach.
“You’ve got to keep your bloodlines a bit fresh,” Altomonte said.
“If you just keep breeding out of your own mares and keeping your fillies and breeding out of those, it starts to become a little bit narrow.
“We look to buy two or three mares every year. Some years you buy five, other years you buy none, but on average that two or three a year is what we look to buy.
“But we also have some very good homebred fillies and they’re doing pretty well, so that’s always good when you’re a breeder when you have the fillies that will keep going on and become your broodmare band in the future.”
While George and Anthony Altomonte remain the custodians of Corumbene for now, it’s university graduate Tommy who will carry on the esteemed name into the future.
“Horse racing has been such a huge part of our family for so long and, as I said before, it’s not something that you can teach necessarily,” Anthony said.
“They’ve got to really love it and want to do it. We’re really fortunate that Tommy loves it so much and it’s another generation.”
The 324 hectares devoted to horses at the Altomontes’ 6070-hectare Central West farm will be repurposed to allow the family to expand their Angus bull breeding operation.