It's In The Blood

Dosh

There was a dash of irony in the powerfully-built Dosh winning the fillies’ Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield on Tuesday. In leading throughout for a superb fighting victory, the hulking filly brought more success to a stud that’s prospered since deciding bigger is not always better.  A bold decision by Queensland breeding byword Glenlogan Park... Read More

Aim 

You can take aim and do your best, but breeding can be fickle and cruel.  In 2008, Ricky Surace, who’d built a successful Sydney business in the more predictable world of building and construction, took a shot at racing. The first horse he bought into was a Starcraft colt from the Lion Hunter mare Leone... Read More

Widden’s second bite of the cherry pays dividends at the Gold Coast 

It’s not often in racing that people are allowed two bites of the cherry. So when Widden Stud had theirs two years ago, they weren’t going to miss out.  The results of their determination were shown – in rather spectacular fashion – at this week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.  In 2018, Widden were... Read More

Six of the best

Here, in no particular order, is a look at a handful of some of most promisingly-bred lots at next week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.  Lot 817 f. Capitalist – Spanish Pipedream (USA)  American trainer Wesley Ward has a reputation for preparing quality mares, often deploying them at Royal Ascot. And Newgate farm has... Read More

Picarones

Racing and breeding love their rags-to-riches stories, like the black Bletchingly colt passed-in at auction who became a king, or the $20,000 yearling filly who reigned supreme on Slipper day in 2017.  But occasionally we’re in thrall when the big guns come out, the giants of the game looking to make their powerhouse empires more... Read More

Paulele

Ron Gilbert turned away from the pitiful sight before him, and stared into the Darling Downs hills to gather his thoughts.  It was a scorching Queensland February day. Half an hour earlier Gilbert was sitting down to watch the 1999 edition of a breeders’ “must-see” – the Blue Diamond Stakes. A phone call from a... Read More