Sullivan embarks on new venture after success period at Noorilim Park
Popular Kiwi offering draft of five weanlings at Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale
Sullivan Bloodstock might not yet be a name which instantly resonates as among the leading vendors in Australia, but the face behind the new venture is experienced, well known and already has plans for expansion.
Talented Victoria-based horsewoman Sherah Sullivan, a long-time employee of Peter and Glen Carrick at Noorilim Park, will for the first time consign five weanlings under her own banner at this week’s Magic Millions National Sale on the Gold Coast.
The expatriate Kiwi, 38, has abandoned the security of a regular paycheque to go out on her own, working from a 50-acre property in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley region, close to the state’s breeding heartland.
“I have been with Noorilim for quite some time and I’ve actually been on the farm for 11 years, so it’s sad to leave, but I just thought I’d take up the opportunity with our own property, which we’ve had for three years and developed off a blank canvas and that’s all set up now,” Sullivan said to ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“I just thought this was an opportunity to go back to doing more boutique numbers and focus on quality.
“We started out with about 15 horses there at Noorilim and built it to about 170. It’s a lovely farm, great people to work for and I couldn’t thank them enough. They’ve let me run the show and gain experience through it.
“Now it’s time to go out on our own.”
Sullivan’s last sale with Noorilim Park was the recent Inglis Chairman’s Sale where she oversaw the selling of four mares headed by Lankan Star (Nicconi), a Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) placegetter, who was sold for $710,000.
There was no time to rest after the Inglis select broodmare sale, however, with Sullivan’s attention immediately switching to her weanling draft: colts by Capitalist (Written Tycoon), Pierro (Lonhro) and Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and fillies by Street Boss (Street Cry) and Toronado (High Chaparral) all feature.
The Toronado filly out of We’ll Never Know (Starspangledbanner) is owned by Sullivan, who bought the mare carrying the foal online last year for $37,500, while the other four are being offered on behalf of clients.
“We have a pretty neat bunch of horses to start with,” said Sullivan, who is also contemplating being on the buyers’ sheet.
“First things first, hopefully we will sell the one we’ve got and then we will look to reinvest into a mare in foal.”
Now that Sullivan, with the help of her Shepparton-based architect husband Michael, has embarked on her new business, she is scouting for land in the Goulburn Valley to allow the scope for growth.
She sees no reason to move from the area, let alone the state.
“I’ve only got 50 acres (about 15 minutes’ drive from Noorilim Park) at the moment, so the intention is to look to sell that and buy 100 to 150 acres in the next six to 12 months,” Sullivan said.
“Victoria is starting to get a lot more recognition. There’s a lot of good mares in Victoria now and with the Victorian Alliance, Darley’s brought some nice horses to Victoria, Yulong and others, the stallion base is getting a lot better.
“It’s a great place to be, the horses grow out well there and are getting good results on the racetrack, so we will stay where we are.”
Sullivan is firmly entrenched in the Victorian breeding industry in a career direction which was crystallised as a teenager, having lived close to Rich Hill Stud at Matamata.
Her early hands-on thoroughbred horse experience was courtesy of breeders John and Karen Hogan.
“I actually travelled the world doing sales for three or four years. I went to France, Europe and the States and I prepped a lot of horses in New Zealand where I also worked at a vet clinic over there for about five years,” she said.
“I actually came over to Australia to do a sale over here for what is now Noorilim Park, just to lead a couple of horses … as I wanted to get a bit more into pinhooking and that’s a bit harder in New Zealand.
“I’ve been here ever since. I’ve got married, so I am stuck here now, really.”
The Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale starts tomorrow at 10am.