There might be new owners at the helm of iconic Victorian nursery Blue Gum Farm, but the quality buyers expect to find remains unchanged with this year’s Inglis Premier draft of 30 sure to enhance the farm’s formidable record of racetrack success.
Blue Gum Farm was first established by the Campbell family at its Euroa base in 1981 and they sold yearlings at the first yearling sale at Oaklands Junction in 1982. From that time all the way through to the present, many sale toppers and even more quality racehorses have originated from these fertile paddocks.
In the last eight years in particular, Blue Gum Farm has been the headline act at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale being leading vendor four times, second leading vendor three times and third leading vendor on the other occasion.
Last year there was a change of ownership with the farm purchased by Jason and Melanie Stenning of Trilogy Racing and Sean and Cathy Dingwall, who have had a long involvement with thoroughbreds through their Caithness Breeding enterprise.
The transition period has been seamless and the new team are expecting to continue the established tradition of excellence.
Aside from the sale ring success, Blue Gum graduates have made their mark where it counts on the track with no fewer than 19 stakes-winners coming from Inglis drafts from 2016 to 2021.
Between 2019 and 2021, Blue Gum Farm Inglis drafts have achieved 18% stakes performers and 77% winners to runners, statistics that back up why there is always keen demand for their horses.
Dual Group I winner September Run is a poster girl for the farm, plucked from the 2019 Inglis Premier Sale for $380,000 before going on to post Group I wins in the VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes and MVRC William Reid Stakes.
She’s already won $2.4million for Hermitage Thoroughbreds and a late closing fourth in the Group I VRC Lightning Stakes last week would indicate more wins are on the horizon.
Other current Blue Gum sold stakes-winners include the likes of Semillion, Bruckner, Nanagui and Crosswinds, the last three all with siblings to be offered in their draft this year.
Click here to see the full Blue Gum Farm draft with highlights below:
Lot 116 Colt Lonhro x Shamalia, by Shamardal (USA)
Half-brother to stakes-winner Nanagui and two more smart winners from Group III winning mare Shamalia, a half-sister to stakes-winner Emperor’s Way. By a champion sire and a sire of sires and dam has had three to race all winners!
Lot 323 Filly Brazen Beau x Chloe in Paris, by Exceed and Excel
Three-quarter sister-in-blood to slick juvenile stakes-winners Ideas Man and Larimer Street and is the fifth foal of stakes-winner Chloe in Paris, whose first two foals are both winners. Bred on the exact same cross as Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude winner Exploring and Group II Silver Slipper runner-up Tassort.
Lot 499 Colt Zoustar x Jestajingle, by Lonhro
Half-brother to Group III winner Bruckner, who made $725,000 at Inglis Premier in 2020 and was also second to Home Affairs in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes. A standout colt, he is the third foal of a winning half-sister to Group III winner Jukebox and daughter of stakes-winner Jestatune from the family of Group I winner Ihtsahymn.
Bred on a very successful nick that has produced seven winners from nine runners headed by HK stakes-winner Healthy Happy and two more stakes horses as well promising filly Ithadtobezou, who is headed for Black Type this autumn carnival.
Lot 539 Colt Brutal x Little Indian, by Not a Single Doubt
From the first crop of Group I ATC Doncaster Handicap winner Brutal and is a half-brother to Group II placed Typhoon Titmus and another winner from metro winner Little Indian, a full sister to multiple Group placed mare Fidelia.
Little Indian produced the equal highest priced yearling from the first crop of another Group I winning son of O’Reilly in Grunt last year with her colt fetching $300,000 at Premier. Named Akicita and trained by Robbie Griffiths and Matt De Kock, he has shown promise in jump outs and is currently spelling.
Lot 613 Filly So You Think x Not Only Florina (IRE), by Makfi
Third foal of French stakes-winner from a proven European Black Type family and her three year-old filly Sisterhood(American Pharoah) was retained and made an eye-catching debut for the Maher Eustace stable when finishing second at Pakenham on February 16.
Second dam is by Monsun and German female family would suggest this filly could have serious Oaks potential.
Lot 615 Filly Pierro x Now Now, by Danehill Dancer (IRE)
One of only three fillies in this sale by champion sire Pierro. Half-sister to four winners headed by outstanding Darley Princess Series winner Fiesta, a multiple Group winner of $1.5million, who was also second in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes and sold for $1.35million as a broodmare prospect in 2021.
