We enjoyed the hospitality and horses so much on our Victorian tour of the studs last year we decided to go back and this time hit a few farms we missed last year on the way down – driving, looking at horses and having a yarn to people, what’s not to like!
We also had a debrief of the trip on our podcast Tara Talks Racing this week when you are looking for entertainment on your morning walk or that pesky long drive!
Asfoora was crowned 2025 Champion European Sprinter and this super talented daughter of Flying Artie will bid to go out a G1 winner again later this week when she seeks to defend her win last year in the Group I Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
We went to her birthplace at Noor Elaine Farm last week and had the pleasure of meeting her owner breeder Akram El-Fahkri, who was excited to present the farm’s new stallion Nepotism before he jets off to the UK this week to cheer on Asfoora.
We also just had to have a visit with the farm's star broodmare Golden Child, dam of Asfoora. From the second crop of yearlings by I Am Invincible, who at that time stood for just $11,000, Golden Child has more to come with a 2YO filly and yearling colt by Flying Artie and she is back in foal to him again.
Bowness Stud near Young was on the list this year and super happy to go there given they stand D’Argento, a dashing grey son of So You Think that I loved as a racehorse and he has done a super job at stud.
Thanks for a lovely lunch and plenty of laughs as it turns out we have an entertaining friend in common. Born and bred in my hometown of Milton, Luke Thomas is a regular visitor to the farm handling the foals and young stock and working with the staff. ‘Lucky Luke’ is an amazing horseman and quite the character as those that know him will attest.
Cool Archie was the drawcard at the Kelly family owned and run Newhaven Park, returning to his birthplace to stand alongside Group I winning sires Mo’Unga (NZ), Xtravagant (NZ) and his father Cool Aza Beel (NZ).
Winner of the 2025 Group I BRC JJ Atkins, Cool Archie went very close to being crowned Champion Australian 2YO following his flawless run through last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival. He racked up five successive wins ranging in distance from 1000 to 1600m and on tracks rated from good to heavy.
Back in 2004, the Kelly’s purchased a filly from Twin Palms Stud at Inglis Easter for $390,000. By Gilded Time (USA) from well bred Snippets stakes-winner Valourina, she would go on to race as Media.
Media won the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes on debut and ended as a multiple Group winner with four G1 placings including the Golden Slipper and she is the grand-dam of Cool Archie.
It’s not hard to see why Cool Archie is a horse that means a lot to this farm and this family.
Dog smuggling into motels – when you have a dog like mine this is not only possible, but very doable!
Espresso martinis – who knew Neville Murdoch of Larneuk Stud could rustle up a good cocktail at short notice!
Larneuk Stud was ravaged by the fires earlier this year and lost plenty of fencing, but thankfully no horses. Good recent rains have the farm green again and ready for a new season with stallions Wandjina, Impending, Griff and Lauda Sion (Jpn) in residence.
Flooded causeway – that nearly made us late at our first stop of the trip, but we decided to man up and have a crack! Should have taken a picture... use your imagination!
Ghaiyyath (IRE) was back at Darley after a year off while the jury of Australian breeders deliberated and came back in the affirmative.
He paraded along with his dual G1 winning son Observer, click here to see all their parade images.
How old is the oldest stallion we saw? That would be the grand old man Written Tycoon at Yulong, who has turned 24.
Innovation – anybody that went to Swettenham may well have one of these!
James Harron has started his consultancy role with Yulong and was at their stallion parade featuring a strong lineup starting with Vinrock and finishing with Written Tycoon, while another new member of the Yulong team is respected Kiwi bloodstock / racing adviser Danny Rolston, who has been appointed Head of Racing.
Exciting times ahead for Yulong with their first Hunter Valley parade scheduled for this Saturday, click here for more images of the Victorian parade.
Kooringal , the Aboriginal name for ‘home on the hill’ is a magnificent property just outside of Wagga. Family owned and run since 1910, it was a privilege to be shown around the farm by Angus Lamont, whose great grand-father built the stables that house the stallions that stand there today.
Kooringal is home to two sons of champion sires in Sandbar (Snitzel) and Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon), who are very different in size and stature. If you have a smaller mare that needs scope and size you go Finance Tycoon and if you have a larger mare that needs a smaller partner you go Sandbar, something for everyone!
Libertad carried the Trilogy Racing colours to G1 success and was one of the first good horses to run for Jason and Mel Stenning, whose passion for thoroughbreds quickly escalated to the purchase of Blue Gum Farm.
They sadly lost promising young sire Sejardan last year, but are looking to the future with new additions Libertad and Coleman.
Magic Millions man in Victoria is Tim Brown, who goes back a long way with me to our years working for Lindsay Park when Colin Hayes was still at the helm.
All bloodstock blokes that work for auction houses become excellent drivers, it’s part of the job, getting from A to B in the shortest time possible. We both left the Widden parade on Friday just after midday and when I asked the quickest way back to the Hume Highway, he said, “Follow me!”
We sat in his slipstream all the way back to the highway and I duly made it to Yass before 6pm, good driving my friend!
Nagambie is a beautiful town on the lake and is home to a spectacular statue of Black Caviar.
100 years into the future after we are long gone, people with no idea of racing will see that statue and think, geez that must have been a good horse!
Once again we were lucky enough to stay at Gilgai Farm for two nights and when you wake in the morning and look out at those paddocks it’s amazing to think of the champions that have started life here – where will current star graduate Tron Bolt fit in come the end of spring?
Photogenic is Toronado (IRE) and Grant Courtney of Pao Ma Photos has taken some beauties of him over the years and this one is a ripper.
Question – who was the busiest sire in Victoria last spring? That would be Alabama Express, who has relocated to Yulong NSW, but they also had the second most popular in Growing Empire.
A G3 winner with indisputable G1 talent.
Rewarding is what I think about these trips as I spend a lot of time shackled to a computer writing about horses and it’s always good to put a face to a name!
Swettenham Stud attracted a big crowd this year not only to see Victoria’s champion sire Toronado (IRE), but also to get a first look at Diego Velazquez (IRE).
Almost exactly a year ago the son of Frankel scored a career defining win in the Group I Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m) at Deauville and this 2.4million guinea yearling purchase is clearly at home in the spotlight. Click here for more images from the full parade.
Trainers at stallion parades is nothing new, although they are often there to talk up a new stallion that has just come from their stable, but that was not the case with Chris Waller.
He was at both Yulong and Darley and while he does train for both global powerhouse organizations, he was not there in an official capacity… it was just to see the horses.
At Darley, he had the phone out to video his past stable stars Brazen Beau and Kermadec, my how time flies!
Unavailable was the response from Riverbank Farm’s Caroline Duddy when we made enquiry to come and visit the farm’s stallions that include Black Caviar’s son Prince of Caviar.
She had an outstanding excuse as Caroline was off to Germany for the World Equestrian Games at Aachen to cheer on an Aussie thoroughbred eventer that she part owns.
That horse Humble Glory, Hughie to his mates, is now a social media star having given his rider Sophia Hill a brilliant cross-country round followed by a flawless fast clear in showjumping to finish 14th in the world.
So who is Hughie? He’s a 15yo Bernardini (USA) gelding that was desperately slow when racing as Camon Houdini and after three runs for Gai Waterhouse was duly punted into the equestrian world, where it turns out he is fast!
It’s a different sort of fast to that of his Caulfield Cup winning third dam Mannerism, but a good thoroughbred is a good thoroughbred, they just need to find their lane.
Vinrock – G1 winning 2YO by I Am Invincible from a daughter of champion sire Redoute’s Choice – easy on the eye!
Widden Victoria was not as cold as it can be this year with a parade featuring a quality line up of stallions including dual G1 winner Southport Tycoon, whose first foals are arriving this spring.
Also Euro bluebloods King Colorado (IRE) and Russian Camelot (IRE), who are the only G1 winning sons of their respective champion sires Kingman and Camelot to stand in Australia, click to see images from the full parade.
X- factor is something possessed by Woodside Park Stud’s new shuttle sire Laurel River (USA), who was the equal highest rated racehorse in the world in 2024, sharing the honour with City of Troy (USA).
Laurel River can hang his hat on that explosive eight length win in the Group I Dubai World Cup and he is a son of Into Mischief, who has been Champion US Sire for the past seven seasons.
For any breeder looking left field for elite quality, Laurel River is well worth consideration and on the day we saw him, he had arrived the previous afternoon and was cool as a cucumber, so the temperament box gets a tick!
Yellow was every where on the way down to Victoria thanks to the canola fields coming to life with spring. I probably should have got a picture, but if you listen to the podcast, you know my thoughts on yellow!
Zoustar had two of the most popular first season sires in Victoria last spring in Growing Empire and Schwarz with Sam White and his team at Lovatsville following the trend with Espionage, who does a great job selling himself, click here to see more images from their parade.
