John Cameron’s eye for a thoroughbred has been respected throughout his seasoned career as a bloodstock consultant, and relationships he fostered in that role nearly 50 years ago are still bearing fruit.
This was highlighted at Taupo on Sunday when Hawea, a filly he bred with long-standing clients, flew home late to capture the Listed Chittick Family Fillies Classic (1100m) in convincing fashion, adding to her stakes placing in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old.
“She has got a lot of class and to come from last at the turn to get up and win the way she did, basically untested, was very pleasing,” Cameron said of the Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained filly.
“She was probably unlucky (as a two-year-old) on a couple of occasions, one especially at Ellerslie where she couldn’t get a run, and she could have gone on and won that day.
“She is a very nice filly on the way up.”
Cameron purchased her dam, Idlewild, a half-sister to Group One performer Caymans and stakes winner Adroitly, a few years ago with his business partners Daniel Zigal, William Fan and Matthew and Elizabeth Oram.
“Matthew, Daniel and myself go back a long way, when I first started going to Hong Kong in 1980,” Cameron said. “I bought horses for them then and they have been friends and clients ever since.”
The trio have had plenty of success over the years, but Cameron highlights subsequent Group One winner and Group One producer Marquise as his best yearling purchase for Oram and Malcolm Glenn.
“I bought them a very good yearling, at the stage, by Gold And Ivory out of Eight Carat,” Cameron said. “She was called Marquise and she was a Group One winner (Captain Cook Stakes) and left a Group One winner (Hiyaam).”
Idlewild is proving to be another broodmare gem for the partnership.
“She has produced some nice horses for us, including Idyllic, Romilly, who is stakes placed, Jamaica Bay, and now Hawea,” Cameron said. “The mare has done a great job for us.”
Cameron, who is New Zealand Bloodstock’s International Bloodstock Manager, has offered both Romilly and Hawea through his company’s National Yearling Sale, where the pair garnered plenty of interest.
Offered through Wentwood Grange’s Book 1 draft in 2023 and 2025 respectively, they were both purchased by trainer Graham Richardson and Brendon McCullum, with Romilly fetching $110,000 and Hawea $300,000, with Cameron retaining a share in Hawea.
“The mare, Idlewild, is a good-looking mare, a nice size, and she throws attractive types of young horses,” Cameron said. “Hawea as a yearling was very attractive, a good walker, and had a lot of quality.
“Graham and Brendon McCullum also bought Romilly. They loved her and they have done a great job with her as well.”
Cameron has recently imported a yearling full sister to Hawea, who will be offered at Karaka in January.
“We have a full sister to Hawea for the yearling sales next year, and likewise, she is a high-quality filly,” he said. “She was born in Australia and I brought her across in June, and she is currently at Wentwood Grange.”
Idlewild is currently empty but is booked for an early service.
“She foaled a little bit late and was served by Hellbent again but didn’t get in foal,” Cameron said. “She is booked to go back to Hellbent, so hopefully we get a nice early foal next time around.”
Cameron is enjoying breeding from a small number of mares in the twilight of his career, and he is set to welcome a new addition to his bloodstock portfolio in the coming week.
“I have three other broodmares,” he said. “One is called Natural Selection, who is by Choisir, and she has left a stakes placed horse (Discovery Bay). She is currently due to foal to Storm Boy at any tick of the clock.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
