Based on the very successful New Zealand approach of breeders supporting and backing each other, Blue Gum Farm’s Philip Campbell and Larneuk Stud’s Neville Murdoch joined forced to present their outstanding prospects to Victorian Breeders.

After the parade, Blue Gum’s Phillip Campbell made the following speech.

On behalf of Neville, Patti and myself thanks for being here today and showing support and we hope to be able to help you all this season.

Time and time again we hear that Victorian breeders don’t want to send their mares to New South Wales and that they would much prefer to send their mares to stallions in Victoria. Then, when new stallions come to Victorian Farms, we hear the reasons why people will not buy shares or send their mares to those stallions  . . . some of those reasons –
*   He’s only by such and such
*  He didn’t win a Gr.1 or Gr.2 race
*   What are we going to do with the nominations in two, three and four year’s time? (** see below)

We got that “only by such and such” with our very first stallion Noalcoholic, back then. Then we got it with Rancho Ruler and then with Umatilla. We got it with a horse called Encosta de Lago (..now 16 Gr.1 winners, and, 14 of them are out of his Victorian mares).

We have heard . . .  Testa Rossa is only by Perugino, Show A Heart is only by Brave Warrior, Lonhro is only by Octagonal, Strategic is only by Zeditave, General Nediym is only by Nediym and so it goes on.

Encosta did not win as a two-year-old; Fastnet Rock could not win as a two-year-old and from seven tries.

Point being, if you want to pick holes in stallions you can, but when you find one that you think ticks all the boxes they are either inaccessible or very expensive and still there are no guarantees.

We have two major breeding centres New South Wales and New Zealand.

Victorian stallion farms need the support of Victorian breeders with stallion acquisitions. If there are no investors then farms will not take the risk of taking on stallions, resulting in even less farms standing stallions and less stallions available in Victoria.

Using the STALLIONS publication for reference in 2005 we had 38 farms that stood 88 stallions, in 2006 we had 41 farms that stood 90 stallions; 2007 it was 35 farms with 91; 2008 35 that stood 88 and last year it was 24 standing 53 stallions.

Therefore, if there are no investors, then farms will not take the risk of taking on stallions, resulting in even less farms standing stallions and fewer stallions available in Victoria. Breeders will be at the mercy of a privileged few who do not have to syndicate stallions or the major Hunter Valley studs.

This is not about any one farm but about the Victorian breeding industry. Our industry needs to be strong, unite, and become involved in stallion ownership.

** Well I hope you use them! (the nominations).

They are service fees paid in advance in your stallion. Back your stallion – support him with mares. He cannot succeed without mares and nobody benefits from his success like the owners.

I have seen what successful stallions can generate for their owners by way of service fees and dividends generated from overs. I am not that naïve to think that all stallions will be successful either, but I do know that the next Encosta de Lago is out there and wouldn’t it be nice to know that stallion, and the one after him and the one after him, was Victorian owned and destined to remain in Victoria to help rebuild the Victorian breeding industry.

I want to thank Peter Heagney and Simon Vivian for their assistance this afternoon and the use of this wonderful facility.

Tags: freshman 2010
Permalink| Jun 9, 2010

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