Hanna Wall is the much-respected bloodstock manager of Tweenhills (UK) owned by David Redvers and home to the Qatar Racing stallions. Her ever-expanding role not only sees her travel the world with David seeking to purchase bloodstock in the interest of their clients and various syndicates but she also represents the Al Thani family's sponsorship and racing interests throughout the racing season.
Wall has also formed her own pin hooking syndicate, Redwall Bloodstock, which has enjoyed great success in the northern hemisphere and recently formed another Redwall pin hooking syndicate in Australia.
Recently Redwall Bloodstock was the top purchaser in the 2019 Gold Coast National Weanling Sale on Day Three.
The Impact had an opportunity to speak to Hanna Wall about her purchases and their Australian interests:
Q: Do you plan to race or Pin-hook the Frosted half-sister to Santa Ana Lane you purchased at the Weanling sale? If you plan to race her, would it be in Australia or the UK?
A: She was purchased as part of a pin hooking syndicate so the plan is that she will be re-offered as a yearling next year, consigned by Widden Stud.
Q: What have been your highlight purchases of this quarter during the yearling sales' season?
A: We bought 4 lovely fillies this season to race for new ownership ‘Redwall Racing’. All are smart physicals with good
pedigrees. One was a Zoustar filly x Fancy Feet, bought for $500,000 from Magic Millions in January. She is in training with
Tony McEvoy, who trains the multiple Group One-winning Zoustar filly Sunlight and we all felt this filly was as close a type to Sunlight as we have seen. Another exciting purchase for Redwall Racing
was a Medagliad’Orofilly x Sultah, purchased for $170,000 from the Inglis Easter sale. She is a gorgeous type and her 2yo half-sister won her maiden very impressively since her purchase and looks a stakes filly in the making. We also bought anotherMedagliad’Oro filly out of the Group One winner Steps In Time, for $460,000 for Qatar Racing and Cambridge Stud. Our World Champion 3yo Roaring Lion is due to shuttle to Cambridge Stud for the southern hemisphere so we were keen to buy a filly to race with Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
Q: Since both yourself and Mr Redvers are such key members of the Thoroughbred society in the UK, how did you decide to invest in Australian thoroughbreds? Could you tell us a bit more about your journey?
A: Our involvement in Australia began through our roles with Pearl Bloodstock and Qatar Racing. We bought Dunaden for Sheikh Fahad Al Thani who won the 2011 Melbourne Cup and manage the Southern Hemisphere interests for Sheikh Fahad and his brothers; stallion interests, broodmares and racing prospects. On behalf of QatarBloodstock, we bought into Zoustar before he retired to stud and co-bred his outstanding daughter Sunlight, with Widden. Having always pin-hooked foals in the northern hemisphere, in 2016 we decided there was an angle in Australia and launched a new investment opportunity, Redwall Syndicate, pin-hooking foals in the southern hemisphere. In 2019 we launched Redwall Racing, a fillies racing syndicate as mentioned above.
Q: What are the factors you take into account when you decide to buy a horse? What is your process before and during a sale?
A: For a select yearling sale, we will most likely have an initial look at every horse catalogued. From there, we create a ‘second look list’ and from that point a shortlist that is sent for veterinary inspection. At this stage we will discuss with our client (s) or partners how we value each individual, taking into account their pedigree, physical makeup, and possible residual value. For pin-hooking foals, we focus more on potential ‘upsides’. As well as buying the best physical types that we can, the aim is to match these with pedigrees that could have added value, i.e. stallions that could be extremely ‘hot’ the following year or progeny under the first dam that could become stakes winners before we re-sell. Ultimately trying to find the added value with best individuals.
Q: If you had the opportunity to design a perfect horse what attributes would you consider befitting of that perfect horse?
A: Balance, strength, athleticism and the right attitude.
Q: How did you get into the bloodstock industry?
A: I grew up in a farming/racing family and we always had mares and foals at home on the farm. I was fascinated by racing and bloodstock from a young age and attended sales with my father and uncle as a child as much as I could. After university, I worked at both Market Rasen and Goodwood racecourses before moving back to the bloodstock industry and I started working with David in 2006. The rest is history!
Published in The Impact 13 Issue, 2 Vol
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