Trelawney Stud will again present a top-quality draft at the 2020 Karaka Yearling Sales and according to owner Brent Taylor the draft holds particular significance as it marks a change in direction from the Cambridge based farm.
Established by Seton Otway in 1930, Trelawney Stud is New Zealand's longest-running commercial thoroughbred farm. The farm is currently owned by Brent and Cherry Taylor who has added 36 Group One wins over the last 24 years to the farm's tally of seven Melbourne Cup winners which were one when the farm was under Otway’s directorship.
Q: You have quite a large draft of horses this year. Which ones would you say are your standout lots?
A: We have a stand-out Tivaci (AUS) colt out of Ruqqaya. This colt boasts a stallion making pedigree. He from the first crop of Group One winner Tivaci and is out of a half-sister to five-time Group One winner Ocean Park in Ruqqaya. This colt is a half to dual Group One winner Grunt (O'Reilly) who has just completed his first season standing at stud. He is also a half-sister to the Lindsay Park Racing-trained Zayydani, an exciting filly that has won her two career starts and is destined for black type. A ripping colt with balance and style, he is an excellent mix of High Chaparral and the family qualities that have produced two sires in the past few years. He has certainly taken the eye of the buyer who has been to the farm for early parades, he'll certainly be popular.
Another stand out horse is (Lot 243) an Ocean Park filly out of Ruud Van Slaats. This is a filly by five-time Group One winner Ocean Park who is quickly making a name for himself as a successful stallion at stud. Bred and sold by Trelawney Stud, Ocean Park is the sire of five individual stakes winners including Gr.1 Epsom Handicap winner Kolding. This filly is out of dual Group Two winner Ruud Van Slaats who has produced five foals to race for four winners, three of which are black-type performers. A great filly with size strength and scope, she fills the eye.
Q: Australia seems to be showing a great interest in stayers recently. Do you see this trend continuing?
A: Increasingly, the racing calendar in Australia seems to see value races of 2000m distance and along with stake money on offer, there is ever-increasing popularity in staying races. I believe with the increase in prize money the demand for a middle-distance horse will explode.
Q: What is unique about this year's draft?
A: Over the past few years, we have steadily grown our breeding stock with high-quality race fillies as it has been our desire to get into a position to offer only yearlings owned by ourselves. Finally this year we have been able to achieve that goal with 15 yearlings in the Book1 session owned by Trelawney.
Q: What is your history with New Zealand Bloodstock or the Karaka Yearling Sales?
A: We have been going to Karaka and before that to Wellington for the better part of over 35 – 40 years. We have been vendors at Karaka since 1994. Before that, we sold yearlings at Trentham under the banner of Waimau Stud, a farm we previously owned
Q: What do you feel is essential, sales ring results or race track results?
A: Race track results. Our clients trust us to breed and sell them high-quality racehorses who will perform well on the race track. We believe we are producing the right quality of a style of horses for not only our international market such as Australia and Hong Kong but our domestic market where we have had success for many years.
Q: How do you plan mating?
A: I agonize over mating. We have an extensive portfolio of stallion shares and bred from 35 mares this season. I look at style, type, nicks, pedigree, temperament, nature, personally inspecting every stallion before committing to a mating. The industry is continually evolving with new bloodline available but I think it's important to stay true to our goals of producing for the race track and not the yearling market. With that goal, we are now retaining an increasing number of our homebred fillies to race as they have great genetic substance and have type to match.
Q: And finally, what's on your bucket list for the next decade?
A: I'd like to win 'Breeder of the Year' award with a horse we've bred, and I would also like one of our fillies to win the title of 'Champion Filly' in Australia or New Zealand region.