Last Tuesday I bought a mare from Gavelhouse for $500. In itself, this isn’t news, but I don’t buy too many empty elderly broodmares with moderate produce records, especially if some of the stallions involved have been top class.
So what was I thinking?
Well, firstly I had a vet check her out for breeding soundness. It really is a joy talking to vets: you’ve got to listen to what they have to say, and especially how they say it. They will never commit themselves, unless the horse is observably dead, but amongst the forest of uncertainty I picked out a few saplings of optimism. In short, most of the breeding bits seemed just fine.
Anyway, I then checked out the mare’s race record: 5 wins and a third placing in the prestigious Matamata Breeders Stakes. Check.
What about her progeny? Five to race, three relatively minor winners. Of more interest, I noted that three of her younger foals had yet to race. These included a 3YO named High Roller. When I watched his latest trial, I became seriously excited. Have a look at www.loveracing.co.nz
| LOVERACING.NZ – New Zealand Thoroughbred RacingNew Zealand’s premium digital channel showcasing thoroughbred horse racing. We deliver the latest news, video, profiles, field & form, statistics and raceday info.www.loveracing.co.nz |
and you’ll understand.
When, and preferably before, you buy a mare you really need to have some sort of idea what you’re going to do with her. When she’s 17, there’s no point just popping her in a paddock; you need to try to get a foal out of her.
Over the years, I’ve developed a few rules for stallion selection.
- Never use a stallion who isn’t courageous and doesn’t care about winning.
- Never use a horse with poor conformation.
- Get the best deal you can on the service fee.
- Always choose a stallion with a complementary pedigree. (I’ll explain what I mean by this next week.)
