"It's a rebranding exercise," stated Randwick Bloodstock Agency's Brett Howard.
"Previously we've consigned to Inglis and Magic Millions auctions under the
Agency's banner. We recently decided to give our farm a name. Well actually the
farm had already been named Glenesk by a former owner. "Brett and I liked it, so it was an easy decision to call ourselves Glenesk Thoroughbreds," commented Brett's wife Rachael.
Located in a very picturesque and fertile part of the Lower Hunter Valley, the 50 acre broodmare farm has now been fully operational since 2009. Run by Rachael Howard, and ably assisted by Kelly Penn, previously having spent seven years with Coolmore Australia, the farm usually foals down and walks out up to 25 mares to the Upper Hunter stallion farms each season.
"We are very proud of the results to date we've been able to achieve for the farm's clients. Over the past six seasons we are averaging close to 95% of the mares being in foal at season's end," commented Rachael.
"We do things slightly different in so far as we don't raise or prepare any yearlings for sale. Due to farm's size, and wanting to take pressure off its pastures, come May or June each year, any weanlings on the farm are either offered for sale at the weanling sales or they are sent off to other larger farms," explained Rachael.
Rachael further elaborated, "This system has worked really well for our clients, as we've been able to put the weanlings onto the right farms and circumstances where we believe they'll be best suited. For example in the past couple of years we've put two fillies which we felt would be ideal Magic Millions candidates with Senga Bissett & Ivan Woodford-Smith at Ashleigh Thoroughbreds, Scone.
"At the 2014 MM sale, the Denman x Street Sign filly sold for $300,000 to Gai Waterhouse/James Harron, the equal highest priced Denman filly sold at auction last year. And at this year's MM sale, the I Am Invincible x Fine Cuban filly sold for $280,000 to B2B Bloodstock/Blue Sky Bloodstock, to date the highest price paid for I Am Invincible filly this year."
At the William Inglis & Son Australian Weanling and Broodmare Sale (3-6 May), Glenesk Thoroughbreds will be offering three broodmares as agent:
Lot 517 – Red Light (by Red Ransom). From the same family as superstars Makybe Diva and Treve, her first 2 foals to race are both City winners. Very fertile mare who sells in foal to Animal Kingdom.
Lot 746 – Cailin Miss (by Domesday). A stakes winning 2yo from last season, Cailin Miss was shaping up as a serious VRC Oaks contender before a leg injury curtailed her career. Rushed off to stud in early October and covered by Foxwedge, she ended the season not in foal. Sells with a breeding soundness certificate.
Lot 757 – Celebrity Rose (by Peintre Celebre). A dual Sydney winner and dam of the Melbourne Group 3 placed Let Go Lenni (by Stratum). Sells in foal to Your Song.
Glenesk Thoroughbreds will also be represented at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (27-29 May).
Their draft will consist of mares in foal to stallions Denman, Foxwedge, Medaglia D'Oro, Sepoy and Zoustar.
