Longwood Thoroughbred Farm is the realization of a lifelong dream for former AFL star Michael Christian, whose passion for thoroughbreds has slowly but surely taken over his life in the best way possible.
Investing in small shares of syndicate owned horses in the early 1990’s, Michael Christian quickly developed a growing interest in the sport which was fuelled by a meeting with Gai Waterhouse in 1997.
“I was hosting a business lunch at which she was the speaker and was overawed by her energy and marketing prowess,” Christian recalled.
“That meeting led to me becoming involved in a number of horses that raced with great success from her stable including Phoenix Park, who won the TJ Smith Stakes and was fourth in a Golden Slipper, as well as Alibarber, Admiral Robinson and Easy Style.”
In 2002, Michael Christian, a chartered accountant and stockbroker, decided on a career change, moving into sports media which allowed him more time to pursue his passion for horses.
He enrolled and completed a Diploma of Horse Breeding at NMIT which involved full time work at Eldon Park with Christopher Bruchiert.
He also enjoyed a close working relationship with trainers Peter Morgan and Mick Price. racing horses such as Group I WATC Railway Stakes winner Slavonic and Rodean, the provisional winner of the 2003 Blue Diamond Stakes as well as Group winners Oasis Bloom and Eloping.
“Around this time we started keeping race fillies to breed with and some of those initial mares were Alisa Free (dam of Group II winner Unpretentious), Bella Inez (dam of Group winners Hallowell Belle and Fuddle Dee Duddle), Oasis Bloom and Runaway Jesse (dam of Group winners Eloping and Of the Brave),” Christian said.
“The dream was always to build families around key mares and we bought our first farm on 36 acres at Woodstock in 2007.”
In 2018, the dream became more of a commercial reality for Michael Christian and his wife Siobhan Miller when they partnered with his brother Brad and his wife Pauline to acquire Longwood Thoroughbred Farm set on 230 acres at Longwood East.
The farm offers a full scale breeding service and weanling and yearling preparation as well as racehorse agistment.
Longwood is home to a quality broodmare band that includes: Runaway Jesse and her daughters Eloping and Jesse’s Dream; Group III winner Fuddle Dee Duddle and her half-sister Bella Orfana, dam of this season’s stakes-placed 2YO Bella Nipotina; Group II placed Bella Sorellastra (a half-sister to Bella Inez); Group II winner Oasis Bloom, multiple Group III winner and Group I placed Fuhryk and She’s Pretentious, a city winning half-sister to Group II winner Unpretentious.
The inaugural Longwood Thoroughbred Farm draft for the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale features 10 outstanding yearlings all with video that can be seen here with highlights below:
Lot 402 Colt I Am Invincible x Runaway Jesse, by Rory’s Jester
One of only two colts in the sale by champion sire I Am Invincible and is a half-brother to Group III winner and $1.2million earner Eloping, Group III MRC Blue Diamond Prelude winner Of The Brave and Group II placed Jesse’s Girl.
Dam is by Golden Slipper winning sire Rory’s Jester and has done an outstanding job at stud with six winners from seven foals to race.
Lot 49 Filly Capitalist x Bella Orfana, by Star Witness
Half-sister to this season’s talented 2YO Bella Nipotina, who was narrowly beaten in the $2million Inglis Millennium.
Second foal of a three-quarter sister to Group II winner Hallowell Belle and half-sister to Group III Fuddle Dee Duddle from the family of Caulfield Guineas winner In Top Swing.
Lot 304 Filly Pierro x Miguelita, by Danehill (USA)
Half-sister to five winners headed by stakes-placed Gasoline from a top class European family that has produced Group I winners Rebecca Sharp and Champion 3YO Golden Horn, winner of the 2015 Epsom Derby and Arc de Tromphe
Lot 162 Colt Star Witness x Fiery Jest, by Testa Rossa
Second foal of a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Spanish Bay and stakes-placed Casino Belle from the family of Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate winner Khaptingly.
Bred on the exact same cross as dual Group I winning filly Global Glamour and stakes-winner Lycurgus.
Lot 161 Colt Capitalist x Feeling Positive, by Not a Single Doubt
Second foal of a winning half-sister to stakes-winners Mitraad and Combat Kitty from a tough New Zealand family with second and third dams by champion sires O’Reilly and Grosvenor.
See the draft at Barn C Stables 11 - 22
