Rathmore Lodge is a new name in South Australian bloodstock and is the culmination of a lifelong ambition for Irish horseman Ross Hatton, who was born and bred in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Hatton is known to most Australian breeders for his association with the Hayes family at Cornerstone Stud, having worked there for seven years starting in March 2012, performing various roles including marketing, nominations, operations and bloodstock.
“Sam Hayes has been a great support and source of knowledge on business management and sales, whilst I also learned a great deal from former stud managers David Burke and Tom Murtagh and still chat to them from time to time when I need advice.” Hatton said.
Hatton’s passion for thoroughbreds stems from his upbringing in Ireland surrounded by family and friends involved in racing and bloodstock.
“I was inspired into horses by my late grandfather John Brophy, who set up Rathmore Farm in Kilkenny,” Hatton recalled.
“He was first cousin of trainer Paddy Mullins. They won many races over jumps and on flat together, including an Irish Grand National Steeplechase with Luska in 1981.
“Grandad always had a small broodmare band of no more than seven or eight mares and most significantly bred Royal Athlete, who won Aintree Grand National Steeplechase in 1995.
“He purchased Royal Athlete’s dam Darjoy initially out of a paddock as a weanling for 200 Irish Punts and she pretty much paid to build the farm for him in the end.”
Ross Hatton was keen to explore a career in bloodstock and in 2002 graduated from the thoroughbred breeding course at the Irish National Stud, which was at the time home to legendary broodmare Urban Sea, the dam of breed shaping sires Galileo and Sea the Stars.
“I worked chiefly for Abbeville and Meadow Court Stud, as well as Norelands Stud in Ireland and did a breeding season in Australia for Coolmore in 2005 before coming to Australia permanently in 2011, when the GFC hit Ireland badly and I had finished university studying marketing,” Hatton said.
“Initially I worked for three months on yearling preparation for Widden Stud when I arrived in 2011, which was an exciting time as it was the first crop yearlings of Sebring and Northern Meteor.”
The years at Cornerstone Stud followed and then in 2018, Hatton and partner Max Schofer established Rathmore Bloodstock, as well as Rathmore Lodge, the former as a bloodstock business and the latter as an agistment, spelling and sales preparation farm.
“Max is South Australian born and bred and grew up just outside Adelaide,” Hatton revealed.
“She had no great family background in horses except her mum had a passion for them. She started getting involved in warmbloods before working as a freelancer at sales for different farms, which included a few years in New Zealand for several farms including Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud, where she met Lee Ann Imboden who is now Owner Experience Manager for Ciaron Maher.
“Lee Ann is involved in some pinhooking with us also, as well as being a volunteer to the team at times.”
Rathmore Lodge is located on 140 acres at the edge of the Adelaide Hills, just 45 minutes from Adelaide.
“I have taken some inspiration from visits to Mill Park, who have shown it is possible to run a top end business in this part of the country,” Hatton said.
“In just over twelve months with the help of clients we have been able to build a large barn of stables and dig a lot of fence postholes to make new paddocks.
“We are nowhere near the finished article yet, but we are moving in the right direction with a huge amount of hard work.
“My favourite part of each day is the morning feed run – very therapeutic to go out and have a chat to the sleepy youngsters in the paddocks – love watching how they develop physically and mentally from foals to yearlings.
“Whilst they are all here for business, it is hard not to become attached to them and I can’t guarantee there won’t be a tear or two shed once a couple or more of them are sold out of our very first sales draft next week. – I have likened yearling prep to that of trying to manage 20 teenagers on a 12 week long school field trip!”
Rathmore Lodge will present their first draft of 21 yearlings at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale next week and you can see them here.
The Rathmore brand is already achieving results having bred the No Nay Never (USA) colt from El Shahar that topped the Magic Millions Ready to Run Sale last year fetching $525,000.
“That was our first newsworthy item, although we sold him as a weanling unfortunately,” Hatton reflected.
“We also bred and part owned our first winner named Angaston (3g Ambidexter x Oneredtwored) at our local Murray Bridge track on their Cup day in 2019. Trained by Jon O’connor, he ironically defeated one of Angaston township residents Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s horses into second place.
“We also did our first yearling sales preparation for clients at Rathmore Lodge in 2019 and sold through Cornerstone’s draft.
“We prepared four and have had two runners for two winners to date named Zeblan (2f Zebedee (GB) x Miss Milan) and Kirinia (2f Good Journey (USA) x Boat Quay), who are both nominated for the Adelaide MM sales race on Monday.”
The creation and development of Rathmore Bloodstock and Rathmore Lodge would not be possible without the help of so many people.
“We have many tremendous supporters have helped us get through our first year, three or four major clients in particular, as well as Tom and Hazel Hatton (parents ) and Shane (brother) – special mention to Peter and Julianne Hill who are my Aussie equivalent parents, whose bloodstock interests I help manage,” Hatton commented.
“A good vet and a good farrier are invaluable and we are blessed to have both with terrific support from Dr Daniel Sims and Dr Cam Baker of Equus Veterinary and our experienced farrier Kelvin Honor.
“It is exciting for me to be part of the next generation coming through, along with but not limited to, Ryan Arnel of Stonehouse, Fergal Connolly of Valiant Stud and the likes of Toby Liston taking over the reins at Three Bridges.”
Hatton is optimistic about the future of racing and breeding in South Australia, which has been challenging in recent times.
“I think SA is a bit better off than we were 12 months ago following the government putting back in some of the POC tax to the industry, which seems to be a common perception,” Hatton concluded.
“I think with the breeding side of things and producing of young stock to sell, we are less affected as we operate in a more national marketplace – successful breeding and selling both at home and interstate by other leading SA farms has proved this.
“The terrific stats on runners/winners out of the Adelaide Magic Millions sales each year help promote our product and draw buyers – A common soundbite… but I think this year’s catalogue looks to be the strongest since I arrived in SA – kudos to Adrian Hancock who I would give the plaudits to on driving this and it is not an easy job by any means.
“With more Adelaide trainers raiding into Victoria with success over the past year (Gordon Richards most recently with Gytrash) this has helped reinvigorate their business and inspire their owners, so I believe there may be a few more Adelaide based trainers prepared to go that extra bid at their local sale this year I feel.”
