Photo: Angelique Bridson
Waikato horseman Simon Lawson has an eye for a bargain, and the product of one of his purchases turned into his first stakes winner over the weekend.
As Waikato Stud’s dry mare manager for a couple of years, Lawson was looking to get into breeding himself a few years ago and an unplaced mare called Mohegan Star caught his eye on online auction house gavelhouse.com, and he secured the daughter of Reliable Man with a final bid of $1,100.
She quickly proved to be an astute purchase, with her half-brother Little Brose coming on the scene shortly after and went on to win the Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) before retiring to stand at Little Avondale Stud in New Zealand.
“I saw the mare on Gavelhouse, liked the pedigree and bought her,” Lawson said. “Little Brose came along after I bought her, so that really boosted the pedigree.”
Lawson sent Mohegan Star to Waikato Stud resident stallion Tivaci and the resulting colt was offered through the farm’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by Australian trainer Phillip Stokes for $80,000 and was subsequently named Matahga.
The colt has been a revelation for the Morphettville horseman, finishing runner-up on debut before winning his next two starts, including last Saturday’s Listed Oaklands Plate (1400m) at his local track.
Matahga has given Lawson the perfect start to his breeding career, posting his first stakes victory, and now Lawson has a taste for more.
“He was just a ripper all the way through,” Lawson said. “He was an absolute legend, you would take him to the pub and have a beer with him.
“It is awesome to see him go on with it and winning a stakes race at his third start is pretty exciting.”
Gavelhouse is the gift that keeps on giving for Lawson, who also purchased Serenalla, a three-quarter sister to multiple Group One winner The Bostonian, off the site for $500.
Lawson scored a major result at Karaka earlier this year when selling her first foal, a colt by Noverre, to Wexford Stables for $300,000.
“It has been a huge buzz,” Lawson said of his breeding achievements to date. “It’s a bit more good luck than good management, but it has worked out well for me.
“It is cool that your product and what you put out there is liked by other people. It is definitely pinch yourself sort of stuff.”
Lawson has plenty to looking forward to in the coming months, on both the racing and breeding front.
He will offer two rising yearlings at Karaka next year, and he has a Banquo half-brother to Matahga that is showing early promise for Matamata trainer Daniel Miller.
“The Banquo is in at Dan Miller’s at the moment, he is going well and is three or four weeks away from having his first jump-out. He is a lovely horse,” Lawson said.
“She (Mohegan Star) has a Noverre filly that will go to Karaka next year, and she is in-foal to War Decree.
“Serenella has got a colt (rising yearling by Noverre) that will go to Karaka next year and she is in-foal to him (Noverre) again.”
Lawson is looking to slowly develop his broodmare band, which currently sits at two-and-a-half, with the Waikato Stud employee also sharing in the ownership of Hawaiian Princess, a three-quarter sister to dual Group One winner Mac O’Reilly, with resident vet Matt MacKee.
“I would like to keep on expanding and keep breeding horses,” he said. “You just want to keep breeding stakes winners, it’s a huge buzz and it’s an addictive feeling, I can’t wait to do it again.”
While Saturday’s events were hard to top, Lawson was in the spotlight again a day later as a finalist in the Leadership Excellence category in the Entain Industry Excellence Awards.
While he missed out on taking top honours, he still received a $2,000 cheque for being a finalist and said he had a great time at the awards dinner.
“It was a great night, they put on a great show,” he said. “To see all of the other young people there and be around likeminded people was a lot of fun.”
