Photo: Supplied
This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we caught up with Simon Lawson who is having great success with his small broodmare band from breeding a stakes winner to a six-figure yearling.
Tell us the story of Matahga?
Matahga is the first foal of Reliable Man mare Mohegan Star. Luckily for me he was a breeze from the day he was born, sold at Karaka 2024 to Stokes Racing and now 18 months later he’s a stakes winner.
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
Naturally working at Waikato Stud for the past five and half years we are encouraged to have a go.
How many mares do you breed from?
Three at this stage, would love to add another in time.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio? (foals, racehorses, stallion shares etc)
Three mares, one stallion share in Noverre, three weanlings and one unraced racehorse currently in work in Matamata.
Do you breed to race or breed to sell? If sell, how do you decide on what to retain and what to sell?
Mostly to sell, if a lovely filly pops up I might keep to race and then breed later on but most of them to sell.
I had some success at this years Karaka Yearling sale where I sold a colt by Noverre for $300,000 out of an unraced mare I purchased off gavelhouse.com for $500.
Do you seek advice on your breeding decisions?
Absolutely, I love picking the brains of anyone and everyone.
Best breeding advice you have received?
Try to breed the best racehorse you can not the best sales horse.
What do you love about the thoroughbred breeding industry?
The horses and then all the people you meet along the way.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
I love a mare with a great nature, the good mothers seem to have the best foals so if you can start with a mare that’s going to protect, feed and shelter her foal you are half way to breeding a racehorse.
If you could make one mating with any mare and stallion (past or present), what would it be?
Winx / Noverre
Finish this sentence: The best part of being a thoroughbred breeder is…
Seeing your horses hit the racetrack and winning races.
