This week on Dunstan Horse Feeds’ Meet the Breeder, we spoke with David and Karyn Ellis, proud breeders of Qali Al Farrasha, who claimed the Dunstan Horsefeed Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (G2) last Saturday at Pukekohe.
Tell us the story of Qali Al Farrasha
Qali Al Farrasha is a filly who embodies everything I love about breeding thoroughbreds - athletic, tough, and competitive, with real presence from the day she was born. She was bred at Te Akau Stud in partnership with our great friends David and Matthew Peacocke, and she comes from a family we have believed in for a long time.
We originally purchased her granddam Mexican Rose alongside Nearco Stud's Greg Tomlinson. The Champion 2YO and 3YO in Singapore, she proved to be a wonderful foundation mare. We retained her Burgundy filly Nucelonic - incidentally named after our good friend James McDonald - and she has already left her mark as a broodmare.
Qali Al Farrasha's year younger full brother Nucleozor, was an unbeaten a stakes' winner before being sold to Hong Kong last season, and her two subsequent Hello Youmzain colts have been sold through Karaka to Australian and Hong Kong interests respectively.
Nucleonic delivered a full sister to Qali (or Nina as we know her) in October and is safely back in foal to Almanzor. Watching this family strengthen and evolve has been one of the great pleasures of breeding for us.
From birth, Qali had balance, athleticism, and an exceptional temperament. Seeing her develop into a promising race mare, and racing her Karyn with such good friends, in David and Matt, has been immensely rewarding.
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
My love for horses goes back as far as I can remember, so breeding became a natural progression. When we were establishing Te Akau Stud, it was clear that the farm provided a fantastic landscape and environment so vital to build a broodmare band with quality, depth, and long-term potential.
Breeding combines planning, horsemanship, instinct, and patience. I still get the same thrill from a mare foaling down, or assessing a new foal, as I did when I bred my very first.
How many mares do you breed from?
We currently breed from a select band of 12 mares on our own account, and about another 17 with friends, with others we look after for their breeders. I’ve always believed in quality over quantity for us - mares with strong families, great temperaments, and the physicality to produce athletic foals. Breeding smaller numbers allows us to be very hands-on and raise each foal exceptionally well.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio?
Our portfolio is broad and active, and typically includes:
Foals, weanlings, and yearlings bred at Te Akau Stud
Racehorses in which we retain ownership shares
A select collection of stallion shares and breeding rights
New prospects purchased each year at the sales - with an extra eye on fillies with residual value and colts with stallion potential
Being engaged in breeding, buying, racing, and developing horses gives us a complete understanding of what produces top performers.
Do you seek advice on your breeding decisions?
Always. The best breeders never stop learning. I regularly discuss matings with veterinarians, pedigree analysts, and trusted horsemen and women. Ultimately, though, I breed with my eye first - the physical match, athleticism, constitution, and temperament are the foundation of every mating. Pedigree is essential, but the horse in front of you matters most.
Best breeding advice you have received?
The late Sir Patrick Hogan gave me the best advice of my breeding career: Start with a great mare.
He also said: “Never compromise on type. If you wouldn’t want to train it, don’t breed it.”
Those words have guided me for decades.
What do you love about the thoroughbred breeding industry?
Breeding is the most hopeful part of our industry. Every foal represents a new possibility. I love the people, the horsemanship, and the shared passion - and I never lose the thrill of watching a foal we bred turn into a racehorse who brings pride and joy to their owners.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
Buy the best mare you can afford, surround yourself with knowledgeable people, and be patient - breeding is a long-term pursuit with highs and lows. Most importantly, love the horses and put their welfare first. Everything else follows from that.
Proudest moment as a breeder so far?
We have been fortunate to enjoy some special homebred moments over the years, each one meaningful in its own way.
One of the earliest highlights was Distinctly Secret, a horse who means a great deal to me. He won the Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes, added Group 2 success in Australia, and finished third and fourth in the Caulfield Cup. In total he won 10 races and $1.8 million in stakes. I gave Karyn a share in him as my wedding present, and he was her first stakes' winner, which made his success especially memorable.
Breeding and racing Burgundy filly Belle En Rouge, winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks, who was crowned NZB Filly of the Year, is a standout. In that same season, another homebred Burgundy filly, Maven Belle, won the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and was named Champion 2YO.
We also bred Burgundy Rose, a eight-time winner and stakes' performer, and Group 1 Telegraph placegetter Burgundy Belle, who both reflect the toughness and consistency we seek in our horses.
Each year, we identify our two best weanlings or yearlings and offer shares in them to our ownership family - and the success of these horses has given us enormous pride - Belle En Rouge, Maven Belle and Burgundy Belle are all examples of this.
If you could breed any past or present mare and stallion, who would they be?
It would be hard to go past Eight Carat, whose influence on Australasian breeding is unmatched, paired with a stallion such as Sadler’s Wells or Galileo. Of course if we could have bred from the mighty Imperatriz, that would have been a huge privilege. We do however have her brother in our Cranbourne stable, and he is showing huge early promise. So I suppose in summary, it's the blend of depth, temperament, and world-class performance that I think helps achieve the ultimate breeding dream.
