Photo: Ange Bridson
Windsor Park Stud are looking forward to a strong turnout for their annual Rugby, Racing and Beer Sale set for next Thursday 23rd April at Riccarton Park in Christchurch.
The niche yearling sale, with 12 Lots, doubles as a charitable event and sportsman’s function, with guest speakers including former All Black Andy Ellis and Group One winning trainer Bjorn Baker.
For Super Rugby enthusiasts, this year’s Super Round will take place at Christchurch’s brand-new One New Zealand Stadium, with five games scheduled from Friday through to Sunday, while from limited numbers, the rugby racing and beers sale has already produced good graduates on both sides of the Tasman from four editions.
“It's a concept I came up with five or six years ago,” Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick said. “We all love rugby, we love our racing and we love our beer.
“It's just a great day to have a good lunch together, sell some horses and support the South Island. It’s been running for four years now with 40 horses catalogued and 40 horses sold.
“We've had horses like Proved come out of the sale, who is a Group Three winner with six wins to her name for Enver Jusufovic in Melbourne, along with Collect Your Cash who is a stakes winner and a multiple winner for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Sydney.
“It's been a successful sale and we have a lot of fun in the process.
“I think we've got 36 trainers coming this year to the sale and we’ve partnered this year with Bailey's Real Estate and Kia. So they've come on as partners for the Rugby, Racing and Bears sale.”
Such has been the demand for tickets, the function is a sell-out, with 280 in attendance.
“It's also a good fundraiser, so a percentage of the sale proceeds will go to the Horse Ambulance and to St John, two very important charities,” Schick said.
“We've supported charities right from the start, and this year we’d like to think there will be great support for two very worthy causes.”
Looking more broadly, the Windsor Park Stud proprietor said it has been a strong sales season, with pleasing support for many of the stallions on the roster.
“I think overall it's been a very successful sale season right through,” Schick said. “Karaka was absolutely fantastic, a very strong sale, and hopefully we can finish it off with a very successful Rugby, Racing and Beer sale.”
Windsor Park Stud have continued to introduce new stallions and bloodlines into New Zealand, with Profondo, Paddington and Auguste Rodin joining the ranks in recent years and Savabeel’s Group One winning son Savaglee already announced for the forthcoming breeding season.
“The response to Savaglee has been really good. His book is full now, so he's been very well sought after, which is exciting,” Schick said.
“Profondo’s first crop yearlings have been really well received at the sales and we can’t wait to showcase some Paddington foals as they are magnificent.
“Auguste Rodin covered 160 mares in his first season and it just shows, when you bring world-class stallions into the country, people give you world-class support. He was an absolute no-brainer, a beautiful animal, elite racehorse and we are very excited about his foals this spring.”
Schick said the stud is also buoyed by the success of Circus Maximus, with the eldest crop of the Group One winning son of Galileo just three, with progeny including Derby winner Road To Paris and stakes winners Towering Vision and Circus Dancer, while promising filly Paltrow Miss will be targeting black-type races in Melbourne.
“Once again, he was a world-class racehorse, a triple Group One winner who won twice over a mile at Royal Ascot,” Schick said. “When you bring those sorts of horses into the country, you get well supported, and they prove successful.
“To win a Derby in your first crop is really exciting, and that's the reason we do it.”
Schick acknowledged some broader economic challenges right now but said it was important that breeders took a longer view.
“Sir Peter Vela told me many years ago, if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail,” Schick said.
“I know times are a little bit tough, but if we want to have enough good racehorses in the future, we need to plan and breed now, and there's a totally different world waiting two years ahead.
“We've certainly had good interest in the stallions, so it is full steam ahead here at Windsor Park and the performance of the New Zealand bred horse globally is something our whole industry can be proud of.
“To think that the world’s best racehorse in Ka Ying Rising was born here on the farm is hugely satisfying, and once again New Zealand bred horses have won eleven Group One races in Australia to this point of the season, which is phenomenal really.”
