This week on Dunstan Horsefeeds, Meet the Breeder, we caught up with Lynn and Rayner Bonnington, the breeders behind Better Shared who has had recent success including the Listed Gore Guineas a few weeks ago.
Tell us the story of Better Shared
Better Shared came about after we purchased her dam, Eagle’s Reach, from Windsor Park. She was in foal to Rip Van Winkle and had a Shamexpress foal at foot.
On the stallion side (Overshare), we had been introduced to Josh Rix, who was at Spendthrift at the time, so we went over to visit their stallions. We took a punt on Overshare, bought a breeding right, and Better Shared is the resulting progeny.
Like a lot of foals, she wasn’t straightforward. She was a red bag delivery and spent a couple of days in ICU – huge thanks to Kat and the team at Mapperley Stud for the care they gave her.
Eagle’s previous foal, Radiant Reach, was bought by Alan and Marie Tyler at the weanling sales, and we stayed involved in her. She progressed nicely early on, which led to Alan and Marie coming back and purchasing Better Shared straight out of the paddock.
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
We’ve both always been into horses – Lynn through riding and me through punting – but the real catalyst was a CatWalk Trust function we attended with good friends Tony and Vicky Rider.
That night, we bought a share in a service to Darley stallion Hallowed Crown. The resulting foal, Can I Get an Amen, gave us a great introduction to breeding with early black type success.
We also won an auction that night to visit several stud farms. We toured Cambridge Stud and saw Power in the stallion barn, had a long lunch with Brent and Cherry at Trelawney, and the next day visited Waikato Stud to see their incredible stallion lineup. We wrapped it up with a sunset clay shoot at the bunker – a pretty memorable introduction to the industry.
What else is included in your bloodstock portfolio (foals, racehorses, stallion shares, etc.)?
We currently have three mares of our own and shares in four more with Milan Park, along with a few stallion shares.
We also have several horses in work, as the breed-to-race model suits us well – especially when selling can be challenging with smaller numbers.
We bred and race Mustang Morgan with a group of mates, and he became our first homebred stakes winner. He’s heading back into work targeting the summer staying races.
We also had a great experience with a share in The Chosen One, and we’re excited to see his first crop hit the track. We have a promising two-year-old named Nambawan (Pigeon English for “number one”), who is the first registered foal out of him.
Both of us are also involved in Marsh Racing’s Blue Jacket and Moet Ladies syndicates, which have been a great way to meet more people in the industry. We’re also part of the Kiwi slot with the Clotworthy/Spence team.
In total, we have varying shares in around 10–12 horses (possibly a few more!).
Best breeding advice:
Watch out – the numbers grow very quickly.
(We didn’t listen… until it was too late.)
What do you love most about the thoroughbred breeding industry?
First and foremost, the horses. We have a small block at home where most of our mares, foals, and spelling horses are based, and we genuinely wouldn’t know what to do without them – happy wife, happy life.
Just as importantly, the people. From day one, they’ve been incredible. It’s one of the few industries where people are genuinely happy to see others succeed. After a few years, you realise everyone experiences highs and lows, which keeps things very grounding.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
Choose your mare very carefully, and if possible, work with a good bloodstock agent.
And most importantly – make sure they have good feet.
Your proudest moment as a breeder so far?
Mustang Morgan winning the Gingernuts Salver.
It was our first black-type win and also the first big result for many of our friends who were involved in their first horse. It turned into a huge night and a really special moment for everyone.
If you could breed from any past or present mare and stallion, who would they be?
For stallions, it would be a dead heat between Green Desert and Street Cry. With the benefit of time, their influence on the breed through their sons and daughters has been extraordinary.
For mares, it would have to be Urban Sea – the chance to breed a three-quarter sibling to Sea The Stars would be pretty hard to beat.
