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HEYTESBURY STUD to cease operations in 2014

West Australian Racing
TheDivaTheDiva    13,246 posts
edited January 2014 West Australian Racing

Press Release 21 January 2014

After more than forty years of breeding and racing thoroughbreds in Western Australia, Heytesbury Stud has announced it will cease operations in 2014.

Heytesbury Stud will offer yearlings at the upcoming Perth Magic Millions sales, and its remaining horses at a combination of auction and private sale over the coming months.

The only exception will be their exciting new stallion Ouqba, a Group winning son of Red Ransom, who will continue to stand in WA at another stud (details to be announced soon).

Highlights for Heytesbury Stud over the decades include standing stallions such as Haulpak (perhaps WA’s greatest ever sire), Pago Pago (Golden Slipper winner and Champion Sire), Silver Knight (winner of 1971 Melbourne Cup), Family of Man (Australian Horse of the Year), Is It True (Breeders’ Cup Winner), Carry A Smile (WA Horse of the Year), Success Express (Breeders’ Cup Winner), Saxon (Champion First Season and 2YO Sire in WA), Husson Lightning (currently leading 2YO Sire in WA).

On the racetrack, highlights have been innumerable, including Group One wins in races such as the Karrakatta Plate, the WA Derby, the Doncaster Handicap, the Epsom Handicap, the Ampol Stakes (now Emirates Stakes), and the Goodwood Stakes, placings in the Golden Slipper and Railway Stakes, and hundreds of other wins at race tracks around the country.

The greatest highlight of all, of course, was Black Knight’s victory in the 1984 Melbourne Cup. Bred at Heytesbury Stud, by foundation sire Silver Knight, and from foundation mare Brenta, Black Knight carried Heytesbury Stud’s famous maroon and white racing colours to victory in Australia’s greatest race.

“It’s obviously a difficult decision on a personal level, having watched my father, mother and grandmother develop Heytesbury Stud from scratch,” Heytesbury Stud principal, Paul Holmes à Court, said.

“I’m retaining our racing colours, an interest in Ouqba, and certainly won’t be selling the farm, but 2013 was our last breeding season, and this year’s sales will be our last.”

“In some ways, Heytesbury Stud’s closure is the end of an era for the WA industry. My father did things that had never been done before, and might never happen again.”

“My family will always have fond memories of its time in the industry, and of all the wonderful people in it. It’s a really great industry, and we’ll miss it.”
“I’m very grateful for all the support we’ve enjoyed from our wonderful clients over the years, and of course all the talented and loyal staff we’ve had too.”

For details of horses for sale, or for more information, please call Paul Holmes a Court on 6217 2600.

Comments

  • lamelame    1,757 posts
    will be a sad day , just shows how tough this game is for not only the small guy's but for the big ones too

  • lamelame    1,757 posts
    wonder who the last 2 horses will be the first two being Fair Bill , Monoptic
    and stars along the way like Chanticleer , Family Of Man , Carry a Smile , Denver Dame ,foundation sire Silver Knight ,melb cup winner  Black Knight , great sire Haulpak , Pago Pago and shuttled us the great broodmare sire Is It True
  • DamienWyerDamienWyer    7,660 posts
    Sort of not surprising. Stallions not commercial enough on the racetrack and sales results that were mediocre. It's not healthy for the Industry to see the demise of what once was a vibrant Stud.

    I had a call during this past week, to see if one of my clients was interested in buying a farm on a walk in walk out basis. There is no one in the family to continue the operation, and retirement for this Owner was long past. They certainly won't be the last in the coming 12 months or so.
  • Piston_BrokePiston_Broke    2,047 posts
    edited January 2014
    I can remember Monoptic, Webby Snr was the rider and I think Ted McAuliffe was the trainer, as a kid Holmes a Courts Rolls would be sitting in Mr Macs driveway, not long after Silver Knight was in the yard opposite the apprentices room, what a magnificent horse he was.

    Haulpak was a handy racehorse and what a cross with a Silver Knight mare he became

    Sadly it was all downhill once the old man passed away.
  • PuntingTragicPuntingTragic    1,141 posts
    Black Knight one of my best results on the punt a tough as teak horse
  • NgawyniNgawyni    738 posts

    The media release raises an interesting point as to who was WA's greatest ever sire. Haulpak was no doubt a champion sire but I would put Zvornik and Beau Sovereign a little ahead of him. Those sires along with others such as Jungle Boy, Serheed, Pago Pago and Metal Storm were largely responsible for the success of WA's racing and breeding industries from 1980-2005. Sadly since then there have been very few good WA based stallions - Danetime and Blackfriars is about it.

    thefalcon likes this post.

  • PuntingTragicPuntingTragic    1,141 posts
    Has anyone noticed how much the WA economy is cooling i noticed that rents have dropped in the arse and a lot of things seem to be getting cheaper

    I think a lot of wealth is going out of this state with the end of the mining boom finding well heeled people to buy horses must be getting tougher and tougher

    No doubt we had to have a correction here and the racing industry will not escape it

    RIO likes this post.

  • SPUDLEYSPUDLEY    1,584 posts
    Not surprised at all Paul has had this millstone around his neck for a while ever since his siblings bailed out the smart move would be to subdivide it into small hobby farms but could still be a tad pricey just glad I had the chance to work there even though I was not in the right frame of mind at the time. Great place to work and the view from the hillside bqq area was awesome could have sat there all day.

    PuntingTragic likes this post.

  • PuntingTragicPuntingTragic    1,141 posts
    Sounds nice @spuldley those sorts of spots on the Aussie landscape make this country unique an great
  • RoisinDubhRoisinDubh    42 posts
    It went downhill after Nigel left if you ask me.
  • SPUDLEYSPUDLEY    1,584 posts
    If they had not got such a good price for Denmarket it would have gone years ago. Just a shame they did not utilise the track as it could have been a good location for a pretraining set up combined with the new spelling paddocks they could have offered a really good package for anyone spelling a horse there.
  • DaleDale    1,346 posts
    Can't argue there
  • ThumperThumper    820 posts
    Something had to give and I'm sure this won't be the last stud to close. Supply has been outweighing demand.
  • plainjaneplainjane    7 posts
    Very sad ,been to many a open day there, always plenty of food etc......
  • DamienWyerDamienWyer    7,660 posts
    West Australians still by lots of horses, just not all of them in Perth.

    RIO likes this post.

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