Exciting times at Newhaven

by Andrew Reichard

It’s been a busy year in several areas for the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park at Booroowa in NSW.

Studmaster John Kelly commented “our family has had a long involvement in racing and breeding in many areas of our great sport. Apart from standing commercial sires and selling at the leading sales, we enjoy being owners in both city and country venues and have become involved as the sponsor of the Newhaven Park Country Championships which has received a massive prizemoney boost that will see the final at Randwick next Easter worth $1million, double the already impressive current figure”. The Country Championship is run in various centres around the state with the first two home, plus a couple of wild card winners making the final at Randwick. Speaking from personal experience as a part owner of Sir Ravanelli who won the Tuncurry heat, the richest race ever run at that venue for trainer Terry Evans and a syndicate of mainly locals, I can vouch for the buzz this concept created in the local district. There was a huge turnout of locals and visitors for the big race, with John Kelly’s daughter Claire on hand to present the trophy. We didn’t win the final, but the $76k plus first prize was the biggest result ever for many of our ownership group. The whole concept is a wonderful asset for country racing in NSW.

Apart from a very successful sales season Newhaven also made headlines with the purchase of the superbly bred multiple Gr1 winner Mo’Unga, one of the nation’s finest racehorses. Mo’Unga by Savabeel has already won over $3.8 million and will have another preparation aimed at the Cox Plate in which he finished 4th last year, before retiring to stand at Newhaven where he will be given every opportunity to embellish the record of former greats such as Wilkes, Luskin Star, Marauding and Zeditave. His form before a spell was arguably some of his best ever without a lot of luck, so the sky is the limit for this exciting galloper. He has a wonderful pedigree, being by multiple champion sire Savabeel out of a mare by great broodmare sire O’Reilly, with next dams by Centaine and Imposing. A notable highlight of his pedigree is inbreeding to the champion racehorses and sires, the full brothers Noholme and Todman.

The current resident sires leading the resurgence of Newhaven Park as a stallion operation are Xtravagant and Cool Aza Beel, both in the early stages of their careers.

Xtravagant by Pentire is an underrated stallion who has produced 5% stakes winners to runners from relatively limited support at his initial very modest fee. His fine results with five stakes winners from his first hundred runners including the emerging classic filly Arts, Gr2 winner Lavish Girl and Inglis Millennium winner Xtravagant Star saw him attract by far his biggest and best book of 141 mares at his deservedly higher fee in 2022, so the best is undoubtedly to come from his runners in the coming seasons.

Cool Aza Beel by Savabeel is a Gr1 winning 2yo, winner of the Karaka 2yo Million and arguably the fastest juvenile from his immediate sireline. He hails from the brilliant “Tennessee” family and is notably free of Danehill blood. These credentials mark him as a great stallion prospect and he has attracted strong books of over 110 mares in each of his first two seasons.

The Kelly family have been breeding thoroughbreds for four generations at Newhaven and John Kelly is continuing the tradition with his involvement in many facets of the industry. Apart from his farm role John is also a director of Aushorse and as with the sponsorship of the Country Championship is looking to put his time and energy back into the industry he loves.

The next chapter in the Newhaven Park story will be an exciting one. BB