8 minute read
Western Breeders Alliance
BY KRISTEN MANNING
“We were having a chat about ways we could help each other out,” Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Brent Atwell recalled, very glad of the step they all took by joining forces to market and sell their yearlings.
The Western Breeders Alliance - Darling View Thoroughbreds, Westbury Park and Einoncliff Park. An alliance which allows each stud to maintain their independence whilst enjoying the benefits of larger drafts come sale time.
“We wanted bigger, more potent drafts and we have not looked back,” Atwell said, happy in the knowledge that “we now have the horses who everyone wants to see.”
So successful has the concept been that other farms have made approaches about joining in but the trio are happy with how things have been going, Atwell noting that “we have a pretty good brand name and we are producing the winners so people are happy to keep returning.”
Sharing staffing, marketing and hospitality costs has enabled the group to run things more efficiently than they had been able to as separate entities and they are looking forward to presenting another impressive draft - 33 horses - in 2023.
Brent Atwell, whose grandfather won the 1925 Perth Cup with Great Applause, has breeding in his bloodlines - his father Clive kicking off with one mare... and now Darling View is home to 55 with another half dozen residing at Attunga Stud in the Hunter Valley.
We had a chat with Brent before taking a look at the Western Breeders Alliance draft...
What holiday do you think has the best food?
No doubt having travelled through Europe that it is Italy. We were there to see family in Sondrio and the home cooking was second to none - as it was along the Amalfi Coast; outstanding! I really enjoy Japanese when eating out so I look forward to holidaying in Japan at some point in time.
What event in your life had a huge impact?
I was playing WAFL football back in 2005/06 when I suffered a pretty severe knee injury which took took me from working as a heavy diesel mechanic to a management role in the company. Only a few years later I moved back to the family farm and at this time Dad and I decided to start breeding commercially so working in management helped with different facets of our business. If I didn’t suffer the injury I’d probably still be working on some mine site in the middle of WA!
What makes you nervous?
Watching our racehorses, I’m definitely a nervous watcher.
What was the best decision that you have ever made?
Putting that quaddie on at Eagle Farm with a few mates David Houston, Brian Nutt and co... I hope my wife isn’t reading this (tongue in cheek!).
What would you do if you sold a yearling for $5 million?
I would love to build a new farm from a blank canvas.
What have been the best sales and racing moments for Darling View?
Selling a Not A Single Doubt filly for $600,000 at the Gold Coast in 2018 - that was amazing. We didn’t expect it but in this game you learn to expect the unexpected! And in 2021 we topped the sale with a $325,000 Russian Revolution colt. Though it is not just the big priced results that have given us satisfaction - in 2018 we sold a Patronize filly for $2000 at the Magic Millions Winter Thoroughbred Sale and she (Mia Dolce) went on to win over $300,000! She was just a small, immature first foal but she could run.
We get as much enjoyment as watching horses we bred and sold win as we do with the horses we race ourselves. You remember everything you have gone through with themfrom planning the matings, getting the mares in foal, foaling down - getting up in the middle of the night! So it is always a big thrill to see them win... and humbling.
The River was a horse we took a lot of pleasure out ofTrevor Andrews purchased him for $115,000 in 2015 and he won five races including the Pinjarra Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic and the Listed Perth Stakes.
The River - 2016 MM WA 2YO Classic winner
We have also enjoyed watching the Perth sale really take off - ten years ago we had averages of around $35 - $40,000 but last year in book one it was hovering around $90,000. It has been a huge progression and it gives a lot of people confidence to breed and buy in Western Australia.
The sale is always a great time, there is so much hype about it and it is Perth’s one big sale so everyone is focused on it. It’s
our grand final, where we see the outcomes of two years of planning and everyone’s hard work. And when you have a good result it shows that everything you’ve been doing is lining up.
What are your thoughts on the draft?
It is a great mixture of horses by eastern and western based stallions including a few nice horses by our own stallion Playing God who has been doing an excellent job for us. We also have a few from the second last crop of I’m All The Talk.
The draft
PLAYING GOD: seven yearlings including the first foals for the multiple city winner Sense Of Power (lot 7) and the Listed Starstruck Classic winner Snowchino (lot 16), a half-sister to the metropolitan winner Elafella out of a daughter of the dual stakes winner Kentiara (lot 83), a colt out of a half-sister to The River (lot 115), a filly out of a half-sister to the Group 1 placed Hong Kong stakes winner Lock The Vault (lot 238) and a colt out of the city winner Karratha Crossing (lot 282).
I’M ALL THE TALK: four yearlings... daughters of the metropolitan winner Rio Flyer (lot 172) and the stakes placed Demon Queen (lot 245), a half-sister to the city winner Allmamoney (lot 176) and a filly whose dam is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Ellicazoom out of the Group 1 mare Ellicorsam.
GINGERBREAD MAN: two yearlings... a son of the four times winner Sonata, half-sister to the Group 3 mare Purde (lot 189) and a half-brother to the city winners Warbler and War Anthem out of a sister to the multiple stakes winners Keyton Grace and Shock Value (lot 269).
MY ADMIRATION: two yearlings... the first foal for the metropolitan winner Is A Bombshell, daughter of the Group 3 mare Is Amazing (lot 278) and the second foal for the four times winner Qingdao from the family of the dual Group 1 winner Albert The Fat and the recent stakes winner Johnny Rocker (lot 317).
OTHERS BY WA STALLIONS include a Long Leaf colt out of the handy juvenile Let’s Frolic (lot 290), a Ducimus halfbrother to the smart Hong Kong galloper President’s Choice (lot 10), the first foal by War Chant for the three times winner Together We Dream (lot 29), a Sessions colt out of the city winner Universal Appeal, a Lucky Street colt whose grandam is the Group 3 mare Hi On Love (lot 103) and a Maschino half-sister to the multiple city winner River Beau out of a halfsister to Miss Andretti (lot 158).
RUBICK: three yearlings... an intriguingly bred colt from Rubick’s own prolific family (lot 64), a son of the multiple city winning Written Tycoon mare Fiftyshadesofgrey (lot 87) and
a half-sister to the spring carnival’s Group 3 Sydney Stakes winner Rocketing By (lot 219).
TORONADO: two yearlings... a half-sister to the city winner Sparkling Blue out of the city winner Special Jewel (lot 20) and a colt out of the Commands mare Austere whose dam is the stakes winner Belcentra (lot 55).
WINNING RUPERT: two yearlings...the second foal for a twoyear-old city winning half-sister to the stakes winner Profit Street (lot 35) and a filly out of the multiple city winner Queen Bey (lot 319).
OTHERS BY EASTERN STATE BASED SIRES include an Exosphere colt out of a daughter of the Group 1 mare Danglissa (lot 52), a Capitalist filly out of a four times winning half-sister to the Group 3 sprinter Free Of Debt (lot 127), a Pride Of Dubai colt out of the three times winning High Chaparral mare On A High (lot 153) and a member of the debut crop of Pierata out of the dual city winning juvenile Our Time Will Come (lot 254).
