6 minute read
Mogumber Park
from 2024 MMWA Magazine
By Kristen Manning
It’s the perfect partnership really - a keen racing fan with a knowledge of pedigrees and an experienced and respected equine stud veterinarian.
Colin Brown and Fiona Lacey who in 2006 purchased “50 acres of weeds” at Bullsbrook, setting about building up a successful thoroughbred business
Mogumber Park is the result of their hard work and how great it is for their clients and their horses that the picturesque property is also home to Olive Grove Equine Clinic… expertise always on timely hand!
Whilst Colin takes care of the matings and pedigree research, Fiona looks after the day to day business of tending to horses, supervising the feeding and treatment of their charges as well as the education regimes
Having left school at 16 to work in the racing industry, she has seen the benefits of keeping horses happy - “we like them to enter training with a good attitude to their work, their people and the feed bin”, adding that each of the Mogumber yearlings are hand exercised whilst also having bridles and rollers used during their education
“From the day our horses are conceived to the moment the hammer falls, our horses have had the best of everything - nutritionally balanced feed for growth and bone strength, monthly farrier work to ensure correct conformation and strong feet, and a thorough education making things easier for the breakers and trainers down the track ”
Not having any ambitions to be huge, the Mogumber team pride themselves on the daily attention paid to each horse - “they are all special individuals,” Fiona said, “and are treated that way - we want to give them all the opportunity to be the best they can be ” Which means that Mogumber, whilst of course having an eye on sales success, also look at the big picture… “we want to produce happy, healthy horses who work with their trainers during their racing careers and who can then go onto productive post racing lives ”
The proof is in the pudding with Mogumber already boasting an impressive list of graduates including the Perth Magic Millions 2YO winner Wolfe Dreams, a tough and talented Sequalo gelding who also won at Listed level on two occasions
“He is probably my favourite horse,” Colin said - “he was a wonderful two-year-old who raced on until he was seven, amassing over $500,000 in stakes And he only just missed out on the title of 2YO of the year ”
A member of the debut crop of Safeguard, the classy Specialism is another Mogumber success story - “she was a powerhouse of a two-year-old who won her first two, putting her sire on the map She came from near the rear in the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate to run fifth and then went down by a whisker in the Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes She was named Ascot Horse of The Year which was a good (and unusual) effort for a two-year-old ”
That form led Specialism to be sold for $280,000 as a broodmare, now owned by Musk Creek Farm in Victoria - her first two foals being fillies by Farnan and Too Darn Hot
Another member of Safeguard’s debut crop was Miss West Coast, who was sold for $145,000 as a yearling, with Colin remembering what a great type she was - “a trainer inspected her and said she would not be out of place in any sales ring in the country.”
And whilst, due to niggling injuries, her career was not a long one, she did display plenty of nature talent winning three of her nine starts and twice finishing in the placings in Group company
“At her first start as a two-year-old, starting at 20-1, she flew home to run a very close second and then won her next two starts before placing in the Magic Millions and the Gimcrack Stakes before a luckless third in the Karrakatta Plate She returned at three winning first up by three lengths and it was unfortunate that we didn’t get to see her best But she is now at stud with colts by Dundeel and Pierro (and in foal to Russian Revolution) and we are sure that she will continue to make her mark ”
Another horse raised and sold by Mogumber is the talented Snowdome, winner of the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Ascot last November “He has certainly helped Rommel (who stood at Mogumber before transferring to his owner’s new farm - Ridgeport) along, firstly as the highest priced yearling ($180,000) ever sold on Day 2 of the Magic Millions Perth Sale and secondly with his racing ability He won the G3 WA Sires Produce Stakes at two and has continued to stamp himself as one of the state’s best sprinters ”
Mogumber is also home to Safeguard - their dual Group 3 winning foundation stallion, a son of Exceed And Excel who “continues to do amazing things off small books of mares He was leading first season sire and that year also earned the title of leading two-year-old sire, which he did again in the 2022/23 season ”
Joining Safeguard at Mogumber last spring was the very handsome Marine One, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes winning Capitalist horse who have the team excited“he is a gorgeous stallion with a great attitude He was early and quick and we can’t wait to see his foals later this year ”
In the meantime they have the upcoming sales to be excited about, the Mogumber draft of 16 well related yearlings pleasing everyone with their progress
Highlights include:
Lot 25, the first of the Mogumber yearlings through the ring - the first foal from a winning half-sister to the Group 3, and four times Listed winner, News Alert The son of Rommel described as “a forward, athletic type who will have plenty of admirers ”
Lot 72, a Hellbent filly out of the dual stakes winner Happy Hippy who has already been represented by two stakes performers “She is a quality filly with plenty of residual value She is a lovely walker who is going to mature into a stunner ”
Another eye-catcher is lot 110, “a cracking colt” by the first season Written Tycoon horse Dirty Work whose yearlings sold well at the Gold Coast Out of a winning full sister to Specialism, he is a “strong type who looks a real early runner ”
Also impressing during the preparation is lot 177, described as “a typical Safeguard colt - athletic and correct, a lovely type with a great attitude ” And from an in-form family too, one represented by the recent stakes winners Brave Mead and Raf Attack.
