5 minute read
Ridgport Holdings
from 2024 MMWA Magazine
By Kristen Manning
Ridgeport Holdings principal Santo Guagliardo has a justifiably soft spot for Rommel - the dual Group winning Commands stallion who calls Ridgeport Farm home.
Previously a resident at Mogumber Park, the 12-year-old made the move to his proud owner’s new farm at Waroona where he has, according to the stud’s Marge Ojapolo, settled in extremely well
“He had a really good spring serving 50 mares,” she said, noting that Rommel is a horse who any broodmare owner would be happy to send their mare to - describing him as “an absolute gentleman ”
“He is a very nice boy who always gives his girlfriends a lot of love,” she laughed “He likes to give them a kiss and spend time with them!”
A horse whose fertility has always been excellent, Rommel is also the perfect stallion for maiden mares - not only due to his ability to put them at ease but also because of the type of foal he sires.
“They nearly all have good length and strength,” Marge said, noting that he tends to negate the tendency of first time mothers producing foals on the small side.
And he is proving to be a good winner getter too, Rommel represented by 41 winners amongst his first 60 runners with the Ridgeport home-bred Snowdome leading the way.
The winner of seven of his 18 starts, the classy four-year-old enjoyed a particularly good year in 2023 - his four victories including the Group 3 Prince of Wales Stakes in which he showed plenty of heart emerging best from a two horse battle after facing the breeze.
That was a nice addition to his resume, Snowdome also winning the 2022 Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes - showing his superior pace to lead throughout.
Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Danehill being out of a Snitzel mare, Snowdome has inherited some of his sire’s talent - Rommel a horse we never really got to see the best of due to injury.
But he certainly had his share of ability, winning four of his 12 starts One of the best of Perth’s juveniles of his year, Rommel put on display both his speed and heart winning the Group 2 WA Guineas before venturing to Melbourne where he proved a class above his rivals in the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes.
Always supporting Rommel, Ridgeport love sending their newly retired mares to him whilst those mares who have been going to him the last few years are now being tried with a few different horses such as Playing God and Sessions.
As well as the Darling View based Lightsaber who Ridgeport have an interest in - that Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes and Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winning son of Zoustar from the family of Fastnet Rock proving to be such a popular first season stallion serving a nice book of 98 mares.
Breeding with around 30 mares each year, Ridgeport have long term plans to continually upgrade - not only their bloodstock - but their farm which they have been working on since its purchase 19 months ago.
2024 sees Ridgeport sell their first yearlings prepared at the farm with the members of their two previous drafts having kicked off their careers at Mogumber.
It was always Santo’s aim to build up his own farm - and having his own stallion, a horse he purchased as a yearling with Neville Parnham at the 2013 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, is a much appreciated bonus.
And Rommel is not the only nice horse Santo has sourced from a Magic Millions salepurchasing at the 2021 Perth sale the terrific galloper Bustler with whom he enjoyed Group 1 success in the Railway Stakes in November.
The Ridgeport draft consists of 14 well related youngsters, six of those being by Rommel with one of his highlights being lot 226 who Marge calls “a quality filly.”
“She is a lovely athletic type who walks so nicely and smoothly,” she said of the filly out of the Elusive Quality mare Colleges who has displayed a nice affinity with Rommel.
By him she has produced the best two of her five winners - the Hong Kong based Tourbillon Prince, a stakes placegetter locally and a Happy Valley winner in December.
And Catch These Hands, the Steve Wolfe trained four-year-old who has done such a good job winning five of his 13 starts to date.
Meanwhile there is particular excitement surrounding lot 152, a Zoustar filly out of the Charge Forward mare Run All Night.
Hailing from a prolific speed family, one which produced the Magic Millions Classic winner Catnipped, this filly by one of Australia’s most popular stallions is bred on the successful (four stakes winners including the Group 1 mare Mizzy amongst the first 47 winners).
Zoustar/Flying Spur cross
A cross which results in a duplication of the wonderful mare Rolls - dam of Flying Spur and grandam of Zoustar’s high achieving grandsire Encosta de Lago.
There is good depth to the Ridgeport draft, others due to go through the ring including a Rommel colt out of a full sister to the Group 1 mare Bel Mer, a Rommel son of the fast dual city winning Written Tycoon mare Diamond Tycoon, a Hellbent filly out of a two times metropolitan winning Not A Single Doubt mare and a Safeguard grandson of the high class broodmare Midnight Special.
