Rheinwood Pastoral Co.

by Renée Geelen

The Rheinwood Pastoral honour roll also boasts Gr.1 winners Final Fantasy (Epsom Handicap) and Arkady (Ranvet Stakes). Bluebloods spoke to Kirsty Willis, the Operations Manager at Rheinwood Pastoral about their draft of seven yearlings for the Magic Millions 2019 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

What can buyers expect from your 2019 MMGC draft?

We cannot wait to arrive on the Gold Coast for the 2019 Magic Millions Sale and the Rheinwood draft of yearlings should not be missed! Due to some unfortunate circumstances we haven’t had horses on the coast for two years BUT this draft makes all that heartbreak worthwhile. These horses are the best yearlings we have ever prepared for a sale, they are a very exciting draft for our small farm, we couldn’t be prouder to show them off to everyone!

Bred in the cold.... hot on the track!

I Am Invincible has quickly become a sire on everyone’s must see list, and Rheinwood will present a filly from winning mare Electric Charge. Lot 543 is the mare’s second foal, and Electric Charge is well related, being a half-sister to group winner Miss Darcey, and out of stakes winner Miss Bussell. Miss Bussell is herself a daughter of Gr.1 winner Lurestina, and this is the family of Hurried Choice. Most significantly, Charge Forward is establishing himself as an exceptional broodmare sire being responsible for the dams of the two most recent Golden Slipper winners Estijaab and She Will Reign as well as the dam of Magic Millions 2YO and Coolmore S Gr.1 winner Sunlight.

A half-brother to stakes winning two-year-old Let Me Sleep On It by Gr.1 sire All Too Hard has a precocious family. Lot 453 is out Cheyenne Sue, a half-sister to Gr.1 winner Headway, who was also second in the Gr.1 Golden Slipper. This yearling colt is Cheyenne Sue’s second foal after Let Me Sleep On It.

Rheinwood Pastoral has two colts by first season sires among their seven yearlings at Magic Millions 2019. By Vinery’s Gr.2 winner Headwater, Lot 123 is the second foal of She Has Arrived, a half-sister to stakes winner Best Yet To Come. Lot 779 is by Gr.1 winner Kermadec from young winning mare Majestic Faith, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Black Minx (dam of So Si Bon), and is out of Gr.2 winner Faith Hill.

RHEINWOOD PASTORAL PRIDES THEMSELVES ON THE CALIBRE OF THEIR HORSES, AND WITH GRADUATES LIKE DUAL GR.1 WINNER ALBERT THE FAT, GR.2 KARRAKATTA PLATE WINNER LUKE’S LUCK, STAKES WINNER UNCHAIN MY HEART, AND STAKES PLACED LAHQA COMING OFF THEIR PROPERTY IN RECENT YEARS, THEIR ATTENTION TO DETAIL CONTINUES TO PAY OFF ON THE RACETRACK.

Proven sire Smart Missile, sire of 2018 Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Maid of Heaven, is represented in Rheinwood Pastoral’s draft by a colt, Lot 917, who is the first live foal of winning mare Berrichon. Berrichon is a daughter of stakes placed winner Segolene, herself a half-sister to Quidnunc.

Lot 1057 is the first foal of Poised Lady, by first season sire Super One. The Singapore Aushorse Golden Horseshoe winner, and group winner in Australia, looks exciting, and this colt is from the family of NZ Gr.1 winner Ugo Foscolo. Rounding out the draft is Lot 1078, a colt by Deep Field, whose oldest crop are two year-olds in 2018/19, from winning Sebring mare, Sebring Angel, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Bigelow from the family of Captiva.

What are the main factors you take into account when planning matings?

Physicality, good looks of the mare and commerciality of the stallion are our main focus. We are commercial breeders, we choose our stallions based on what we determine the market will want to buy, from there we assess our mare band against these stallions and try to find them a good physical match in a stallion. Then we look to pedigree analysis and ensure that this stacks up also for the complete horse. We select mares on type and performance. A good looking mare that could run will likely produce a good looking foal than can run!

When you’re not working how do you like to spend your time?

As we all know as thorougbred breeders free time is almost non-existent, especially during the breeding season, but obviously on the odd day off from the farm or driving a walk-on to the Hunter, I love to catch up with friends and go to the races!

What are you reading currently?

Funnily enough I am reading the “Barefoot Investor” by Scott Pape. What I’m learning is this guy clearly doesn’t have any racehorses or broodmares! I’m failing his program, my mojo account always has a $0 balance!

What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

I never had any desire as a kid to be involved with horses. I couldn’t wait to get to university to do my commerce/finance degree and start my career in finance. After 5 years of fooling myself I could live in the city, I backpacked around the world for a year before returning home to the farm. After six years back at Rheinwood, I have realised it is true, if you find a job you love you’ll never work a day in your life!

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? I would love to learn to fly a plane! l

2019 DRAFT

123 Headwater (AUS) - She Has Arrived (AUS)

453 All Too Hard (AUS) - Cheyenne Sue (AUS)

543 I Am Invincible (AUS) - Electric Charge (AUS)

779 Kermadec (NZ) - Majestic Faith (AUS)

917 Smart Missile (AUS) - Berrichon (AUS)

1057 B. Super One (AUS) - Poised Lady (AUS))

1078 Deep Field (AUS) - Sebring Angel (AUS)

www.rheinwood.com.au | Kirsty Willis 0411 866 009 | Mittagong NSW