Fernrigg Farm

Rae-Louise and Padraig Kelly’s highly regarded Fernrigg Farm has had a momentous year in its development, the couple having recently acquired a second property in Denman not far from the home farm. This quality 285 acres will cater for mares and foals of clients to augment the existing commercial yearling operation.

Rae-Louise was excited about the future when she spoke to Bluebloods, “We are already installing new fencing on the Denman property and it marks our progress in the industry. We have a wonderful draft for Magic Millions with yearlings by a wide range of excellent sires such as Zoustar, Exceed And Excel, Deep Field, Maurice and Proisir to mention a few. There should be something to suit discerning buyers at all levels of the market, our results on the track have been exceptional in recent years.”

This is no idle boast as Fernrigg sold MM 2yo Classic winner Shaquero for $160k at MM. He also won the Gr3 Breeders’ Plate at his first start and then the Pago Pago Gr3 as a 2yo returning his owners over $1.49 million to date. Other star Fernrigg graduates include Gr3 Breeders’ Plate runnerup Mach Ten, Excellent Proposal a 200k MM graduate who is now Gr1 placed in Hong Kong with earnings

over A$3.29 million and last but not least the Hong Kong rising star Beauty Eternal winner of a Gr2 at his current most recent outing in midNovember and scoring in three stakes races at his last four starts for earnings of A$3.5 million as we go to press. And rising.

Two other notable Magic Million graduate success stories from Fernrigg worth mentioning are the flying fillies Sweetened and Penthouse, both stakesperformers. Sweetened (byZoustar) ran 2nd in the SAJC Lightning H while Penthouse (by Capitalist) shows that bargains can be found, selling for $55K at Magic Millions and has gone on to win three races, over $200K and is multiple stakes placed includig a 3rd to In Secret in the Woodlands S at Scone. Her residual value has soared.

Fernrigg’s fine reputation is attested to by the range of skilled industry professionals, acknowledged good judges, who have purchased yearlings in recent years. They include Anthony Freedman, Belmont Bloodstock, Bjorn Baker, Busuttin Racing, Darby Racing, Ciaron Maher, John Foote, Lindsay Park, Laurel Oak, James Harron and China Horse Club. It’s a who’s who of the industry.

Fernrigg Farm will present sixteen yearlings at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with a mix of proven and exciting young sires; All Too Hard, Astern, Bivouac, Capitalist, Deep Field, Dirty Work, Exceed and Excel, King’s Legacy, Maurice, Proisir, Star Turn, Tagaloa, Written By, Zousain and Zoustar.

For buyers who like the certainty of proven stallions, Fernrigg Farm have several yearlings of interest. A Zoustar half-brother to Listed winner Snickerdoodledandy (Snitzel) is Lot 551, and his dam is Gr3 winner Crafty Irna, a daughter of Gr1 winner and Singapore Horse of the Year Zirna. Fernrigg Farm purchased Crafty Irna as a broodmare a couple of years ago and she looks to be an excellent addition to their broodmare band.

Deep Field filly, Lot 560, screams residual value being out of Listed winner Dance With Her, who won twelve races, two at Listed level and was multiple times group placed, and her first three foals are all winners (of nine races). Dance With Her is a full sister to group winner and Gr1 placed Son of Maher, both out of stakes winner Dance Hit.

The progeny of recently crowned NZ Champion Sire Proisir are sure to be sought after, and Fernrigg will present his colt, Lot 587, who is the second foal of stakes placed two year-old winner Diva Express, whose first foal is a two year-old filly by Super Seth. There is plenty of two year-old form in this family with Diva Express being out of a half-sister to NZ Champion 2YO Spring Rain, while Gr1 winner Mo’unga also features in this pedigree.

Exceed and Excel filly, Lot 312, is a threequarter-sister to Gr2 Magic Night Stakes winner Calliope (Exceed and Excel), dam of 2023 Gr2 winner Kallos, and to Gr3 winner Zethus (Exceed and Excel), and to Gr3 winner Bacchanalia (Exceed and Excel) and Listed winner Aquitaine (Exceed and Excel). She is the first foal of her two year-old winning dam, Tragic and this yearling filly’s third dam is Gr1 winner Bulla Borghese.

Two year-old stakes winner Everage’s All Too Hard colt, Lot 1143, is from the family of recent Gr3 winner Wollombi; while Capitalist filly, Lot 932, is out of a winning half-sister to Gr1 winner Linton, and to the dam of group winner Heatherly, dam of this season’s group winner Red Resistance.

With five Gr1 winners already on the board, Maurice is quickly becoming one of the most exciting sires in Australia. Fernrigg Farm will present two yearlings by Maurice, with the filly, Lot 1217, being a full sister to Listed placed winner Morioka (Maurice). Her dam is Gr3 winner of five races Koonoomoo from the family of Hong Kong galloper Jeune King Prawn. The colt, Lot 1287, is out of an imported High Chaparral mare who is a half-sister to Gr3 winner Perugina and to the dam of Gr1 winner La Pelosa.

Of the first season sires, there is already plenty of talk about the first crop of Gr1 winner Bivouac, and Fernrigg Farm have a nicely related filly by him on offer. Lot 744 is the second foal of Listed winner Heaven’s Deal (Spirit of Boom), and closely related to Gr1 winner Incentivise and promising sire Ardrossan.

Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa is represented by Lot 1026, a half-sister to Paynt Battle, a stakes placed winner this year in America, and her winning dam, Ziptomylu is a half-sister to two stakes winners Kathmanblu and Kathballu.

Dual Gr1 winner King’s Legacy’s filly, Lot 385, is out of city winning mare Zero Tolerance who is a half-sister to stakes winners Prima Nova and Bonaichi (dam of Extra Choice), and this filly’s second dam is Gr1 winner Bonanova. With a strong selection of yearlings and a diverse range of pedigrees and stallions, the Fernrigg Farm draft looks likely to continue their stellar record of producing excellent racehorses.

How would you sum up your 2024 draft?

“GIRL POWER! Last year the majority of our mares produced fillies and fortunately for us there were some pretty sharp ones amongst them. They definitely headline our draft. I think the Metza X Capitalist filly has so much power, she is a beast. The Exceed and Excel out of Tragic has a huge pedigree, is extremely athletic, and looks exactly like she’s supposed to on paper. Heaven’s Deal, by one of my favourite young stallions Bivouac, has me in awe every time I see her sail across the paddock, and the Deep Field X Dance With Her oozes quality.”

What makes the Magic Millions sales and races special?

“Every year the race day gets bigger and more exciting. We’ve been fortunate enough to produce a winner of the race from our draft which was a proud moment for us all. I’ve also experienced the thrill of being part of a women’s syndicate who raced another star colt that we bred at Fernrigg and it certainly doesn’t get much better. The hype and buildup, participating in the barrier draw, the entire occasion was phenomenal. Magic Millions really know how to turn it on.”

Which people in the industry have been the most influential for you?

“Susan Corbett who owns Girsonfield Stud in Scotland, Terry Doherty from Watership Down Stud in Newbury, and Mike Cline of Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky are three people I will be forever grateful to.”

How would you sum up the internet?

“Dangerous!! Especially now that I’m a mother. Google should be shutdown.”