5 minute read
Newhaven Park
from 2024 MMGC Magazine
Cover: English, was one of the best sprinting mares in recent memory. Her Snitzel colt bred on a proven Gr1 nick will be one of the highlights of the 2024 MM.
The initial crop of Newhaven Park’s first season sales sire, champion 2yo Cool Aza Beel will be one of the star attractions at Magic Millions 2024 with 17 yearlings spearheading Newhaven’s own draft. The fabled Boorowa farm has been one of Australia’s best and most respected breeders during three successive generations of the Kelly family’s stewardship. John Kelly Snr stood the legendary Wilkes, his son Richard stood top sires such as Marauding, Luskin Star and Zeditave, and now in turn his son John has continued the family tradition by standing the stallions Xtravagant and Cool Aza Beel and preparing premium sales yearlings. The first of Newhaven’s new boys Xtravagant got the farm off to a flying start siring almost 5% SW/R already, and Cool Aza Beel is a tremendous prospect to follow on.
John Kelly commented, “Cool Aza Beel was the champion 2yo of his year in NZ, with his two biggest wins coming over 1200m in the 2yo Karaka Million and the Gr1 ARC Diamond S, he was a brilliant sprinter. We love his pedigree, it works so well with the mares he is covering in Australia. His broodmare sires in turn are Testa Rossa, Red Ransom and the great Bletchingly, a wonderful speed pedigree to complement his champion sire Savabeel. To put the icing on the cake he is inbred to the Blue Hen mare Special within five generations, a pattern common to Star Kingdom, Sir Tristram and Danehill. He’s from the elite sprinting family of Malaguerra, Libertini and current sprint sensation Hawaii Five Oh.”
Newhaven’s reputation as a winner producing farm is attested to by the industry’s leading judges who are repeat buyers of the farm’s yearlings such as Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Ciaron Maher, David Ellis, Yulong, Belmont Bloodstock, Anthony Freedman, Annabel Neasham, Champion Thoroughbreds and Darley.
Newhaven’s stellar list of sales graduates is industry leading, a record that justifies the hard work and careful planning of pedigrees.
“We have a lovely draft of horses, we’re particularly excited to be offering a great group by Cool Aza Beel”
It includes recent Gr1 winners In The Congo ($1.76million including the ATC Golden Rose Gr1), Odeum ($980k including the Gr1 MRC 1000 Gns), Shout The Bar ($1.3 million including the Gr1 ATC Vinery Stud S and Gr1 VRC Empire Rose S), as well as Kissonallforcheeks ($1.7 million Gr2 winner, Gr1 placed), Lavish Girl ($451k Gr2 winner), Sunsets ($351k Gr3 winner and Gr1 placed from only 9 starts ) and Encap ($390k, Gr3 winner and Gr1 placed from only 7 starts). They have returned almost five times their total purchase costs, have massive residual values and several are still in work. Quality and value can always be found in Newhaven’s yearling offerings.
John Kelly spoke to Bluebloods about the farm’s 2024 MM draft.
How would you sum up your 2024 draft?
“We have a lovely draft of horses, we’re particularly excited to be offering a great group by Cool Aza Beel. His speed on the track, his fast damsires, his great looks all give us the feeling he’s as good a prospect as we’ve ever had to offer breeders and buyers. Most of our yearlings are out of young mares, stakes winners and dams of stakes winners.
We have a Cool Aza Beel filly from the family of Zoustar, another who is a halfsister to Gr2 winner Lavish Girl, just to name a couple.
And how can I not finish by drawing attention to the Snitzel colt out of our Champion Australian sprinting mare English. He’s bred on the Gr1 cross, Snitzel over Encosta De Lago mares.
There are three Gr1 winners already bred on that cross, all colts, Sword Of State, Summer Passage and Invader. Out of just 80 runners that’s freakish. And our colt is a cracker.”
What makes the Magic Millions sales and races special?
“Everyone in the industry gets together after a long stud season in the holiday capital of Australia. It really is the most wonderful place to go. Magic Millions offers tremendous prizemoney and they do such a great job of getting buyers there and promoting the sale.”
How would you sum up the internet?
“My second home.”
What changes would you like to see in the breeding or racing industry?
“I would appeal to breeders not to be in such a stampede to get every single mare covered in the first few weeks of the season. It compresses the season unnecessarily. Research has shown that later foals are just as likely to be stakes winners in proportion to numbers. As far as early foals go, nature takes its course and mares will miss eventually despite having early foals.”
Which past champion do you wish you could have seen at the races?
“Vain! He was by our champion sire Wilkes and several good judges including John Hawkes have told us he was the best sprinter they have ever seen. Now he’s become an important influence in pedigrees, when we see his name we give the pedigree a tick.” (02) 6385 8335 John Kelly 0412
