New Zealand's Newest Stallion Station Underway

A new thoroughbred stallion station has been developed in Cambridge in time for the 2011 breeding season.

The picturesque 20 acre Redoubt Road property, which is known as Linwood Park, will be home to three stallions – Ekraar, Mr Nancho and Royal Gem for the 2011 breeding season.
 

The property has been purchased by a relatively new racing industry participant, Mary Fitzpatrick, of Auckland.
 

“I have always loved horses and have decided to turn that passion into a business,” says Mary.
 

“Purchasing the property is the first step for me towards a much more focussed interest in the breeding industry,” she said. “My next step is to purchase up to half a dozen broodmares which I am currently doing.”
 

The property is located right in the heart of many of the major thoroughbred stud farms in the Waikato. It has a number of well set up agistment properties nearby which will be utilised to walk-in mares.
 

Mary has also purchased interests in the three stallions standing at Linwood Park in partnership with Mark Leaver of Kentucky and solicitor Steve Devoran.
 

The trio now own Ekraar outright following that stallion’s purchase from Sheikh Mohammed which means he will permanently stand at stud in New Zealand.
 

Mary is currently an administrator with Barfoot & Thompson, previously having worked as publicist at Mojo and in various other promotional and marketing roles.
 

Mary was brought up on a farm in Morrinsville and has always had an interest in horses.
 

Her introduction into racing came through the purchase of two racehorses who have been successful.
 

The first horse she raced was Sitara, who won at her first-ever start. “That gave me the racing bug,” she says.
 

Mary says it is an ideal time to invest into the thoroughbred industry because it appears to be a buyers’ market.
 

Linwood Park has a highly experienced management team.
 

The stallion nominations and promotions manager is Ken MacKay, the stallion manager is Ross Fraser and the bloodstock consultant is Craig Ramsay.
 

Ekraar will be the flagship stallion with his proven record of siring Group performers.
 

Ekraar, a Group 1 performer by Red Ransom and half-brother to multiple champion Hussonet, was the sire of the Group 1 winner, Ekstreme, from his first crop. Ekstreme won the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham as well as the Group 2 Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa and Gropu 2 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa.
 

Ekraar’s other stakes winners have been the Listed race winners, Extra Explosive, Exceptionally, Solapur and Vivid Vixen.
 

Ekraar has sired more than 100 individual winners and has been represented by winners in 17 countries.

He has 13 individual black type performers. His stud fee this year will be $10,000 plus gst.
 

Mr Nancho, who is by Southern Halo and was the champion Argentine miler as a three-year-old, was the sire of the Group 1 2yo winner, Nacho Man, from his first crop. Nacho Man was successful in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes at Awapuni.
 

He is also the sire of the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Guineas placegetter, Maradona, and has made a very promising start to his stallion career with seven individual winners. His stud fee this year will be $8000 plus gst.
 

Royal Gem, a son of Royal Academy, is also a young stallion but his progeny are showing plenty of ability. The winner of the Group 3 Bay Meadows Derby, Royal Gem has only had three horses to the races and has already been represented by a winner from his first runner. His stud fee this year will be $4000 plus gst.