Lime Country Thoroughbreds will offer a draft stacked with quality at Magic Millions, with youngsters from leading female families boasting physicals to match the pedigrees.
The Southern Highlands operation of Greg and Jo Griffin enjoyed a strong debut in the Magic Millions ring in 2018 and are bullish about their 2019 prospects.
“When we sold for the first time we sold everything with a highest price of $365,000, a lowest of $200,000 at an average of $261,000 so we were really happy,” Jo Griffin said.
“There has definitely been more interest in this draft with an awful lot of people coming to the Southern Highlands and part of that is the size of the draft.” – Jo Griffin.
“There has definitely been more interest in this draft with an awful lot of people coming to the Southern Highlands and part of that is the size of the draft.”
Greg and Jo Griffin
Griffin said sale selection was critical and they believed they had nailed it again.
“One point of difference with our draft is that it is full of clients’ horses. We don’t own any of them, and we’ve worked with the clients to get the right types and pedigrees for the best returns.”
Timing was everything when assessing which horses would be best placed on the Gold Coast.
“You need an early foal and people want to see a sound horse that they can take home to break in and get on with it.” – Jo Griffin.
“You need an early foal and people want to see a sound horse that they can take home to break in and get on with it,” Griffin said.
“Precocity is vital and offer horses that can get a saddle on them fairly quickly.
“When you look at our fillies, and they are a lovely line, in particular they are all August and September birth dates.
“We’ve got a really good depth of sire power – Not A Single Doubt, I Am Invincible, Written Tycoon and Zoustar are all there and Brazen Beau.
“Deep Field we’re excited about and it’s great to see a Smart Missile there - and who wouldn’t want a Nicconi the way they are going.” – Jo Griffin.
“Deep Field we’re excited about and it’s great to see a Smart Missile there - and who wouldn’t want a Nicconi the way they are going.
Lot 565 Zoustar x Fancy Feet
“Our draft includes what we think are best representatives of first season sires, Headwater and Exosphere.”
Griffin was loathe to single one or two out, but did have a special for prospective New Zealand buyers.
“I think this would easily be the best line of horses we’ve ever presented as a draft,” she said.
“Lot 726 is a Not A Single Doubt filly from a very good family and we’d love to see some Kiwis step up for her – she will be of sentimental value to people in New Zealand.”
Lot 726 Not A Single Doubt x La Fluorescent
Group 1 pedigree
The filly is a daughter of La Fluorescent (General Nediym), who is a half-sister to the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase winner Savvy Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) and his sibling, the G3 Ming Dynasty H. winner Addictive Nature. It is also the family of the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel).
Lime Country was first established in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand’s North Island before the decision was taken in 2016 to move the following year to the 300 acre property formerly known as Think Big Stud.
Lush paddocks are fully irrigated year-round as required, to provide a consistent pasture quality for young stock and avoiding bone growth issues that can arise from dramatic pasture changes.
Lime Country enjoys lush pastures year-round
Natural shelter
The extensive planting of hundreds of now established deciduous and evergreen trees and hedge rows has ensured ample natural shelter during the summer heat and winter months.
These plantings are in addition to purpose built shelters throughout the farm, ensuring each horse's needs are met all year-round.
Fencing is of the highest standard with 27 main paddocks and about 80 day yards all linked via a central laneway and road system.
A total of 47 stables are spread around the farm from the horses-in-work barn to the yearling barn and broodmare boxes. Rubber lined hot water wash bays feature throughout the barns.
The property has a state of the art mare and foal crush along with an additional satellite crush, which requires less movement of stock.
Outstanding facilities
Other facilities include an eight horse walker, computerised treadmill, tie up stalls for horses in work, a set of new Sterline barrier stalls, newly completed surgery barn, sand roll, floodlit all-weather dressage arena and a 1200 metre turf track with running rail.
“We’re well settled here now and overall we’ve prepped 50 yearlings this year, a step up from 24 last year,” Griffin said.
“We’ve had huge fertility on the farm, 95 per cent with one more mare to scan. We’re very, very happy in what has been a tough year with droughts etc.”
