Starting youngsters: Blair Richardson

Cover image courtesy of Vantage Hill

With clients including Newgate Farm, Yarraman Park, Kia Ora Stud, Peter and Paul Snowden and Michael Freedman, Blair and Nikki Richardson have worked with some amazing horseflesh at their picturesque equine property, Vantage Hill, in the Upper Hunter Valley.

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Top-class gallopers Captivant, In The Congo (Snitzel), Russian Revolution, Formality and Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) were all educated at Vantage Hill before going on to achieve Group-race glory on the track.

This year has been no different, with Vantage Hill educating more than 200 horses since the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.

Gallery: Some of the top-class gallopers educated at Vantage Hill

Blair Richardson has been impressed with a number of sires that will have their first 2-year-old runners in the coming months, namely The Autumn Sun, who stands at Arrowfield Stud, and Coolmore’s Triple Crown-winning shuttle stallion Justify (USA).

“When we get the new sires, my staff and myself find it interesting comparing them to the likes of I Am Invincible and Snitzel, that are proven. We see them early in the year and now we wait for the 2-year-old trials to see which ones will pop up,” Richardson told TDN AusNZ.

“Horses do change so much; working with them in February, they have a lot of growing and developing to do. They’ve had a few preps now to get them to the trials.”

According to Richardson, a colt by The Autumn Sun from the dual stakes-winning mare Heart Ashley (USA) (Lion Heart {USA}), the dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Fiano Romano (Fastnet Rock), was a real professional. The unnamed colt was passed in at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He has been nominated for next year’s G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Golden Slipper S.

“We’ve had a few by The Autumn Sun, we just had one for Kia Ora that’s gone down to Chris Waller. He’s a nice colt; a really strong, uncomplicated colt that was a pleasure to work with,” Richardson said.

“I found The Autumn Sun’s progeny on the whole were really strong types and had presence.”

Richardson said the Justifys he’s had were easy to work with and have a lovely nature about them, which he believes will hold them in good stead when it comes to raceday, especially when it’s all new to them.

One of Justify’s progeny Richardson had his hands on is the first foal of Group 3 winner Eckstein (I Am Invincible). The colt was offered by Coolmore Stud as Lot 1 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was bought by China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing for $450,000. The colt has been named Jurisprudence and is trained by Waller.

Vantage Hill also educated a Justify colt from Tails Wins (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), which has appropriately been named Heads You Lose. He was knocked down to China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock for $280,000 at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and is trained by Waller.

Both Jurisprudence and Heads You Lose are nominated for the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper.

“The temperament and attitude of the Justifys we had was really impressive. They were nice movers, really soft movers,” said Richardson.

“I haven’t had any dramas with them; they’ve been good in the gates, when we’ve been educating them at the barriers.

“I got on both of them myself and found they both had a really nice, soft open way of working.

“If you compare the two of them, one had a yearling sale prep and one didn’t, yet there was little to no difference breaking them in; it didn’t take us any extra time with the Tails Wins colt.

“Sometimes, if they haven’t had as much handling, they just take that little bit extra time. The horses that have been to yearling sales have been trucked to sales, they’ve been led in and out of the ring, they’ve been in that many wash bays, they’ve been exposed to a lot more. Generally, a lot of the farms have had rollers on them, whereas you get something that’s a homebred or out of the paddock… the first time you put a roller on it and it’s naturally going to feel the girth and want to buck.

Gallery: Some of the horses that have been educated by Vantage Hill this year, image courtesy of Magic Millions

“Sometimes, you get the ones out of the sales and you’re already three days ahead because they’ve been rollered before and they’ve had girths around their bellies. It doesn’t work out that way every time – some horses can have struggled with a yearling prep – but generally you’re a bit further ahead.”

It’s Showtime

Another sire soon to have his first runners is Arrowfield Stud resident, two-time Group 2 winner Showtime.

Richardson had a few find their way to Vantage Hill this year and he said they were most impressive.

“I found them really nice to work with, and physically, they are nice types. You look at them and think they are going to be up and going early, and mentally I reckon they would cope with it as well,” Richardson remarked.

Two to keep an eye on

Richardson pointed out a couple of 2-years-olds he is set to follow with great interest.

One is a Harry Angel (Ire) colt from Sweetwater (Starcraft {NZ}), who was consigned to this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Offered by Bowness Stud, he was bought by Mick Wallace (as agent for the Freedman Brothers) for $280,000. He is related to Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter Wild Rain (Manhattan Rain).

The Michael Freedman-trained colt is unnamed.

The second is a Kingman (GB) colt out of Patsy Boyne (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That mare is a three-quarter sister to High Chaparral (Ire). The colt was part of Bhima Thoroughbreds’ draft at the Gold Coast and was also bought by Wallace for the Freedmans for $525,000.

This yet-to-be-named colt is with Richard and Will Freedman.

“They were both really nice types. They had a good way of working and I’m really interested to see how they get on,” said Richardson.

Both of these 2-year-olds are nominated for the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper.