Dr Chitty’s Haunai Farm was the leading vendor for weanling session at the recent Karaka May Sale. The Impact spoke to him about his excellent results at the Karaka sale, his farm about how they planned matings at his farm.
Q: How do you plan to produce high-value foals? How far in advance do you plan them?
A: The matings for the weanlings are all planned in the late autumn and winter prior to the start of the breeding season. We use a variety of tools to help us decide on a mating from pedigree programming, understanding phenotype and what type of horse are we trying to breed with a “bit of flight of fancy” or a hunch for good measure
Q: How many horses did you bring into the sale and how many did you sell? Which weanling was sold for the highest price? And how?
A: We entered 18 weanlings for the Karaka May Sale, 4 of these were withdrawn for a variety of reasons with 12 of the remaining 14 sold through the auction ring. Lot 52 the Kermadec ex Oxana brown colt was the star lot selling for $52,500 to Cypress Point Stables
Q: Do you consider breeding for specific races or do you breed for athleticism?
A: We are always attempting to breed an athlete first and foremost
Q: What were your 2018/2019 successes?
A: This past racing season we have had 13 stakes performers come off the farm headlined by 5 times G1 winner Melody Belle, the joint NZB 3yo Filly of the Year Imelda Mary and the Hong Kong Derby winner Furore
Q: Please tell us more about your Farm and your journey in the racing and breeding industry thus far?
A: Haunui Farm has been in existence since 1954 and we are a family-owned thoroughbred breeding and management farm. We are now based on the Karaka in South Auckland, New Zealand where we farm over 500 acres on 4 separate blocks of land.
Q: Which horse has brought you the greatest joy?
A: Currently the horse to bring us the most satisfaction is Melody Belle as she has dominated NZ racing this season, my most vivid memory of days gone by was the Haunui past owned 3yo The Gentry winning the NZ derby back in 1988.
Q: Is this the end of the sales season for you, or do you have any more sales we will be seeing you at?
A: Sales season is now over for us – our next involvement in sales in NZ will be the NZB Ready to Run Sale for 2yo’s in November
Q: Which sales do you attend during every year?
A: Our major sale for the year is the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale held at the end of January with a small selection of yearlings crossing the Tasman each year to be sold at the various sales on offer between early January and June.
Q: What’s on the bucket list for Haunui Farm?
A: Bucket list for us is to breed a Derby and Oaks winner in the same year
Q: What do you enjoy outside the Thoroughbred world?
A: I have 4 children who have lots of different interests so spending time with them and following their pursuits gives both Sara(my wife) and I a lot of pleasure
Q: Tell us about a book you've thoroughly enjoyed reading recently or a movie you've enjoyed watching and why.
A: The Kiwi Pair – a book about NZ’s famous undefeated rowing pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond – how opposites attract in the world that we live in.
Published in The Impact 14 Issue, 14 Vol
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