Situated in Scone, Noogee Park Thoroughbreds is a family-owned and run, a boutique stud that sold some of the high-value Thoroughbreds at the 2019 Classic Yearling Sale.
Owner, Jilly Henderson chatted with The Impact about their top-quality 2020 draft for the same sale and more about her aspirations for the farm.
Q: Could you please tell us more about how did the lovely Star Witness X Defrockcolt sold by you last year. How did the sale come about? Please tell us more.
A: TheStar Witness/Defrock sold well above expectations making A$400,000. Bredin conjunction with Etak Thoroughbreds as a foal share. Etak normally sells their stock as weanlings but he was such an imposing weanling we decided to send him to a yearling sale. We thought the Inglis Classic Sale was the best place to send him as we thought he would stand out. At the time his half-brother deprived (owned by Godolphin) was coming through the grades and looked like he had Stakes potential so we didn’t want to sell the colt too prematurely. Since then, Deprive is now a dual Group 3 winner having had14;8,2,1 and prize money of A$800,000.
We got the feeling the colt would sell well when many of the world’s best bloodstock judges kept coming back to inspect him at the sales.
We were thrilled to see the colt goto Yulong Investments. They are tremendous supporters of the Australian industry. Mr Zhang and Sam Fairgray are great judges of a yearling so we're thrilled to see his head there. He is being trained by John Hawkes, so he will be given every chance.
Q: Please tell us about your 2020 draft and tell us about the highlights.
A: We have a small draft of 4 Yearlings. They all have great conformation and are good types. Our aim is to bring these types to the Classic. The headliner of the draft is the Defrock X Foxwedge colt who is the half to the Star Witness colt. He is a lovely balanced colt with an excellent temperament. He has had a boost to his pedigree with Deprive.
Q: How is your farm coping with the challenges of the bush fires and has anyone been affected?
A: Fortunately, we have not been affected by bush fires but our major issue has been the ongoing drought. The horses seem to do extremely well in these drier conditions, but it is getting hard to source good quality fodder.
The farm has had great success recently. We bred Beat The Clock & raised Samadoubt for clients. Until recently we agisted Courgette on behalf of Mr Garry Bachell and have raised all her foals. She produced the Golden Slipper winner She WillReign & Time to Reign (Silver Slipper Winner). Courgettewas recently sold at last years Magic Millions for A$2.1k in foal to I Am Invincible.