Bielby’s seven ready to sell
Harness racing breeder Paul Bielby always feels excited around the time of the Christchurch Yearling Sale and after twenty fiveyears nothing has changed.
Under the Carrera brand Bielby will again put his breeding theories to the test with seven well bred youngsters entered for the mid February Sale.
Sara Famularo from Dancingonmoonlight Stable is adding the polish to six of the yearlings while sales veteran David Shadbolt has the seventh baby in his care.
Bielby has had a lifetime involvement in harness racing and was introduced to the sport initially through a friend who took him to the races. Later he was to try his hand at breeding.
“A couple of business contacts were associated with National Bloodstock. It developed from there. I got the breeding bug and the prospect of trying to genetically design something,” he said.
Paul is well known for breeding champion race horse and influential sire Christian Cullen (In The Pocket).
“A lot of people have said to me ‘after breeding a horse like that why don’t you hang up your boots?’ I don’t see him as a yardstick. I was just eternally grateful that I had that opportunity. There are more horses that need to be bred every year to keep our industry going and that’s what I’m about. If I was ever lucky enough to get one half as good I’d be doing handstands. I don’t even think about breeding another Christian Cullen. It’s not something that defines me.”
Rewinding the clock back one year Bielby took two yearling fillies to the Sale including Christian Cullen’s half-sister Kate’s First (Holmes Hanover).
“I brought her back and sold three quarters to Graham Beirne and retained a quarter share. She went on to win the New Zealand Oaks and an Auckland Cup.”
The other filly was Scent, also by Holmes Hanover. She won once in New Zealand for Geoff Small before heading to Australia where she won sixteen races. As a broodmare she’s left the winners of one hundred and sixteen races including Governor Art which won twenty three and Make Every Scent which won nineteen. She ran second in the Group One Victoria Oaks and second in the Group One Ladyship Cup.
“That for me was just as meaningful as breeding Christian Cullen.”
Currently Bielby is breeding from twelve mares.
“They’re not all in foal. Some I leave to catch a season. They are all looked after by the magnificent Donna Williamson in Kirwee. She’s been a real asset.”
Nearly all of his mares have been purchased privately, and he’s always on the lookout for breeding stock that will enhance his Carrera band.
“I’ve got a good relationship with most of the agents but most of the time I’ll purchase them myself. I’m not in the same league as some of the breeders that have got the ability to write a cheque at any price, so I’ve got to be a little more canny and try to buy something that’s got potential without breaking my limited budget.”
Bielby says breeding is a hobby for him.
“You’d love to make a profit each year, but it’s been more of a passion than an income earner.”
Like any true breeding student he does his homework, but he says with so many variables it’s difficult to produce the perfect end product.
“It’s something you’re never going to graduate in. You’re at the mercy of a lot of things including the quality of the mare, stallion access, health and weather. It’s a battle to get the horses to sale in the right condition.”
He says he’s big on pedigree and the racing factor is an added bonus.
“Great families continue to leave great horses. You have to limit the number of non performers in a pedigree if the ultimate aim is to have a good performer. One amazing performer with black type is not necessarily the key to success on an ongoing basis. It’s got to be a consistent production record. More winners than losers is a good start (laughter).”
And when it comes to stallion choices, like all breeders he’s looking for trends and “golden crosses”.
“Sometimes I like to have a shot at the stumps as it were. For me it’s a bit of a mix; taking established results or doing a bit of crystal ball gazing.”
He says the availability of standardbred stallions has really opened up in the last decade.
“Now we have access to almost every stallion so there’s really no excuse not to improve the quality of stock. There’s no reason if we can continue to refine the breed and use our wonderful geographic location for producing good horse flesh that we can’t continue to be a major force.”
Is he prepared to take the risk and breed to a first season sire?
“Commercially it can be a bit hit and miss. It’s not the soundest platform if you want to make money. Christian Cullen was born by a first season sire. You do have to take an educated gamble now and then. I generally try to mix my breeding to both established and new.”
Bielby says breeding is a very ‘vogue’ industry and remaining in fashion is the key to being successful.
“What’s walking hot on the catwalk today is not necessary going too hot in two and a half years time when your progeny goes through the sales ring. But you can get a pretty good idea of what’s going to be fashionable.”
Breeding is a hobby and he likes to keep an eye on the ledger. But at the end of the day he doesn’t put unrealistic reserves on his yearlings.
“I never go into any sale with any expectations (price) because I find that the biggest killer of the lot. Everything I take to the sale is for sale. All the reserves are just a cost covering exercise. I build it in at the lowest common denominator so they find new homes.”
As for Kiwi buyers, Bielby reckons they’ve changed in recent years and are more open to buying stock by freshman sires.
“I wouldn’t say they’re as adventurous as the North American trainers who have no inhibitions when it comes to buying stock by first season sires but we’re getting better. They don’t steer away like they used to and they’re now more inclined to have a go.”
And as for the Carrera name?
“I had a Porsche Carrera for a while, and I wasn’t driving it. So I decided to sell it and to the dismay of many people put all the money back into horses. It helps when you can brand your progeny for marketing purposes.”
The seven yearlings heading to the Sale later this month are from a good mixture of stallions and families. Let’s start the engine and drive slowly down the boxes!!
Carrera Vamos Lot 202 (Art Major – Amazon Lily – filly).
She’s the second foal out of six win Bettor’s Delight mare Amazon Lily. Her eleven placings include seconds in the New Zealand Yearling Sales Three Year Old Pace and in a heat of the Nevele R Series. This filly’s third dam Zenterfold left outstanding Tintin In America – the winner of sixteen races and over $800,000.
“I acquired her (Amazon Lily) at the end of her racing career. Her first foal was on the small side. Sometimes the second foal can be a little bit stronger and I would say this is the case with this girl. She’s a lovely, full bodied filly. I’ve been told by Dancingonmoonlight that she has a bit of the spunk factor.”
Heidsieck – Lot 264 (Art Major – Fizzi Lizzi – colt)
He’s the fourth foal of the McArdle mare Fizzi Lizzi which won eight races for Rod McKenzie. This colt’s second dam Averil’s Atom is a half sister to New Age Man (unbeaten in thirteen starts), Cool Age Man (three wins from eight starts) and Extraordinaire (five wins from just seven starts).
“He was pin hooked. I didn’t have enough colts, so I went to the weanling sale in Auckland. He’s a December foal but he looks the part now so however he looks on the 22nd February he’s going to look a lot better on the 22nd March. He’s got that get up and go look about him, is compact and very strong.”
The Batman – Lot 269 (Always B Miki – Flying Anvil -colt)
“She (Flying Anvil) has a wonderful pedigree that just hasn’t left a good horse. The cross with Miki (Always B Miki) was to try something new to see whether we can get that X factor from a different sire line. He’s a nice colt and like most of the progeny from the mare he’s not a heavy set horse.”
Eighteeneightythree – Lot 303 (Captain Crunch – L A Confidential – filly).
L A Confidential was a lightly raced American Ideal mare which time trialled in 1-56.9. Her dam Under Cover Lover won twenty one races across New Zealand, Australia and America with her best mile of 1-51.8.
“Eighteeneightythree is the name of the TV series that’s a prequelto Yellowstone. She’s my favourite, can I say that (laughter) and I’m emotionally torn about selling her. It’s her nature, her conformation. Sara loves her attitude and she’s just a pleasure to do anything with. As long as I’ve got what it cost me, the cost of running a mare, the vet and everything else, then my job is done.”
Sanna Marin – Lot 335 (Captain Crunch – Maheer Mystic – filly).
Named after the Prime Minister of Finland this filly is out of the two win Bettor’s Delight mare Maheer Magic. She left two winners – Carrera Mach (Mach Three) twelve wins, and Marrera (Christian Cullen) two wins. This is the family of Maheer Lord (Holmes Hanover) which recorded thirty four wins across New Zealand, Australia and America.
“Like, like like. And under the radar is all I’d say about her. When I saw the photos that came back from Dancingonmoonlight on Friday I said ‘woo, who’s this’. She was the one I kept coming back to. Carrera Mach is doing a good job in West Australia and that’s why we went to Captain Crunch. It’s the same Direct Scooter sire line that produced her best foal.”
Carrera Hombre – Lot 358 (Captain Crunch – Real Courage – colt).
Real Courage (Real Desire) won three races and time trialled over a mile in 1-55.9. She’s the dam of the promising Carrera Rapido (Art Major). This yearling’s third dam is Pleasant Franco, the dam of Christian Cullen and Kate’s First.
“I bought Real Courage as a yearling in an attempt to get back into the family. She won three as a three year old for Doug Gale. We brought her south to run in the Oaks and she started flipping a palate. By the time we’d recognized what was happening the season had all but gone. We time trialled her without a galloping pacemaker in 1-55 at Ashburton. Doug bought her first foal by American Ideal, but he lost him to colic. This fellow is a bit bigger than the previous two foals. He’s got a lovely walk on him and if I was going to list his main attribute it would be his lovely nature.”
Carrera Bandido – Lot 373 (Captaintreacherous – Smiley Sophie – colt)
This colt is out of Art Major mare Smiley Sophie. His second dam Vicario (Soky’s Atom) left Stunin Cullen, (Christian Cullen) the winner of eighteen races including the Group One New Zealand Derby and Group One Sires Stakes Final. Vicario is also the dam of ten win Falcon Seelster mare Coburg.
“You can only hope when you start the whole process that the individual you present on sale day gets there in good order and is something you hope will generate interest. And I think he’s at that stage now. He’s developed into a lovely colt who ticks a lot of boxes. He’s in proportion, has got a good attitude, a strong pedigree and his sire (Captaintreacherous) is flavour of the month. I’d expect him to be looked at by any serious colt buyers.”
So it is that in a few days time Canterbury breeder Paul Bielby will head to the Christchurch Sale with his well prepared young horses. How they sell is up to the buyers, but all are on the market and will head off to new homes and hopefully successful careers, reinforcing Paul’s passion for breeding.
“When I’m ready again I’ll save one of the nice colts I’ve got and try him. But at the moment it’s an exercise in breeding, getting the money back and going again, (in order) to build pedigrees that can reward me sometime in the future.”
To view the sale catalogue, .
by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink
