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With experience in England, Ireland and the USA, Philip Campbell, has a vast knowledge of bloodstock management that results in success, both in the sale ring and on the racetrack. Blue Gum has always led-the-way in terms of industry sales highs. It began in 1981 when we were the first to sell a yearling for over A$100,000 in Victoria to more recently in 2019, being the first to gross over A$4,000,000 at a Victorian Yearling Sale.
The Impact speaks to owner Philip Campbell about their plans for the Melbourne Gold Sales and gets insights about the farm as well as their previous sales successes.
Q: Firstly please tell us about the horses you have going into the Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale and the Great Southern Sale, especially your draft highlights.
A: Unfortunately with the 2020 Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale having been moved from April until July because of COVID-19, our draft has been reduced drastically in numbers. Some of our clients decided to keep their yearlings to race and others decided to sell online a little while back. The six yearlings we still have in the sale are a nice group of horses though. The three fillies are by proven stallions Street Boss (2) and Manhattan Rain and all three are good specimens with great pedigrees.
The Manhattan Rain filly out of Chalonne is a half-sister to two Group winners, the Street Boss filly out of Radar is a half-sister to Stakes winner Intuition and the other Street Boss filly is out of the Stakes-winning Reset mare Cornelia Marie. Of the colts, the Manhattan Rain colt out of Viking Turf Belle is a half-brother to Stakes winner Vinland and the All Too Hard colt out of Miss Rangoon is a half-brother to Group winner Platinum Kingdom. It is a very tidy little draft of yearlings.
With the Great Southern Weanlings, that sale has now been moved back to August 9 at Oaklands Junction. We have 14 weanlings cataloged there including members of the first crops of Almanzor (Fr), Churchill (Ire), Russian Revolution, and Tosen Stardom (Jpn). We are looking forward to marketing this group of youngsters as well.
Q: Who were your sale toppers for this sale from 2019? Could you please tell us more about those sales and where are they now?
A: Our high priced yearlings at Oaklands Junction last year include the current two-year-old Stakes winner Ideas Man (A$575,000), Larimer Street (A$450,000) and September Run (A$380,000). Ideas Man and Larimer Street are both colts by Brazen Beau while September Run is an Exceed and Excel filly. The Snitzel colt National Choice (A$300,000) and the Sebring Filly Agreeable (A$125,000) have both made winning debuts at two this season and look promising.
Q: How have the sales been for you so far? Please tell us more about the top horses you’ve sold in 2020?
A: The yearling sales so far this year have been terrific again for us and our clients. At the Melbourne Premier Sale in early March we sold the two top-priced lots including the Snitzel–Jestajingle colt for A$725,000 and the Pierro – Pass The Parcel colt for A$575,000.We also sold a cracking Written Tycoon colt out of Miss Promiscuity for A$400,000 giving us three of the top five lots at the sale. In all, we sold 23 lots grossing A$4,505,000 at an average of A$195,870.
Q: Please tell us about the most expensive horse you’ve ever sold and your biggest racetrack success from this sale and others?
A: This year’s Snitzel colt was the most expensive yearling we have ever sold. He was the first foal of his dam and was just a cracking specimen. He was purchased by Aquis Farm and is now in the care of leading trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. We are looking forward very much to following his career as we do the careers of all our graduates. It’s one thing to sell them well but it’s the racetrack success that keeps people coming back to our barn each year.
We have sold many Group One winner over the years including Alinghi, Bohemiath, Lashed, Pride Of Rancho, Rancho Ruler, Raveneaux, Rechabite, Umah and Umrum, as well as recent Group and/or Stakes winners Ducimus, Fontein Ruby, Fontiton, Gold Fields, Ideas Man, Jukebox, La Falaise, Larimer Street, Sartorial Splendor, September Run, Vinland, etc. The saying at our farm though is that the most important one is the next one!
Q: How has the COVID19 situation affected your farm and your sale drafts? Do you see any long terms implications?
A: COVID has completely upset the normal routine of being physically present at auctions and buying and selling there obviously. The Online platform has been very well embraced which has kept things moving but I look forward to being able to buy and sell at live auctions again in the future. There are many industries and individuals who have been far more impacted by this though. Racing has continued in this country through the whole COVID period which has been enormous for not only our industry, but I think for many others who have enjoyed being able to watch it. Hats-off to all those who have guided Australian racing through this very difficult period.
Q: Please tell us about your top 3 broodmares whose progeny are part of the draft for each sale.
A: Of the farm mares, our More Than Ready mare Pass The Parcel is a special one. We purchased her in foal a few years ago, have sold her progeny well, and enjoyed watching them compete well. She previously mentioned Pierro colt was a magnificent colt at Premier this year, sold accordingly, and is now in the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young stable. Pass The Parcel is currently carrying a full relation to her winning, Group placed Wandjina 3YO Express Pass.
Personal Ensign is another very special mare. By a marvelous stallion we stood here at Blue Gum named Rubiton, Personal Ensign raced with distinction for us and has done a wonderful job at stud. She has produced the Group winners Fontiton and Sartorial Splendor and her Manhattan Rain filly at Premier this year realized A$310,000. That filly is now in the Maher/Eustace stable and we look forward to seeing her become another Group winner for her dam. We have a cracking Manhattan Rain colt out of Personal Ensign for Premier 2021 and she is currently carrying a full relation to the multiple Group winning 2YO Fontiton.
We didn’t pay a lot of money for our Stakes-winning Exceed and Excel mare Exceedingly French when offered in foal to Canford Cliffs a few years ago. The resulting foal is now the Group 2 winner La Falaise and her 2YO half-sister by Street Boss, named French Boss, looks promising now too. We have retained her yearling filly by Manhattan Rain and the mare is back in foal to that stallion with us working on his great results over Danzig/Danehill line mares.
We are also very privileged to look after some very nice broodmare bands for our wonderful clients.
Q: Blue Gum Farm has a reputation for bringing high-quality horses to the sales. What, according to you, does your brand offer its clients?
A: A great environment to raise young horses, from foals through to weaning and from weanlings on through to yearlings. Fantastic facilities to be able to house and work with these young horses and a wonderful group of people whose attention to detail is second to none. We have three members of our team who are current industry award recipients for their dedication and hard work.
Q: How do you handpick horses for each of your drafts? What are the most important steps in the process?
A: We are continually assessing the youngsters in our care. From the time they are born, while they are on their mothers, through the weaning process and then growing them out as weanlings into yearlings, we are weighing them and measuring them, discussing them with the agents, our vets and farrier and doing everything we can to have them reach their full physical potential. We are fortunate to work with like-minded clients who have their own properties and place the same importance on the raising of their horses.
From these groups of horses, we pick the best sales for the individuals. Those that fit the criteria head to Melbourne Premier but if we deem that a yearling is better placed in the Melbourne Gold Sale, where they have a little more time to mature, then that is the way we will head with them. We’ve had great results with our Premier yearlings but we’ve had similar results with our Gold yearlings.
Q: As we are in 2020, where do you see Blue Gum Farm in 2030?
A: Continuing to evolve as a superior thoroughbred facility where we are continuing to produce both quality service for our clients and quality stock for the industry. That should enable us to continue enjoying successes with our friends and associates for many years to come.