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With Thoroughbred racing in his genes, Gordon Cunningham embarked on an unmatchable journey with Curraghmore Farms more than two decades ago.
Based out of the abundant Waikato region. Curraghmore Farms has been a center for scouting elite horses that go on to become winners like Tofane, whose last start was the 1200m Everest, where the Ocean Park mare finished ninth in a field of twelve.
Cunningham chats to The Impact about his farm, top graduates, 2021 yearling sales, and of course, Rupert Legh owned Tofane who will be racing in the Gr.1 VRC Sprint next.
With Thoroughbred racing in his genes, Gordon Cunningham embarked on an unmatchable journey with Curraghmore Farms more than two decades ago. Based out of the abundant Waikato region. Curraghmore Farms has been a center for scouting elite horses that go on to become winners like Tofane, whose last start was the 1200m Everest, where the Ocean Park mare finished ninth in a field of twelve. Cunningham chats to The Impact about his farm, top graduates, 2021 yearling sales, and of course, Rupert Legh owned Tofane who will be racing in the Gr.1 VRC Sprint next.
Q: Please tell us about the Tofane’s interesting breeding and then sales story to Rupert Legh and group?
A: I bought her dam, Baggy Green as a maiden mare. She appealed to me because she was by Galileo from a young Danehill daughter of a champion European filly in User Friendly. Her first foal was an unraced filly by Pierro. Her next foal became Tofane by Ocean Park.
She was a lovely type of filly that I was keen to put in training rather than offer her at Karaka. We had her broken in and I sent her to Pam Gerard of Ballymore Stables NZ to be trained. Pam is the NZ based training partner of Mike Moroney, who had previously only trained one other horse for me, a filly called Chicharita who won the Group 2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie. She was always a filly that would benefit from patience and time. Having trialed very impressively at Te Teko in late September as a 3YO, she attracted a lot of attention and eventually, Mike Moroney bought her for a group of stable clients including Rupert Legh.
Q: Could you please tell us more about Ocean Park and how his progeny are suited to a top-quality sprint race like The Everest?
A: Ocean Park was bred and trained in New Zealand. He was a high-class three-year-old and won a Cox Plate at four. He has exceptional bloodlines, his dam being by Zabeel from the family of a Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond winner. Actually, on pedigree, I always thought that Tofane was more likely to be a mile to 2000m horse. Her great grand dam User Friendly won an EpsomOaks and ran second in an Arc. There was no sign of speed in her family until her dam Baggy Green produced Group One winners Youngstar and Funstar. Great credit to Mike Moroney who unearthed her talent over shorter trips to win the time-honored All Aged Stakes over 1400m last Autumn.
Q: Please tell us more about yourself & Curraghmore Farm as well as your journey over the last decade? Please tell us about your involvement with the Thoroughbred industry from the beginning when you moved to New Zealand from Ireland?
A: I grew up with horses in Ireland and first came to New Zealand in 1984 to further my experience with horses. I loved my first two seasons working for David Benjamin at Fieldhouse Stud and returned to NZ in 1987 and joined Waikato Stud as a farm manager. I was blessed to have the opportunity to manage an amazing farm for seven years until it changed hands when purchased by the Chittick Family.
My time there gave me the confidence to set up and manage my own farm and in 1994 Curraghmore was established on a 160-acre lease farm on good Waikato land. It was well appointed with the best of facilities and it didn’t seem to take us long to develop a good client base. In time, we secured a beautiful farm on prime dairy land just outside Te Awamutu and we’ve since centralized our operation there.
Q: Please tell us more about your other farm and successful sales graduates on the racetrack?
A: To be honest, I don’t recall a time when we didn’t have a top horse racing of which we could proudly refer to as a Curraghmore graduate.
From the beginning, there was a consistent success from our initial crops and sales drafts.
In 1996 we sold Fairway who would become Champion Australian 3YO.
In 2003, a Gr.1 and Gr.2 double at Ellerslie with If a look could kill and Boulevard of dreams was notable. We’ll never forget Efficient’s’s back to back victories in the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup in 2006/07. Sousa, Fully Fledged, and Velocity were all Gr.1 winners’ winners from our 2005 foal crop.
Our focus has always been on quality and potential over numbers and dollars. We’ve always been selective on the make-up of our yearling drafts. They’ve included a mix of farm-raised horses and those from established breeding grounds like Coolmore and Raffles that we’ve brought to Curraghmore to continue their development.
In the past decade, we have sold Heroic Valour, Fastnet Rock’s first Group One-winning two-year-old. On behalf of Raffles Farm, we sold Flight Stakes winner First Seal (who defeated Winx twice in their spring 3YO campaigns). In 2016 Fanaticand Provocative were Oaks winners from the same crop. Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss, AJC Oaks winner Unforgotten, and Singapore Horse of the Year Mr. Incrediblewere all Gr.1 winners from our 2016 Karaka draft. Pierro’s first top horse Tulip was from the same draft also. She ran fifth in the inaugural Everest.
We’ve been very lucky that all these horses have been brilliantly developed and trained by many great trainers. There have been several other high-class horses from our farm amongst those Group One winners and we’re proud that Tofane is our latest star.
Q: The sales were quite the journey for breeders this year. The adjustment of going from physical sales to digital sales takes quite a toll. Plus, the added stress of selling your highest-value yearlings to unseen buyers online must have been quite challenging. What was your personal journey like for you this year?
A: Curraghmore has only ever offered horses at Karaka. We were fortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t hit NZ in January so it didn’t affect our selling. We had a good sale. There was an excellent presence of Australians in attendance and I really felt more than ever, the confidence they have in buying at Karaka. As they move from barn to barn many of them will remember the great horses they have bought or equally bid on but missed out from so many of the NZ breeders at Karaka in the past.
The 2021 yearling sales series will be challenging for everyone. We’ve been selling online on Gavelhouse.com here in NZ for a number of years and New Zealand Bloodstock has always been digitally innovative. As vendors, we’ve had the opportunity to learn from the auctions that have taken place over the past six months around the world. So we should be prepared.
I’m looking forward to offering our current yearling crop and I’ve got as much confidence as ever that there will be racehorses amongst them.
Q: What do you look for when you buy prospective broodmares? Pedigree, Confirmation, Past Performance - how much do these play a part in your decision making?
A: It’s really a balance of all of the above, but for me, type and scope must support the mare’s bloodlines and family. A mare is usually physically dominant in her progeny so I couldn’t buy or recommend a less than a good type of mare.
Q: What are your top 5 choices for Melbourne Cup contenders, given that not many international names are likely to feature in the runner list?
A: It’s a bit early to name five choices but I’d love Surprise Baby to win for my good friend John Thompson who also bred the 2015 winner Prince of Penzance.
Q: Name your most favourite horse and why?
A: I’d have to say Efficientwho remains the only horse since Phar Lap to win the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup in consecutive years. His owner Lloyd Williams, who has won the Melbourne Cup six times, has no doubt that he been the best of them all. We’d just love to produce another one as good as Efficient at Curraghmore... but all the good horses from our farm are our inspiration for the next one!