 |
|
 |  |
The Impact talks to second-generation Wentwood Grange owner, Dean Hawkins about their Karaka Yearling Sale-topping horses.
Established in 2000 by Welsh immigrants Des and Jan Hawkins, Wentwood Grange has quickly transitioned from a boutique farm to a major player in the Australasian breeding industry. It is said that the stud runs on family values and the knowledge passed on through the founders. Their reputation runs far and wide.
Q: You had one of the largest drafts and you sold some great horses. Your top sellers were 1) Savabeel X Valley Girl (sold for A$500,000) 2) Teofilo X Hy Fuji (A$300,000) and Territories X Conch (A$250,000), Iffraaj X High Joy (A$250,000). Can you please tell us a bit more about what was exciting about these matings?
A: We had a lovely draft across the board and our team did a great job of presenting them and we are very proud of the results we achieved
With every mare that we own, we follow a fairly basic rule of thumb, we look at 3 things:
Valley Girl Gave us huge highs on the race track winning a group one and becoming group one placed in Australia so it was fitting that she was served by the Best stallion in NZ in Savabeel and the foal was a Cracking type from the day she born, we are absolutely thrilled that she will get every opportunity in the Waller racing stable
Hy Fuji / Teofilo mating was a very straightforward mating, as he was full to the Doncaster Winner in Kermadec, we were hoping for a filly but wasn’t meant to be she is In foal to G1 Miler Ribchester so we are hoping for a filly to Race
High Joy is High Chaparral Mare who has made a great start as a broodmare leaving the stakes winner Elate. We have always been a massive fan of Iffraaj and I actually worked for Michael Jarvis when he was in Training in Newmarket.
The territory was a stallion that we have rated highly and are excited to see his first runners come out on to the track, we brought this mare in foal but we targeted her because we felt the mating was The Perfect fit
Q: What does the Wentwood brand offer its clients? Is it finely bred horses or finely grown horses or a combination of the two? Please elaborate.
A: We have been very lucky to have produced and sell 10 Group One winners across the world in the last 10 years. I think a huge part of our Luck has been the farm and keeping stocking rates low on the best pasture in the world that grows grass 365 days of the year, and that has meant the Horses have been able to reach their full genetic potential. Our clients and friends that agist their horses here are also a huge part of our ongoing success and every horse on the farm is treated like its one of our own and our Team give them the very best Care, this is made easier by having world-class Farriers and vets only a phone call away
Q: Could you please tell us about the most exciting weanlings you have on the ground that would be the cream of your Karaka sale draft in 2021?
A: As we come into Autumn and winter it’s a great time of the year watching the foals grow and mature and as they all have 5 acres paddocks to a run-in with a few friends it’s great to see their completive spirit start to grow we have few weanlings by Almanzor which stood his first season at Cambridge stud last year and have been very impressed with them as a line
Valley Girl has a beautiful Savabeel colt and a mare that left us a Group Two winner (Our Abbadean) In Highland lights has a lovely Caravaggio Filly.
Q: How did your parents Des and Jan Hawkins get into breeding Thoroughbreds and what prompted them to move from Wales to Waikato?
A: My parents are incredibly hard-working that I have no doubt whatever they put their hand to would have been a success. They came to New Zealand for a better way of life for their Children and luckily brought a horse stud which Leads to all Three of us getting the bug of Thoroughbred racing and we seem to have the perfect balance of skills across the whole family
Q: What makes your breeding program exciting? And what are your plans for growth over the next twenty years?
A: It’sexciting to breed off the fillies that we have had success with on the track and seeing what they leave. NZ has a long way to go to achieve a strong local product but things are changing within NZ Racing and hopefully, positives will come out of that. We love showcasing our Yearling to Australia and the world and will keep tweaking that to produce the best product we can to give the horses off the farm every opportunity to achieve success on the race track.
We are lucky that Leigh Sean and I are all in our late 30’s and early 40’s and still have so much passion to grow the brand and make sure our clients and ourselves can achieve as much success as possible.