'We have been fortunate to get exposure to the incredible breeding sector here'

Our latest Godolphin Flying Start blog comes from Edmond Ryan, from County Tipperary. A graduate from University College Dublin in agricultural science, his work experience includes spells at Tweenhills, Camas Park Stud, Ballydoyle and Tally-Ho Stud. He has also completed the Irish National Stud breeding course and has a strong interest in the breeding and pinhooking side of the industry.

The Godolphin Flying Start class of 2022-2024 began the Australian phase of the course at the start of August in the Hunter Valley, NSW. 

It started off with visits of some of the leading farms such as Yarraman Park, Newgate Stud, Vinery and Kia Ora Stud. This was an eye-opening experience for me as the way studs operate down here is completely different to what I have experienced in Ireland. I gained a real insight in how they operate their farms when they experience the same rainfall in six months we might experience in a day back home.

It is no wonder the Australian horses are so hardy and durable when you see how they are raised, there is a real natural element to it.

We have experienced some fantastic racing in our first couple of weeks at Randwick and Rosehill racecourses, where the crowds have been exceptional, including seeing the curtain come down on Nature Strip’s glittering career. We were at Randwick for Chris Waller’s 150th Group 1 winner in Fangirl, a truly remarkable experience. 

An area which is unique to Australia is the quick turnarounds between races for horses. To see these superstars every second weekend is an incredible experience.

With the racing getting even better week on week as the Spring Carnival gets underway, there are Group 1 races every weekend from here on in. Excitement is already building for the Everest on Saturday, October 14 as the field is starting to take shape. It is a relatively new race as it was first run in 2017 and has a prize fund of A$15 million, which is a reflection of the strength of the Australian racing programme. Coming from Ireland this is a race which has really peaked my interest as it is a concept directly aimed at a younger demographic to try and get them interested in the industry.

We have been fortunate to get exposure to the incredible breeding sector in New South Wales, where we have viewed stallions at all the major stud farms. From seeing champion sires such as I am Invincible at Yarraman Park to Snitzel at Arrowfield Stud, to some of the new kids on the block in State Of Rest and In The Congo. We also saw nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe settle into his new role in the stallion barn at Godolphin.

While there is huge demand for sprinters back home as people chase those early-type horses, the demand for those down here is massive. Prior to my arrival in Australia, I thought the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup were the stallion-making races. It turns out the Golden Slipper and The Everest are the races which are more highly regarded by stallion operations.

We have been busy getting lectures from some of the best in the industry down here, such as Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock, Jack Bruce of Jack Bruce Racing and Scott Calder of Cambridge Stud. They gave an insight into their businesses shared some of the knowledge gained in their respective careers.

We have also been taking part in rotations across the Hunter Valley, working on various stud farms and training yards. It has been an incredible experience for all trainees watching how these stud farms are operating as the breeding season has just commenced. It has been fantastic to spend time at Brett Cavanough Racing over the past month, a trainer who has won over 1,000 races in his career to date.

As the Melbourne Cup fast approaches anticipation is building, especially with the strong international contingent.

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