This week we chat to Marie Leicester breeder of La Flora Belle, who won the Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup -Listed (2040m) last week. Marie also has the Belle Family of mares that have been very successful over the years.
How many mares do you breed from? I’ve cut down a bit, currently have six, I have retired two older mares this year. I have just retired dam of La Flora Belle, she’s had another filly this year so I will retain that filly, and retire her dam.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio (youngstock, racehorses etc) one out of Meleka Belle, by Not A Single Doubt – she had her first start at the end of October, she had one start for one win at Matamata, I have Ken Kelso training her she’s a three year called Davici Belle – she’s named after a vineyard in Italy. She only went to Ken Kelso during the winter, prior to that she had been in and out of pre-trainers as we knew she was a filly that was going to take some time, so we gave it to her. I also have a two-year-old out of Meleka Belle by Snitzel – she was born on my mother’s birthday, so I’ve called her My Annie Belle.
It was strange I had another mare called Annie Higgins, because she was by O’Reilly, and the Belle family and I wanted to call her something Irish, I was staying at the Chitty’s place, and Ron suggested I call her Annie Higgins, as that’s your mother’s maiden name and you can’t get any more Irish than that, so I did call her Annie Higgins, and she won the Sunline Vase, and Counties Cup, and Avondale Cup, unfortunately she died in August on my dad’s birthday, and then this other filly was then born on my mother’s birthday six weeks later, there was no doubt about it, she was called My Annie Belle. So I’ve just got the three of them in work at the moment.
Do you make your own mating decisions or seek advice from others – if others who? Do the final decision, take a list to Mark Chitty of what I’m thinking, and then we discuss the options, we usually agree, we’ve been working together now for a few years, so we seem to think along the same lines.
Do you have a favourite cross? No, not really, I tend to go with what suits the mare
Proven stallion or new season sire? I tend to go proven sire especially with young ones I like to go to a proven sire, although I broke the rules last year when I sent Moet Belle to Bivouac, who stands in Australia at Darley he’s a first season sire, I don’t often do that. I I did break my rule that time, but then they do say “rules are made to be broken” don’t they…
Best breeding advice you have received? Yes! My father always said never count the cost of the service fee, once the foals is on ground it doesn’t matter whether it’s by a two-bob stallion (in his day) or $10,000 stallion, once it’s on the ground it’s going to cost you the same amount no matter what the service fee was. However, I’m not sure what he’d think of me spending $200k on Super Seth though, however, I know he would have stepped up just the same as I have. Another piece of advice, when I was in my twenties I said “dad when are you going to give me a horse?” he said “now look here my girl, you’ll have two things before anything else”…and being young and naïve I said “what’s that dad?... and he said “bills and disappointment and don’t you ever forget it!”… When you have a good time when everything going is well enjoy it, because disaster will come, you need to really enjoy the wins when you get them, unfortunately as the old saying goes, “when you have livestock you have deadstock”… so you need to celebrate the wins when you get them.
Who do you admire in the thoroughbred breeding industry? Lots of people I admire, I have always admired Sir Patrick Hogan. He worked so hard, while he lifted the industry for himself of course, he also lifted if for the whole of New Zealand, right from the standard of leading yearlings at the sales ring there are so many things I look back and think ‘yes, that’s what Patrick did for us…’ I think the whole industry has a lot to thank Sir Patrick for.
If you could own any broodmare (past or present), who would it be. I’m happy with what I’ve got…
If you could spend a day learning the tricks of the trade on any farm in the world which would it be? I have been to Coolmore, in Ireland. Darley in Australia is a very interesting place. I went there when they were first developing it, to see what they are doing in setting up the stud, even down to the irrigation systems from the river, it was amazing to see what they were setting up for the future. I’ll never forget going there, and seeing the beautiful buildings, the stallion barns that were so big and light and airy. It was amazing to see what they were setting up for the future and would like to see it again now to see the final product.
Finish this sentence: The best part of being a Thoroughbred breeder is … apart from the horses, meeting the wonderful people that you can connect with through the industry is amazing
