Photo: Supplied
This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Denise Howell who bred Listed Gingernuts Salver winner Renegade Rebel. Denise has a rich history in the industry and has had some great success to go with it.
Tell us the story of Renegade Rebel
The reason Regalia went to El Roca was that I value Russell Warwick’s friendship and I think he is very good at breeding and selecting stallion for mares so that is why she went there. I put him in their draft for the yearling sales and he was bought by Daniel Miller. Daniel wasn’t actually at the sales so Mason Stevens liked him and bought him, and my sister and I were having a drink with him after and she runs the breeding farm, and she said ‘oh we’ll stay in him’ and I said ‘oh yeah sure, we just need another horse like a hole in the head’; but we did just for a small amount and thank god we did!
We never thought we would get a stayer from his breeding but you just never know with horses do you. We call him Reggie, and he is such a big horse and a big striding horse so that maybe why he might do the Derby distance (if he goes there).
It is a big thrill to see him do that. He looks fantastic, Cody has done a great job and as did Daniel when he had him so it was really pleasing!
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
When I started working for Graeme Rogerson I raced a few, and a mare that I raced, I bred from. She produced Colero, who is the dam of ‘Call Me Lily’ who is the dam of Soriano so that is the family. I sold Soriano at Magic Millions but I did get one filly out of her that I bred in conjunction with Cherry Taylor and I bought her back at the sales, a Pins filly who won a race (Alegre) and we have done a foal share with Mark Chittick and we have a nice colt by Super Seth and she is back in-foal to him.
How many mares do you breed from?
I have cut right back and I think I only have about four or five.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio (youngstock, racehorses etc)
About four foal colts; and I recently sent a couple of racehorses to Niall Quinn – one is a filly called ‘My Girl Alice’ and she is a half to Reggie by Vadamos, and a Redwood filly. I like his environment and his horses always look good – the horses come first!
Do you breed to trade or breed to race? How do you decide on what to keep or sell?
Well I should actually breed to trade because they cost a fortune but I find that I am not very good at selling them because I get attached to them. I mainly sell colts. I actually had the Vadamos and Redwood fillies in at the sale last year and they didn’t sell. In my gut, I thought maybe I shouldn’t be putting these fillies in as they were in Book 2 but they didn’t sell so maybe it will be a blessing – especially the Vadamos filly.
Do you seek advice on your breeding decisions?
I feel I have been very lucky in this game as when I have rung people, they have been very obliging. Russell Warwick has been amazing to me and Gordon Cunningham – people are all very good with their time.
Best breeding advice you have received?
It actually came from my very good friend Cherry Taylor who told me when I first started breeding to keep it small and be ‘boutique’ with good quality mares but I totally ignored her advice which is the trouble when you become attached to them!
What do you love about the thoroughbred breeding industry?
The whole process – from getting them in-foal through to the seeing them race.
The foals are fantastic, which we are very lucky at our farm as the girls put a lot of time into the foals and they are all so friendly.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
Stay small!
Proudest moment as a breeder?
Soriano winning her couple of Group Ones. I also got a real thrill out of Alegre winning at Cambridge as she could be such a naughty horse. Had all the ability in the world but was just a little b***h.
I get a real thrill out of them all, Reggie winning the other day was very exciting – you take any win and you love it don’t you in this game?!
Finish this sentence: The best part of being a thoroughbred breeder is…
The affinity you get with the horses that you own and breed from, then the real thrill of one of them winning a race no matter what kind of race because it is a hard game.
