Photo: Race Images
This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Central Districts-based breeder David Woodhouse who bred dual Group One winner and recent Gr.2 The Invitation winner, Belclare.
Tell us the story of Belclare?
Belclare was the 14th Per Incanto that I bred. I had sold 2 Per Incanto geldings previously, who both went to Hong Kong.
Belclare was out of Miss Rhythmic (an O’Reilly mare who I bought for $5000). She was just an ordinary filly who was broken in and turned back out in the paddock.
Anne Herbert rang one day and asked if I had a horse available as she had a syndicate interested in leasing a horse to race. She didn’t show a lot in the early days and then Anne decided to give up public training so the decision was made to send her to Lisa Latta. As with a lot of Per Incantos, time was her making and she won her 1st trial for Lisa She was loved by the stable as she had such a fantastic temperament.
We worked out fairly early on that she raced best fresh, so after most of her races I would bring her home for a few days and put her out in a good grass paddock.
She couldn’t handle a track worse than a dead 5 and despite winning most of her races left handed she seems to favour right hand tracks.
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
I was always fascinated by the numerous trophies and photos that adorned my Grandmother’s home, won by my Great Grandfather, H.A. Knight’s horses, Limerick and Ballymena, and Limerick’s grave at our front gate. On leaving school I gradually became more and more interested in racing especially following Showgate who I had huge admiration for!
In 1974 I bought a Tiber mare called Piber from my father. She was out of Prado, the dam of Rio. My father “wanted out” when she ran down the track on a few occasions. My sister, cousin and I took her over in exchange for a colour TV when the Commonwealth Games were in Christchurch. We gave her a few starts and my sister and cousin pulled out!
I started breeding from her as she was a half sister to Rio. Her second foal was a colt called Tevere, who won his maiden race at Trentham, and then ran second in the Ryder Stakes at Foxton. I subsequently sold him to Western Australia.
The 5th foal was Bouillon, who won nine races, ran third in the Wellington Cup and at one stage was the early bookies favourite for the Melbourne Cup. From that point on I was never not going to have a racehorse!!
How many mares do you breed from?
This year I will breed from two mares as Miss Rhythmic (Belclare’s dam) haemorrhaged and died while foaling. I was offered her full sister “Luxe” to breed from last year. She has a Per Incanto filly at foot and is about to be served by Per Incanto again. Cordal, a Tavistock half sister to Belclare, is to be mated to Almanzor.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio? (foals,racehorses, stallion shares etc)?
Cordal has just foaled a colt to Noverre. Miss Rhythmic’s filly foal by Satono Aladdin has a foster mother, and Luxe has a Per Incanto filly at foot!
I have a yearling full sister to Belclare, a yearling Noverre filly out of Cordal, and a yearling Time Test filly out of Beltoy. I also have a 2 year old Per Incanto filly out of Shehzaadi and a 2 year old Time Test filly out of Callan. Also a 2 year old Time Test gelding out of Della Luna and a 3 year old Time Test gelding out of Shehzaadi.
I have a share in a half sister to Belclare called “Rithim” who is a Time Test 3 year old, and a share in “Lucsa” – a Per Incanto 4 year old mare out of Luxe, and “Ardroe” – a full brother to Belclare, and a half share in “Connello”.
I have a share in Per Incanto and a half share in Time Test.
Do you breed to race or breed to sell? If sell, how do you decide on what to retain and what to sell? I basically breed to race but I have sold geldings over the years, to support my racing expenses!!
Best breeding advice you have received?
I haven’t sought advice on breeding over the years, but, the offer by Sam Williams to take up a Per Incanto share, and then to take note of a casual comment made by Sam that Per Incanto was crossing well with O’Reilly mares. That proved to be the best breeding advice I would, most likely, ever receive!
What do you love about the thoroughbred racing breeding industry?
I love the challenge that comes with breeding and racing horses. So many horses can’t run fast enough to be viable but I love either producing a yearling that will sell well, or producing a racehorse that can run.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
Make sure that you grow your young horse to its full potential.
Proudest moment as a breeder?
Rearing Belclare to achieve what she’s done!
Finish this sentence. The best part about being a thoroughbred breeder is....watching those little foals that come home from the stud, grow into the most beautiful, athletic equine individuals that we love to watch on a racetrack.
