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In this week's Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Leon and Elaine Mountfort who have been heavily involved in both breeding and racing in New Zealand for many years. Karaka 2025 proved one of the many highlights of their breeding career when producing Lot 855 the Satono Aladdin x Sparkling Rose filly who was sold to Te Akau Racing for $260,000 and topped the Book 2 sale.
Tell us the story of Lot 855 – the Satono Aladdin x Sparkling Rose filly.
A couple of years ago Beneficial, a well performed mare we have been racing, was about to retire to stud and was the only mare we had at the time. We decided to buy another one to make it a bit more interesting - to get more buzz so to speak.
By chance Pencarrow Stud were putting 3 or 4 mares on Gavelhouse as a reduction. Sparkling Rose was among them. From the great Pencarrow family emanating from Richeboug through Grand Echezeaux to Madam Echezeaux the half sister to Darci Brahma and Burgundy etc etc. Going backwards through the damsires there was Bernardini, Pins, Montjeu, Zabeel and Vice Regal. It was a list of all the sires we would have loved to have used if we had a mare good enough at the time. Only a rising 5yr old, Sparkling Rose was carrying her second foal by Eminent. The purchase was made and what’s turning into another wonderful thoroughbred story began.
We selected Satono Aladdin as a consort and this produced this year’s Group 2 Eclipse Stakes winner Too Sweet (Two wins and a placing from three starts). Alas she couldn’t overcome the outside draw in the Karaka Million and even the cameraman couldn’t get her in shot.
After seeing that resultant foal, it was a given that the mare would return to Satono for the next mating. This mating of course produced the outstanding individual that was lot 855 at Karaka 25. Although the sale price was obviously aided by the deeds of her sister Too Sweet just weeks before in the Eclipse, she is in the words of her purchaser David Ellis “an outstanding Individual in her own right”.
We have retained a good share in her and look forward to seeing her get every opportunity with the Te Akau Racing Team.
Leon says – “We are now living at Summerset At Karaka Retirement Village just across the road from the NZ Bloodstock sales centre. So just an easy stroll over to the venue when the sales are on. Janine Dunlop (Phoenix Park) does a sterling job looking after all the horses when they are not in work or at the stud. Because she was not doing a Book 2 draft this year the fillies were transferred to Nick King (Brighthill Farm) in November to complete the sales prep. We are grateful to them both for achieving this memorable result for us”.
How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?
We are now in our 70s and have enjoyed a mix of racing and breeding on a relatively small scale for over 40 years. Leons attachment to the thoroughbred industry was formed back in school days with various “help out roles” in horse breaking, stable/trackwork and sales prep etc. Elaine had an introduction through her late brother the former leading jockey Brian (BF) Andrews. So racing was always the talk in her family home.
Over the years they we have bred and either sold or raced a good number of winners and enjoyed every minute of it. We found that life without a broodmare was lacking something. The desire to follow the breeding industry requires participation to get the full buzz. Just as it does with racing.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio? (foals, racehorses, stallion shares etc)
We have retained Her Grace the 2021 filly out of Sparkling Rose to race and have shares in a couple of other racing stock including the very good performer Hezashocka in Australia.
What advice would you give someone entering the industry as a breeder?
Over the years of involvement we have learned that you can get a huge amount of fun out of the game if you keep it in perspective. Do what you can afford and quickly put behind you the things that don’t turn out.
Finish this sentence: The best part of being a thoroughbred breeder is…
If you are putting a mare or two to stud you have a daily involvement following all the progeny that are related to your family and the stallions you are using. It is a constantly evolving thing that just keeps you thinking and wishing.
