Friday, January 1, 2021 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR FROM THE ANZ TEAM Leneva makes move What's on Stakes races: Canterbury (NSW) - into stallions by Christmas Classic (Listed, 1200m). Flemington (VIC) - Standish Handicap (Gr acquiring Seymour Park 3, 1200m), Bagot Handicap (Listed, 2800m). Ellerslie (NZ) - The Railway (Gr 1, 1200m), Vandersluys takes over lease of Aquis Victoria property while Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m), Royal Stakes maintaining pre-training facility (Gr 2, 2000m), Auckland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m), Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), City Of Auckland Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) Metropolitan meetings: Canterbury (NSW), Flemington (VIC), Longford (TAS), Ellerslie (NZ) Race meetings: Inverell (NSW), Port Macquarie (NSW), Mornington (VIC), Ipswich (QLD), Murray Bridge (SA), Pinjarra (WA), Hastings (NZ), Riverton (NZ) Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Port Macquarie (NSW) International meetings: Sha Tin (HK), Southwell (UK), Fairview (SAF), Santa Anita (USA) International Group races: Sha Tin (HK) - Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (Gr 3, 1000m), Lean Mean Machine LENEVA PARK Chinese Club Challenge Cup (Gr 3, 1400m). that Leneva Park would expand by taking on Santa Anita (USA) - Joe Hernandez Stakes BY TIM ROWE | @ANZ_NEWS Darren Thomas’ Seymour property, which (Gr 2, 6.5f) acing can be an ego-driven Aquis Farm had leased for the past two years industry which attracts those who as its base in Victoria, to stand stallions and like to be front and centre but house its growing broodmare band, foals and Luke Vandersluys, the man behind yearlings. Victoria’sR Leneva Park, is not one of those and Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar), Aquis’ so it again proved when the spelling and pre- foundation Victorian stallion, and Royal training operation announced it had also taken Meeting (Invincible Spirit) will both remain at on the lease of Seymour Park. the property, which will be renamed Leneva On Wednesday, Vandersluys confirmed Park Seymour. Continued on page 2>> TWILIGHT PAYMENT’S MELBOURNE CUP WIN MARKS MILESTONE FOR KERR & CO - PAGE 14 IT'S IN THE BLOOD - PAGE 17 Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Leneva makes move into stallions by acquiring Seymour Park | 2 | Friday, January 1, 2021 << Continued from page 1 Vandersluys, who runs Wodonga- based business CountryWide Asphalt, is principal owner of Leneva Park and is making a big impression in his short time of large-scale investment in the thoroughbred industry. The 30-year-old entrepreneur prefers not to be the face of his burgeoning thoroughbred empire, instead leaving those hands-on in the business to do the talking. BEST OF That includes Mick Sharkie, a racing media pundit turned bloodstock consultant who in June was lured to Leneva Park after a stint with syndicator Brad Spicer. Sharkie, the bloodstock adviser for the expanding Longwood-based LUCK operation, this week revealed that Vandersluys had harboured plans to To the Magic Millions graduates running diversify into broodmares and stallions while continuing the successful in this weekend’s feature races pre-training and spelling business. Aquis Farm’s dramatic restructure, as reported by ANZ Bloodstock Friday Saturday News last month, has hastily brought forward Vandersluys and Leneva’s plans to become involved in FLEMINGTON (VRC) ASCOT (WATC) PERTH CUP GR2 the, at times, volatile ‘stallion STANDISH HCP GR3 Platoon ...............................Mungrup Stud game’. Graff ......................................... Widden Stud Cambist .............................Yarradale Stud “When I started here in June, William Thomas .........Maluka T’breds Dark Muske.............. Geisel Park Stud Luke really wanted to put some Double Digit ...............Alwyn Park Stud Morrissy ...................................Vinery Stud time into developing a good little LA TRICE CLASSIC GR3 Defiant Dancer .......Edinglassie Stud group of broodmares that we Naughty By Nature ........Toreby Park could take the progeny of to the ELLERSLIE (NZ) EAGLE FARM (BRC) sales and eventually, down the RAILWAY STKS GR1 VO ROGUE PLATE GR3 track, we might be in the position Our Playboy ....................... Widden Stud Mick Sharkie SPORTSBET Packing Rockstar .....Coolmore Stud to buy stallion shares and have Portland Sky ............Alwyn Park Stud Safework ...............................Eureka Stud some good core mares that we could utilise with those noms,” Sharkie told ECLIPSE STKS GR2 Magic Conqueror ......Bowness Stud ANZ Bloodstock News. Sword of State............. Newgate Farm Thunder Mania ..............Baramul Stud Oscar Zulu ................................Gilgai Farm “When Aquis was restructuring and we got wind that their might be Imperatriz .........................Bhima T’breds Apache Chase ..................Eureka Stud an opportunity at Seymour Park, we changed that strategy a little bit and Palladas ............................Sledmere Stud AUCKLAND GUINEAS GR2 thought maybe this was an opportunity to accelerate things, which is Batangas Entry ............ Fernrigg Farm Tellall ..................................Kenmore Lodge something that Luke’s never afraid to do in his business away from racing, Boombrasstic ..................Roona Lodge Gotta Kiss ..........Yarraman Park Stud and it was well worth taking the punt. RICH HILL MILE GR2 Starosa ............................Rosemont Stud “We’re very lucky that guys like Mark Pilkington and Darren Thomas, Raposa Rapida .................Donnybrook Smart ’n’ Sexy............Westbury Stud Plutocrat ..........................Glenlogan Park who own Seymour Park and have big stakes in these stallions, have the Estates confidence in our team and our business and have chosen to give a young business a go rather than going with someone who is established.” A two-year-old Group 1 winner in France, Royal Meeting and dual Group 2 winner Lean Mean Machine will provide Leneva Park with a strong base to build its client base, while Brian Byrnes will continue managing the property as he has for the past two years. Aquis Farm will also retain its shareholding in both stallions. “We could have gone and got another property to expand the breeding, particularly the broodmares, but having those two stallions there as going concerns, if you like, with good numbers behind them and Lean Mean Machine’s foals look particularly nice, I think that was the sealer for Luke and his family,” Sharkie said. “He thought, we’re already halfway there with those two stallions and if we can add to it along the journey and recruit some more, it’s not like you’re starting from scratch. He’s got kind of a head start.” Continued on page 4>> www.magicmillions.com.au Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by THE ROAD TO Magic Millions Please note the following important pre-sale inspection changes for the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale STRAWBERRY HILL STUD draft of 9 yearlings – now located at Emirates Park, New England Hwy, Murrurundi TARTAN FIELDS draft of 8 yearlings – now located at Kia Ora Stud, Allan Bridge Rd, Scone TYREEL STUD draft of 12 yearlings – now located at Vantage Hill, Middlebrook Rd, Scone *NEW* MILL PARK STUD draft of 15 yearlings – will be located at Darren Smith Racing Stables, 235 Cabbage Tree Rd, Williamstown and available for inspections on Sunday 3 January from 9.30am-3pm Contact Kellie McCarthy on 0418 456 706 All other drafts can be inspected at their published locations prior to arriving on the Gold Coast. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LOCATION MAP & DETAILS MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST YEARLING SALE | 12-18 JANUARY 2021 For further information and assistance with inspections at any farms around Australia please contact a member of the Magic Millions Bloodstock Team on (07) 5504 1200. View the catalogue online at www.magicmillions.com.au or via the Equineline catalog app for iPad Leneva makes move into stallions by acquiring Seymour Park | 4 | Friday, January 1, 2021 << Continued from page 2 Sharkie added: “It is a gamble, but we are not going to die wondering and we are pretty confident that we have got a good structure and a good strategy to make a go of it. “We’re not trying to be a Newgate or anything like that straight off the bat. We understand that there’s a bit of a resurgence in Victorian breeding and we want to be a part of that. “We’ve bought into Strasbourg and we have bought into I Am Immortal. We want to work with other Victorian farms and we think this is a good opportunity for them to work with us, too.” The relationship between Thomas, Pilkington and Leneva IT IS A GAMBLE, BUT Park is likely to play an important WE ARE NOT GOING role in the growth of the Levena TO DIE WONDERING Royal Meeting (blue cap) FOCUSONRACING.COM Park Seymour operation. AND WE ARE PRETTY Thomas’ Seymour Bloodstock, Fierce Impact, who ran sixth in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) in October, CONFIDENT THAT WE managed by Pilkington, has is back in training at Warwick Farm. HAVE GOT A GOOD extensive racing and breeding “A horse like Fierce Impact, if we could get hold of him, I think that STRUCTURE AND A interests including in Merchant would be a fantastic help and from there we will see how it plays out,” he GOOD STRATEGY TO Navy (Fastnet Rock) (Coolmore) said. MAKE A GO OF IT. and the Matthew Smith-trained “If we can get some good numbers again to Royal Meeting in his - MICK SHARKIE three-time Group 1-winning entire second year and Lean Mean Machine in his third year, which is always Fierce Impact (Deep Impact). tough, if we can get out there and on the front Continued on page 5>> Follow us @anz_news | 4 | Brought to you by Leneva makes move into stallions by acquiring Seymour Park | 5 | Friday, January 1, 2021 << Continued from page 4 foot, do some marketing and hit the Euroa, in early 2019 and renamed it Leneva Park, which has quickly phones and get some nominations to them, then hopefully there’s some established itself as a premium pre-training and spelling facility used by owners out there and breeders who have got stallion prospects who want a number of leading trainers.