In
2014, Taranaki businessman Chris Thompson, decided to invest in a couple of
broodmares to boost his thoroughbred interests.
He had already been involved with thoroughbreds for about 30 years, breeding
and racing a few and on-selling them out of Alan Sharrock's stable in New
Plymouth, trading under the banner of Kaipikari Thoroughbreds from his 11 acre
property.
But with the desire to breed a few more, he purchased four broodmares and as it
has turned out two of those mares have sons running in Saturday's Gr.1 Vodafone
New Zealand Derby. They are the Avondale Guineas winner Gingernuts, a son of
Iffraaj, and the lightly raced dual winner Excalibur, a son of Tavistock.
"It's really exciting. Who would have thought at the time I bought those
mares that they would have ended up with Derby runners in the same year?"
said Thompson.
"The Derby outcome aside, they have already proved to be very good
investments, as I sold the brother to Excalibur for $100,000 and the brother to
Gingernuts for $90,000, both through the Gavelhouse website.
"I decided to try buying reasonably bred mares from stud dispersals, and
as it has turned out it is actually a very cost effective way of breeding."
Thompson paid just $2,000 for Excalibur's dam Strabelle, a winning Stravinsky
mare who had already left a winner in The Cannon, after she was passed in at
the NZB Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale. She was in-foal to Tavistock, who has
subsequently become one of New Zealand's most sought after stallions, and
produced a colt.
Unfortunately for Thompson, he didn't breed another foal out of Strabelle and
she has since died.
At the same sale, Thompson secured Double Elle, the dam of Gingernuts, for
$3,000, from a Goodwood Stud dispersal.
"I bought Double Elle in foal to Iffraaj, when Gingernuts was just a
yearling. I sold the full brother to Te Akau via Gavelhouse and I have kept a
ten percent share in him.
"We named him Griffin and he is not unlike Gingernuts physically, but according
to Jamie Richards (co-trainer) he is more forward than Gingernuts was at the
same time.
"He has had a few trials and will be an autumn two-year-old."
When Thompson bought Double Elle she hadn't left a winner, but since his
acquisition the mare's earlier offspring — Runway and Rideitlikeustoleit — have
won three races apiece.
"Double Elle has a beautiful Jakkalberry filly foal at foot. She is a
lovely bay and she is back in foal to Jakkalberry but that foal belongs to
Luigi Muollo of Novara Park.
"One thing is for sure I will be at Ellerslie on Saturday. I swore I would
never go to a Derby until I had a runner, but this is as good as having a
runner," Thompson said. – Michelle Saba, NZTBA