FRESH from learning that dual Group 1 winner Pippie was purchased for Cressfield, Wayne Bedggood - manager of the Scone district breeding property, was honoured with the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association's (HTBA) President's Award at a gala evening in Scone.
Involved in the thoroughbred industry for about 40 years, Mr Bedggood has been at the helm of Cressfield for the past 20 years overseeing its development into a world class breeding facility, as well as overseeing the restoration of the property's 1917 Queen Anne Federation homestead.
Costing $1.8 million at Inglis The Chairman's Sale, Pippie joins several other home-based Group 1 winning matrons Mr Bedggood is responsible for.
The President's Award - for a life-time achievement, reflects Mr Bedggood's dedication, management and horsemanship skills, and underlined via many stakes-performers emerging on his watch including Group 1 winners Clearly Innocent and Onemorenomore. A past president of the HTBA, Mr Bedggood is also involved in the local community, a long-serving committee-member of the Muswellbrook Race Club, and a former councillor and mayor of the Upper Hunter Shire Council.
The HTBA Murray Bain Service to Industry Award went to Dr John Freestone BVSc, DACVIM (LAIM), FRCVS, MACVSc, a dedicated veterinary practitioner.
A veteran equine veterinarian of over 40 years, Dr Freestone was happy to share his knowledge and commitment, as well as teaching, training and mentoring along the way.
A researcher of many published veterinary research papers, Dr Freestone has provided veterinary care to thoroughbreds in several leading breeding countries, and accepted a resident position at Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains, about 25 years ago.
Employee Of The Year Award (administration) was Amanda Pettman of Arrowfield Stud, while Mike Harris was honoured with the Employee Of The Year (horsemanship), with 30 years; in the industry, and employed at Widden Stud for 14 years.
This year the HTBA introduced an Employee Of The Year for leadership skills, this category presented to Liesl Baunmann. After joining Cressfield in 2006, Ms Baunmann's leadership talents progressed from yearlings to broodmare manager, to operations manager in 2014, the second in command to Mr Bedggood. Yarraman Park star sire I Am Invincible received champion HTBA sire honours, while Capitalist (Newgate Farm, Aberdeen) took the champion first crop sire.
For the second year in a row the HTBA champion racehorse went to sprinter Nature Strip, son of Widden Stud's outstanding sire Nicconi; champion juvenile racehorse - Anamoe (by Darley stallion Street Boss); and champion three-year-old to Exceed And Excel filly, September Run.
Simon Johnson - assistant manager of Godolphin's "Woodlands", Denman, accepted the trophy for Dazzler (More Than Ready), broodmare of the year and producer of this season's stakes winning brothers Coruscate and Bivouac, the latter horse recently retired to Godolphin's "Kelvinside", Aberdeen.
Mare Millions
A remarkable 25 mares fetched $1 million or more, as new records were created across the board at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last week. Adding to its coffers was the originally passed-in royal racemare entry Arcadia Queen, which was announced on the final sale day that she sold for the auction's top price at $3.2m.
Consigned via Julie Harris' Holbrook Thoroughbreds, Scone, for Western Australian breeders, Arcadia Queen - a Pierro triple Group 1 winner of $3.9m, sold to its neighbours Arrowfield Stud, both breeding farms sharing a back border and each located on Gundy Road. While 195 more entries were catalogued (to 823) from last year's edition, this year 611 lots sold (from 702 offered), for a National Sale record high $233,157 average ($140,586 last year). The three-days selling grossed a massive $142.459m. Legendary New Zealand racemare, Melody Belle - winner of 19 races including 14 Group 1s and $4m, fetched second top at $2.6m, selling to Victoria's Written Tycoon Syndicate. Two other mares fetched $2m or more with Coolmore Stud's Tom Magnier shelling-out $2.2m for Mizzy, while New Zealand's Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock paid $2m for Qafila.