Black Type

There’s a saying in the Bible that “it’s more difficult to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle” (or words to that effect), and it’s almost as tough for a racehorse to take the laurels in the best company.

The most precious commodity in breeding (and racing, for that matter) is an association with the money earners in Feature races. For the breeder it’s recognition he’s bred a big horse, and it adds value to his mare and her progeny. For the owner, it means the cash register’s ringing and he’s tasted the prestige connected with the Big race leaderboard.

THIS SEASON’S “VALUE-ADDERS”
At Summerhill, in the past five weeks alone, no fewer than nine horses whose lives began in our stallion barn have graced the Winners podium in Black Type events, while sixteen have turned in value-adding performances for their mothers. Since the season’s opening, 14% (or 1 in 7) Summerhill runners have come home victorious in major events and almost 20% have earned money in the same races.

THE KEY: ECO-SENSITIVE LAND MANAGEMENT
While life’s successes would never be possible without the intervention of Lady Luck, it’s equally true that this kind of sustained achievement is no coincidence. The horses that have brought such glory to the farm and all their connections are the products of one of the most eco-sensitive land use management programmes in thoroughbred breeding. Everything at Summerhill is done in harmony with our environment. It is overseen by one of the most talented workforces anywhere, and of course it follows that none of this would be worthwhile, if we didn’t support it with a nutritional programme that was plugged in to the same set of values.

There will be plenty of revelations into the secrets that have helped us, against the odds, on the road to a dominance of breeding’s affairs in the months ahead, so stay tuned. This was only a teaser.