Photo: Trish Dunell
A partnership that began with the establishment of Wentwood Grange Stud back at the beginning of the century can lay claim to a unique breeding connection on the weekend after Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park) took out the inaugural running of the A$7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, a result preceded by the victory of Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Retired Australian businessman and former professional rugby league player, Warren Pegg was one of the original clients of the Hawkins family owned and operated Wentwood Grange, that commenced operation in the year 2000.
Pegg had a number of mares based at Wentwood Grange including Magic Star, the dam of multiple stakes winning stayer Sampson and Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and now Golden Eagle winner, Kolding.
While Pegg is officially recognised as the breeder of Kolding it is actually a partnership between Pegg and Wentwood Grange that was responsible for producing the Ocean Park four-year-old.
“Warren was our first client at Wentwood Grange and we have enjoyed considerable success with him over the nineteen years we have been operating,” Wentwood Grange Marketing Manager Sean Hawkins said.
“Warren is into his eighties now and he was looking to reduce some of his activity and involvement with the mares he had here, so we entered into a partnership agreement with him where we took over the financial management of them, planned the matings and the like.
“Kolding is actually a product of that partnership, although there was a bit of a muck up with the paperwork when it was submitted as he is noted as being bred solely by Warren.
“We had tried to get the error rectified however by then the horse had been sold to Australia and they told us there wasn’t much we can do.
“Given our wonderful relationship with Warren, it’s not something we are too concerned about and it’s just fantastic to see another graduate from the stud doing so well.
Offered through Wentwood’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft, Kolding was purchased by Guy Mulcaster for $170,000 on behalf of owner Neville Morgan.
Kolding was the first Group One winner for Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park who also produced Saturday’s Gr.3 Furphy Sprint (1100m) winner Tofane and is currently second on the leading sires table in Australia.
It is another Pegg and Wentwood Grange produced individual that features as the dam of exciting Australian three-year-old Exceedance who secured his first Group One victory in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Thorn Park mare Bonnie Mac, who won twice in New Zealand before scoring a further three times in a brief Australian career, is the dam of Exceedance and was bred and raised at Wentwood Grange.
Bonnie Mac is a daughter of Pegg’s Gold Brose mare Gold Class and was knocked down to well known bloodstock agent Paul Moroney for $90,000 from the Wentwood Grange draft at the 2009 Select session at Karaka.
“Bonnie Mac was a lovely yearling and showed plenty of ability in a relatively brief racing career,” Hawkins said.
“We got a real kick out of what Exceedance did on Saturday, knowing the connection we have with his pedigree. “Add the win by Kolding and I think it was a great weekend and something we will remember for quite some time.” - NZ Racing Desk
