With the first yearling sale of 2023 in Australia approaching, Alistair Stewart and the team at Oaklands Stud are busy putting the finishing touches on their draft which are sure to be well inspected.
Comprising over 1000 acres of undulating fertile pasture of what was once a Friesian dairy farm in Umbiram, just outside Toowoomba, in the heart of Queensland’s Darling Downs, Oaklands boasts the perfect conditions to breed and grow equine athletes.
“It was the land that attracted my father to buy the farm, the land is everything,” Alistair said. “Now 43 years later we are still here and producing winners which is ultimately what it is all about for ourselves and for our clients.”
Alistair Stewart is the manager of Oaklands and is now applying his youthful touch to the legacy of his father Neville, a doyen of the Queensland racing and breeding industry.
“It’s always an exciting time when you have young horses going to the sales and while every stud manager will tell you they have some lovely types, I do believe we have a quality draft this year,” Stewart laughs before adding more seriously, “Our 2023 draft is not as big on numbers for the Magic Millions as we normally have but it is high on quality.”
Stewart does not have to be pushed hard to nominate his picks. “We have colts by Power and Vino Rosso that I believe are the ideal types for the sale. Both are physical specimens with good bone that look early running types and both are QTIS eligible which is a must for this sale.
“QTIS eligible horses can share in over $10 million in bonuses on all 2yo and 3yo races in Queensland and that is a big positive for locals.
“The Vino Rosso colt is out of I’m In Stitches who is by I Am Invincible and from the family of Cox Plate winner Anamoe while the Power colt is out of Olena, a winning O’Reilly mare and the family of champions like Octagonal.
“Both are the sort of colts you want to take to a sale, both are the sort of horses trainers want and I’m looking forward to getting them to the sale and parading.”
Stewart has raised his yearlings on a mixture of Barastoc Breed N Grow, Barastoc Legend and KER Equi-Jewel, a formula the farm has used with satisfaction.
“We’ve been using this for five years now and it is tried and true,” Stewart says. “It certainly does the job, we never have a yearling not want to eat it and the results are so consistent there is no need to change.”
If the yearlings are the razzle dazzle of the stud and the stallions the ones with their names in lights, the broodmares are the beating heart and Oaklands has a floating population of 50 to 60 mares at any one time.
“We are constantly evaluating the mares we have, both physically and pedigree-wise,” Neville Stewart explains. “Our objective is to produce excellent thoroughbreds which is what we strive for.”
And while Oaklands is in a pristine location, it has not been immune to the ravages of mother nature in Queensland this year. The floods that ravaged the state inflicted some property damage but the horses were protected by the natural environment. “The farm is situated in a valley so we were able to move the horses to high ground. We sustained some property damage to fences and the like but overall we were very lucky as the horses came out of it unscathed.
“Horses do not like continual wet weather, they get depressed and when you have wet ground you can get a lot of hoof problems but were lucky that the topography of the farm was our best protection.”
Stewart Senior is also quick to praise local Barastoc rep John Daley. “Overall we’ve been with them for a long time and John is very good to deal with. He’s a local, knows the land and what we need and is always available to help us with any queries which is always greatly appreciated.”
Oaklands is currently home to three stallions, all Group 1 winners in Power and the locally bred Exosphere and Prince Fawaz.
“We are very fortunate to have Power,” Stewart says. “He’s a proven Group 1 stallion with Group winners around the world and we’re lucky to have him. His first offspring bred at Oaklands already include a smart two-year-old called Ricky Investment and there are plenty of promising ones ready to hit the track.
“Exosphere’s daughter Exo Lady is one of the leading fillies in Queensland and Prince Fawaz won his Group 1 in Brisbane and has been very popularly received with breeders so as far as we are concerned the future is pretty bright.
Breeding and selling thoroughbreds is not "all take” he says.
"The racing industry through breeding has been good to my family and we believe in giving back.”
Image: Provided by Oaklands Stud