Media Releases
Media Release – 6 July 2020
Gooree Park Stud Welcomes Aquis To Mudgee
The management of Gooree Park Stud are extremely excited to announce a new relationship with Aquis that will see their NSW based bloodstock relocated to Gooree Park Stud for the upcoming breeding season.
“In a very short period of time, Aquis have made great inroads into the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry, we are confident that this is the right step in the next phase of our re-introduction as a commercial entity within the industry,” enthused Gooree Park Stud Manager Andrew Baddock.
Gooree Park have an exceptional history of foaling, raising and racing Gr.1 winning racehorses such as Desert War, Laser Hawk, Your Song and many more, as well as being involved in the careers of exciting stallions Northern Meteor, Smart Missile, Hallowed Crown and Needs Further.
“Aquis are thrilled to be relocating to the historic Gooree Park Stud in Mudgee. Gooree has a long history with raising outstanding racehorses, when the opportunity presented itself, we all felt it was the right move,” stated Aquis’ CEO Tony “Tubba” Williams.
Along with Aquis’ stallions, their extensive NSW-based broodmare band and young stock will also relocate to be agisted at Gooree Park Stud for the upcoming breeding season.
Gooree Park and Aquis Release
Media Release – 16 June 2020
Gooree Park Mourn Loss of Mr Eduardo Danding Cojuangco Jr
It is with a heavy heart that we advise that Gooree Park Holdings Principal Mr Eduardo ”Danding” Cojuangco Jr passed away peacefully on Tuesday 16 June 2020, aged 85. Mr Cojuangco was the Chairman and CEO of San Miguel Corporation, the largest food and beverage corporation in the Philippines and Asia.
In 1979 he purchased Gooree Stud in Mudgee NSW off the Foyster family, themselves great thoroughbred racehorse breeders. He then proceeded to develop a world class horse racing and breeding establishment .
Gooree is an aboriginal term that means “Hunting For Game”, and thoroughbred racing and breeding is itself a hunt in one of the most elusive games of all. Mr Cojuangco loved the challenge of the game and enjoyed the highs and looked on the lows as character building!
Mr Cojuangco bred hundreds of high class winners and a multitude of stakes winners over four generations. He had that uncanny ability to not only breed tough horses like Desert War and Tempest Morn but to also breed a string of high class commercial stallions such as Northern Meteor, Smart Missile, Hallowed Crown, Your Song and Prized Icon.
Gooree’s Red and Black Striped silks were famous worldwide. One of his most famous achievements in the northern hemisphere is breeding the 1987 US Turf Horse Of The Year and Breeders Cup winner Manila .
His achievements were recognized by the Australian Racing and Breeding Industry when he was inducted into the 2015 Racing Hall Of Fame, an award Mr Cojuangco found extremely humbling.
His contribution to the Industry has been amazing as was his contribution to his beloved second home - the NSW Central Western Town of Mudgee.
His passing marks an end of an era both in his homeland of the Philippines and his self-pronounced second home of Australia. He had an amazing love and passion for both countries.
There has never been or never will be someone of the like of Mr Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr.
He will be forever missed and loved!
The Gooree Park team.
Photo by Rappler
Media Release – 1st April 2020
2020 Australian Easter Yearling Sale Online Digital Sale 5-8 April 2020
Our yearling draft will be available for inspection at Inglis Riverside Stables from Tuesday 31st March 2020.
Please contact Andrew Baddock on 0412 685 003 to arrange an inspection.
Gooree Park Stud offers 5 quality Easter Yearlings for your inspection.
Please click on the link below to view the Yearlings in the Inglis catalogue.
2020 Australian Easter Yearling Sale
Online Digital Sale 5-8 April 2020
Lot 150 Br filly by So You Think (NZ) – Queen Of The Hill
Quality athletic filly by dual Gr 1 WS Cox Plate winner So You Think, Sire of 23 Stakes winners from multiple Stakes winning mare Queen Of The Hill who hails from the immediate family of leading stallions Northern Meteor and Smart Missile.
Lot 153 Br colt by Lonhro - Raging Squall
Strong colt by champion stallion and racehorse Lonhro, sire of 88 Stakes winners, from a young Northern Meteor mare Raging Squall who is a half-sister to three Stakes winners including Dual Gr 1 winner Prized Icon (Gr 1 Champagne Stakes 1600m, Gr 1 Victorian Derby 2500m).
Lot 166 Br colt by I Am Invincible – Romantic Moon
Athletic colt by champion stallion I Am Invincible, sire of 50 Stakes winners from Stakes winning 2yo Romantic Moon (Gr 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes) by More Than Ready. Great running Gooree family developed over last 30 years.
Lot 228 Ch colt by Written Tycoon – Sultry Feeling
Powerhouse colt by leading sire of 2yos Written Tycoon, sire of Gr 1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, Gr1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By, from Dual Stakes winner and Gr 1 Placed mare Sultry Feeling, by champion broodmare Sire Encosta De Lago. Another fast running Gooree Family.
Lot 389 Br colt by Medaglia d’Oro – Comical Smile
Athletic colt by world champion stallion Medaglia D’Oro, sire of 138 Stakes winners and a half-brother to three stakes winners including leading Sire Smart Missile. From the immediate family of Champion stallion Northern Meteor tracing back to immortal Tap Root mare Thong.
Feel free to get in touch for any further information on 0412 685 003.
Regards
Andrew Baddock
Stud Manager
Gooree Park Stud
PO Box 10
Mudgee NSW 2850
P: 02 6378 1802
E: andrew@gooreepark.com.au
Media Release – 6th December 2018
It is with great sadness that we advise that our high class filly Smart Melody passed away yesterday at Scone Equine Hospital after suffering complications from colic. Her career was as fast as she was….. It is often said that this horse Racing/Breeding game is one of the hardest games to be in. There are great highs and some terrible lows and nobody is immune from it.
When Smart Melody stepped out on a grey, rain soaked Newcastle Racecourse on 9th June 2018 over 900m and proceeded to explode away and win by 5 lengths she lit up an otherwise dreary winter's Raceday with everyone in awe of her win, knowing they had seen something very special in the making. She had the WOW factor with an explosive turn of foot that only the chosen few possess. Two weeks later she went to Canterbury Racecourse Sydney, which was a big step up in class, again winning by 5 lengths and again exploding off the bend with her customary turn of foot. Newcastle was no fluke and a new Rising Star of the Australian Turf had arrived! Her trainer Kris Lees, a man hardened to the highs and lows of the game and not one to make outlandish statements just shook his head in disbelief, not knowing just where this brilliant filly could end up! Her jockey Brenton Avdulla said she was as good a 2yo as he had ridden that season and that included his Golden Slipper Winning Estijaab, she gave him the feeling of a Superstar in the making.
In all Smart Melody won 5 from 6 starts and her only defeat being over 1600m in the Gr 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield Racecourse where she just couldn’t stretch her brilliance as far as 1600m. She was built more like a colt with massive hindquarters and shoulder and could be like a cat on a hot tin roof, always wanting to get on with it and sometimes a little feisty. Smart Melody had brilliant speed and acceleration, everyone was in awe of her.
We have all been in the game a long time, you become a little hardened to the pitfalls of the game but Smart Melody was loved by all at Gooree Park Mudgee and at Kris Lees Racing, she will be greatly missed by everyone. Special thanks to all of the Staff at Gooree and Kris Lees Racing for the parts they played in her short career and thank you to all the vets at Scone Equine Hospital and our own vets Dr John Peatfield and Dr David Parry-Okeden in all, doing everything in their power to save this wonderful filly!
Thanks for the wild ride Smart Melody, you came and went in a flash. You have left us all in awe of your brilliance.
RIP
Smart Melody
Thanks For the Memories