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High Hopes for Van Nistelrooy Colts 24 Jul 2006
Ron and Judi Wanless have had some outstanding success on the racetrack over the last eight or so years.

Based in Queensland, they have built up their racing team now having between 25 and 30 horses in work at a time with a number of Australia’s leading trainers including Peter Moody, Gai Waterhouse, John Hawkes and Gerald Ryan.

“I like to spread my horses between selected trainers and we have had a great deal of success and enjoyment over the years,” said Ron. Horses like VRC Derby-winner Amalfi (NZ) (Carnegie), Queensland Guineas-winner Regent Street (NZ) (Carnegie), Lightning Stakes-winner Golden Snitch (Aus) (Unbridled’s Song), Tasmanian Derby-winner Moonah Brooke (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Inglis Classic-winner Absolutelyfabulous (Aus) (Langfuhr) and multiple stakes-winner and performer Bridal Hill (Aus) (Unbridled’s Song) have all been raced in the ownership of the Wanless’, and with the continued purchase of young stock, there is sure to be more success in the years ahead.

“We have 18 rising two-year-olds, some we have bred but a majority have been purchased from yearling sales throughout Australasia,” said Ron. It was through the yearling sales ring that Ron purchased four yearlings by Trelawney Stud’s exciting young sire Van Nistelrooy (USA) (Storm Cat).

At Karaka 2006, Ron took a liking to the progeny of Van Nistelrooy purchasing four colts at the select sale through bloodstock agent Kieran Moore including a $120,000 colt out of the Sir Tristram mare Debora (NZ). “I have great hopes for them” says Ron of his Van Nistelrooy’s. “I obviously liked them as types – they are strong and athletic,” he said.

One thing these four colts (along with Ron’s other purchases of 2006) won’t lack is opportunity. “I like to put my horses into leading stables and Peter Moody, Gerald Ryan, John Hawkes and Alan Bailey will all get one of these colts,” said Ron.

“They have all been broken in and pre-trained and we bought types that will go reasonably early all going well,” said Ron. “What has really come through is the fantastic temperaments that they all have,” he said.

Apart from a large racing team, the Wanless’ have started the development of a small but select band of broodmares. Judi Wanless, an ex-pat Kiwi and supporter of all things New Zealand shares her husband’s liking of Van Nistelrooy having sent a mare to him in each of his three seasons at stud so far.

“I think Van Nistelrooy will be a sensational sire and I’d be very disappointed if of the four I have purchased, one doesn’t turn out to be a very, very good horse,” said Ron. “In the last eight years only two horses that I’ve purchased haven’t won – one had a heart attack and the other got navicular disease after being placed so that’s not a bad record,” he said.

Van Nistelrooy is set to return to Trelawney Stud in August to commence his fourth Southern Hemisphere season. “His yearling sales results were very pleasing and the reports from breakers and trainers is giving us a lot of confidence,” said Brent Taylor of Trelawney Stud. “Van Nistelrooy’s first crop of Northern Hemisphere yearlings head to the Keeneland Sale in September so that will be another milestone in his career as a sire but what we’re looking forward to most is the new season and the prospects of some of his first crop two-year-olds down here,” he said.

Van Nistelrooy will stand at Trelawney in 2006 for a fee of NZ$10,000 + GST.