WS NEWS | From Birthdays to Blistering Wins
/It is officially spring, which means things are really starting to ramp up in the breeding barn as we count down to the official kick-off of the 2025–26 breeding season next week.
The breeding side of the stud is well underway now and we welcomed 10 foals throughout August, and yesterday we served our first three mares on-farm.
New Zealand Breeders: Need semen this week? Get in touch with us, we’ll sort you out.
And as far as weeks on the track go, they don’t get much better than last week. A phenomenal 73 Woodlands-sired winners saluted last week, with plenty of highlights among them.
WOODLANDS WESTBRED WINNERS
It was total domination in the Westbred 3YO heats at a very wet Pinjarra last week, with Woodlands sires producing five of the six heat winners plus another victory on the card.
AMERICAN IDEAL – When In Vegas
DOWNBYTHESEASIDE – Elite Fleet
SWEET LOU – four winners: Ruby Lovera, Our Rich Cargo, Ruby Lou, Maddy Lou
This Friday night’s Gloucester Park Westbred Finals will be stacked with Woodlands-sired talent, with 16 runners across the four two and three-year-old finals (plus three emergencies). We wish all connections the very best of luck!
Photo: Speeding Spur
HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY SPEEDING SPUR
A special celebration this week as our resident trotting stallion Speeding Spur turns 14 tomorrow!
Now enjoying a life of luxury at Woodlands Stud, he continues to serve a small book of mares each season. On the track, he gave us so many thrills with nine Group 1 victories and over $1 million in stakes, racing from two until eight — a true testament to his class, heart and durability.
Looking for a fresh, fertile champion trotter at tremendous value this season? Look no further!
Photo (Club Menangle): Eye Keep Smiling
SWEET SUCCESS
What a week for Sweet Lou:
24 winners
2 quaddies
3 doubles
He bookended the week with four winners at Pinjarra on Monday and another four at Menangle on Saturday.
Among the many highlights was Eye Keep Smiling (Armbro Operative dam), who extended her unbeaten streak to 11 with a sub-1:50 win (1:49.9), fittingly in the race named after Success Stud, who bred and race her. Watch the replay.
Sweet Lou's Australian book is full and closed for 2025-26, but contact Cameron Grant to secure your bookings in New Zealand.
OTHER NEWS
WOODLANDS BRED, WOODLANDS RAISED
Our bred-and-raised team delivered 15 winners across Australasia last week, including quinellas at Albion Park and Launceston.
At Alexandra Park on Friday night, we cheered home a treble with:
Sugar Ray Lincoln (American Ideal)
Mantra Blue (Sweet Lou)
Princess Gracy (Sweet Lou – raced by our Woodlands Partnership No.3 Syndicate).
DOWNBYTHESEASIDE – A 2YO SEASON OF TALENT
Just like he did on the racetrack, Downbytheseaside's 2-year-old crop are really making their mark.
On Sunday he produced a 2YO quinella at Ashburton — with different runners to the ones who filled the first four the week prior!
His Group 1-winning son JUMAL (Badlands Hanover dam) also returned to the winners’ circle after a break, looking a serious contender for upcoming features.
On the sires’ tables:
NZ – Second to Bettor’s Delight on stakes, equal on winners (9), and leading on total wins (15).
AUS – The leading sire of individual 2YO winners: 25 winners and 30 victories so far this season.
LATHER UP – TACT TEVA RESUMES IN STYLE
The exciting Tact Teva (Albert Albert dam) returned from a spell and showed his class, flying the flag for Lather Up progeny.
With Tim Williams in the cart, he showed blistering gate speed and powered away for an easy win, making it two wins and two seconds from five starts. Bred by the late Bessie Dynes, he looks like a gelding with a big end to the season ahead.
AMERICAN IDEAL – THE LEGACY LIVES ON
Opportunities to breed to American Ideal are now limited to frozen semen in New Zealand only, but his stock continue to shine.
He produced 16 winners last week, including doubles at Bathurst, Redcliffe and Penrith.
A standout was TYTATE (Mach Three dam), bred by Woodlands, who scored in the Winter Rewards at Cambridge by nearly four lengths in a solid 2.39.0 (MR 1:56.2) for the 2200m, the fastest mare’s time for that distance at Cambridge this year. With nearly $60k in earnings and 13 top-three finishes from 15 starts, she is a mare going places.
WHAT THE HILL – WHAT A WIN
Although he won’t be returning to stud, What The Hill continues to produce talent.
At Albion Park, his 2YO KICKING HORSE (Monkey Bones dam) bolted in by nearly 10 metres, making it four wins from six starts. The gelding who was bred and is raced by Sharon Mitchell took out the Final of the Springboard Series.
Photo (The Creek): Kicking Horse
