Graham Cooney

Farm location:

Various

 

Farm size:

Various

 

How did you get started in breeding?

Bought my first mare in 1979 as a yearling following a lifetime of family interest in harness racing.

 

Name of first broodmare?

Flying Belle (Flying Lord-Sweet Gum) - one win.

 

Is your priority to breed horses for racing or to sell at the sales?

Racing.

 

What do you consider was the best horse you've raced?

Nursemaid  ( 71-14-12-12  71-14-12-12 )    $195,292.

 

Best horse you have sold away from the yearling sales?

Grenadier (77-8-11-6)    $106,278.

 

Best performed filly sold?

Bit on the Side (1.55.2)

 

Favourite all time stallion?

Lordship for sentimental reasons, Caprock for selfish reasons and Holmes Hanover for performance reasons.

 

What new season sire are you most excited about?

Real Desire - a very good race horse and he is leaving well performed foals in America.

 

How important do you feel it is to breed to a stallion that will possibily leave two year olds?

Not a really high priority.

 

How important do you feel research is in choosing a stallion for your mares?

Very.

 

How important is the stallions size?

More important is the size and type of foals he is leaving...It does depend on the mares size so it can be important.

 

Do you prefer to see the stallion choices in the flesh?

Preferably.

 

As a professional breeder, how often do you buy outside mares to broaden your breeding stock?

At the moment, it's not important.

 

What current New Zealand breed would you like to buy into?

The Black Watch family. I like breeds that continually leave tough Cup horses, at least every second generation.

 

What feeding plan do you follow when rearing your foals?

They stay at the stud until weaned. The first winter they are hard fed on pasture and after that mainly pasture and some supplementary feed.

 

If you are breeding primarily pacers, would you ever consider breeding trotters?

Yes.

 

What do you most enjoy about breeding horses?

Working with the young ones, breeding winners and introducing new people to the racing game.

 

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect about breeding horses today?

Choosing between the great stallion selection.

 

Breeding Stock List:

Pascaline (Nero's BB - Epitome) one win.

Best Progeny - Burlesque - (OK Bye)  29-6-5-2  $38,483 and Mainstay - (Camtastic)  32-2-2-5  $14,318.

 

Vaguely Familiar (Caprock  -  Looks OK)  two wins.

Best Progeny: Deja Vous (Falcon Seelster) 14-1-3-1 $12,019 and Nostalgia (Pacific Rocket) 30-0-3-3 $8,784.

 

Harp (Vance Hanover - Concourse)  two wins.

Best Progeny - Shamrocks - (Christian Cullen)  61-5-7-8  $51,719.

 

Victoria Globe (Silver Dollar - Victoria Foyle) no wins.

Best Progeny - Bit on the Side (Oblivion II) - 1.55.2 (USA), Brigadier Scott (Live Or Die) 5 wins, Sayonara (JC Suprimo) two wins and Yokozuna 17-8-3-1 $46,745.

 

Burlesque (OK Bye - Pascaline) six wins.

Best Progeny - Tomfoolery - (Lislea)  4-0-1-2 $2,843.

 

Hardly Surprising (Sundon - Pascaline) no wins.

Best Progeny - Sedaka (Riverboat King) 3-0-0-0 $219.

 

Sunset Sally (New York Motoring - Fiesta Sunset) no wins.

Progeny - Two unraced foals (Dream Away and P-Forty-Seven).

 

Highview Amy (Holmes Hanover - Rosewood Mistress) unraced.

Progeny - Two unraced foals (Riverboat King and Presidential Ball).

 

Just Another Lover (Holmes Hanover - Vonnie Franco) six wins.

Progeny: Canardly Lover (Real Desire) 6-2-1-0 $18,528.

 

Nursemaid (Caprock - Butler's Fury) fourteen wins.

Devil May Care (Falcon Seelster) 11-2-1-1 $19,222.