Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland Association

She may hail from the Newcastle area but Makaylah Fenwick has clearly been feeling right at home in the Queensland showjumping arena in the last six months. The 17-year-old and retired thoroughbred Rainbow Man claimed victory in the Queensland Off-The-Track Cup Final at yesterday’s Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo and Showjumping Day on the Gold Coast. It backed up her win onboard Grace And Glory in the 2024 QOTT Program Showjumping Showcase 1.20m class at the Ekka in August. The dynamic horse-and-rider team had held out strong competition from Louise Day and Amoretti, who finished second, with Natalie Siiankoski and A Golden Alibi coming in third. Eighteen competitors lined up to chase their share of the increased $75,000 prizemoney in Sunday’s final, after earning their spots through three qualifiers held in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Fenwick and Rainbow Man had booked their place in the final via the Sydney Summer Classic qualifier early in December. The teenager was lost for words post-event when asked how she felt about the win. “I actually don’t know what I feel to be honest - I can’t even explain how I feel, it’s incredible and it’s amazing,” Fenwick said. “Winning this class has been amazing and a fantastic experience. “I’d just like to say a big thank you to Racing Queensland, Magic Millions and Queensland Off-The-Track for running such an amazing event.” Rainbow Man is an eight-year-old gelding, by Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom. He was purchased by Newcastle trainer Paul Perry at the 2018 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $80,000 from the Arrowfield Stud draft. The gelding had 17 starts through his career on the track, notching just three placings before having his last race in New South Wales in 2021. But Rainbow Man has now found a new lease on life under the tutelage of Fenwick, who acquired him off Perry two years ago. “When I first got Rainbow, we did a bit of flat work at the start and we slowly got into the jumping,” Fenwick said. “He was a bit clumsy at the start, he couldn’t even get over a cross rail, he couldn’t do that to save his life. “But we just kept on persisting and kept on doing it, practicing, practicing, practicing and he eventually just got the hang of it and he loves it now. “We’ve had our ups and downs but we’ve been working together pretty good recently, putting in the hard work and getting what I want out of him.” RQ Senior Animal Care Manager Kim Duffy said Rainbow Man’s win was a prime example of the versatility and athleticism that retired thoroughbreds can demonstrate in their post-racing careers. ‘It’s really important to support the equestrian community who takes care of our retired racehorses for the remainder of their post racing lives,” she said. “While they’re in racing, their careers and their performances are on the track and they live for another decade or two off the track. “It’s really important to transition them into a second career and we’ve seen them here in the showjumping sport today.” The QOTT Cup Final had been run for the second time after a successful inaugural event in 2024. Ms Duffy thanked Magic Millions for their support with attention already turning to the 2026 QOTT Cup Final. “Queensland Off-The-Track is incredibly proud to partner with Magic Millions - it’s one of our premium event partnerships and it also compliments our event sponsorship program which supports competitions of all disciplines across a range of equestrian and horse sport activities for all levels of horse and rider combinations,” she said. “It’s really important to create events such as these not only to stimulate demand for retired racehorses in second careers such as showjumping, but also to incentivise riders to take on a retired thoroughbred to compete at events such as this.”

It’s time to secure a spot in the 2025 Queensland Stallions Directory for your stallion or business. We print 10,000 copies each year and post them to our members at the start of June. They’re always hot property at the sales; we never have a copy left over. If you’re involved in the equine industry, this is a very valuable marketing tool – promoting your stallion or business directly to the equine industry. If you would like to advertise your stallion or business contact Lisa Frappell on 0402 490 501. But you’ll need to hurry as bookings close March 28, 2025. Don’t miss out. Click here for pricing details and booking forms Click here for information for Trade Advertisements Click here for Trade Ad Booking Forms To ensure you receive your complimentary copy of the 2025 Queensland Stallions, you must have joined the TBQA or updated your contact details (for existing members) by April 30, 2025. There is a $20 postage fee for non-members, incorrect address or if you require further editions.

Breezin' by Jungle Cat, Spirit of Boom juvenile, La Bella Boom, Tony Gollan, John Wiggington and Clinton Taylor all feature prominently in the QTIS rankings for January. Find out the latest rankings here: Leading QTIS Trainers Top QTIS 2YOs Best Performing QTIS 3YOs

The 2025 catalogue for the sale that provides more incentives to buyers than any other, the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale , is now online. Comprising a quality packed 380 lots, the 2025 catalogue is revealed hot on the heels of the sizzling Queensland Summer Carnival where past sale graduates starred. Tony Gollan's Hidden Wealth, Lee Freedman's Encoder and Liam Birchley's Amosu were all feature race winners across the $14.5 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting this January. That trio were purchased for $110,000, $40,000 and $60,000 respectively and they scooped $2.5 million worth of races on one of the world's richest cards. Graduates of the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale have a proud history of producing on the track and that looks set to continue with another quality line up for the 2025 auction. Yearlings by 73 individual sires will be represented in the two day auction on March 10 and 11 including 55 youngsters by the state's resident star sires Better Than Ready and Spirit of Boom. Barbaric and Jonker, with 27 lots each, lead the charge of 14 stallions with members of their first Australian crop. Every lot in the sale is eligible for the $20 million plus Magic Millions Race Series. Additionally the entire catalogue is either QTIS Fully Paid or QTIS 1st Payment and eligible to run for over $13 million in QTIS bonuses as well as exclusive races such as the $1.5 million Racing Queensland Magic Millions QTIS Open and $500,000 QTIS Jewels for two and three-year-olds. Buyers at the Gold Coast in March will benefit from a reduced Magic Millions Race Series Nomination fee of $4,752 - 28 per cent less than other sales. "The Gold Coast March Yearling Sale provides buyers with incredible incentives alongside quality yearlings," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "Season after season graduates of the sale star for their connections around the state, country and abroad - from the likes of Buffering, Apache Chase and Spirit of Boom to recent million dollar race winners Encoder and Hidden Wealth and Magic Millions Debut winner Amosu." To view the catalogue for the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale click here or download via the Equineline Catalog App on your iPad. IMPORTANT DATES Monday 24 February Beaudesert Stud Tour from 8am (RSVP essential) Tuesday 25 February Toowoomba Stud Tour from 8am (RSVP essential) Thursday 27 February Warwick Stud Tour from 8am (RSVP essential) Friday 7 March Magic Millions Yearling Sale inspections from 8am Saturday 8 March Magic Millions Yearling Sale inspections from 8am Racing Queensland Own the Morning from 8.30am $2 million Queensland Jewel Raceday, Gold Coast Turf Club Sunday 9 March Magic Millions Yearling Sale inspections from 8am Racing Queensland Own the Morning from 8.30am TBQA & Magic Millions Welcome BBQ from 4pm Monday 10 March Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale - Day One from 11am (Lots 1-190) Tuesday 11 March Magic Millions Gold Coast March Sale - Day Two from 11am (Lots 191-380)

Applications for Thoroughbred Breeders Australia's (TBA) latest Fast Track program are now open. The course offers a pathway into the breeding sector and the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification, while being paid full time. Developed in response to industry staffing shortages, the 12-month course targets people from outside breeding and racing and introduces them to Australia’s vibrant thoroughbred sector. It gives them the foundational skills and knowledge needed to build successful careers. Now in its eighth year, the program has proved to be a successful pathway, with 90 per cent of trainees continuing to work in the industry after completing the course. TBA’s education and projects manager, Madison Tims, said: “This course is great because it doesn’t matter whether you’ve experience with horses or not, on this course you get a chance to learn those skills from some of the best in the thoroughbred industry. We’ve had people from all types of backgrounds on the program before who’ve gone on to great things with their career. “Fast Track is also unique in that the trainees are working on a farm, so receiving a wage, while also studying for a Certificate III.” Among the diverse occupations of students from previous intakes are electricians, a beauty therapist, an army veteran, a cafe barista, and a cricket coach, all looking for a career change. Graduates have gone on to take up management roles on thoroughbred breeding farms, travel to Ireland to take part in the prestigious Irish National Stud course and participate in the Northern Hemisphere breeding and sales seasons. We've also had a student graduate from the Godolphin Flying Start course. Successful applicants commence a full-time paid traineeship with a stud farm while studying for a Certificate III in Horse Breeding – a nationally recognised formal qualification. To complement the on-the-job learning, students attend two intensive learning blocks in Scone (six weeks in total), where they receive a mix of practical training and classroom theory and participate in various field trips and personal development workshops. Employers around the country have embraced the program. We are incredibly grateful for the support of Australian thoroughbred breeders, who have ensured the success of the Fast Track program over the last seven intakes.  Any farm that is interested in taking on a trainee can get in touch directly with TBA. Applications close March 10th, and you can head to tbaus.com or email madison@tbaus.com for more information.