WHILE the fate of Drayton South lies with the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC), Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association president Dr Cameron Collins believes his industry “remains at risk”.
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“The Hunter Valley is the epicentre of horse breeding in Australia,” he said.
“It produces around half of all racehorses born in Australia and more than 90 per cent of the value of thoroughbred export earnings.
“It is the nursery of Australian racing.
“For example, Hunter Valley stallions sired every runner in the 2014 Golden Slipper.”
Dr Collins said this week marked an important milestone on the thoroughbred calendar.
“It is the start of the breeding season,” he said.
“The Hunter Valley will be abuzz with constant activity to ensure that about 7500 mares are covered by the region’s 75 Australian and international stallions.”
Champion stallions like Carlton House (the Queen’s magnificent son of Street Cry), Declaration of War (Dual Group 1 winner), Exceed And Excel (Australia’s Champion Sire 2012/13), Fastnet Rock (Australia’s Champion Sire 2011/12), Lonhro (champion three-year-old and champion sire), his son Pierro (timeform’s highest-rated juvenile in Australasia since 1977), More Than Ready (sire of more than 120 stakes winners world-wide), Redoute’s Choice (champion Australian sire, sire of 114 stakes winners) and his son Snitzel (runner-up Champion Sire 2013/14, sire of 13 Group 1 winners), Golden Slipper winner Sebring (Australia’s current leading three-year-old sire) and Australia’s racing hero So You Think – to name a few.
Champion broodmares are also poised to add to future racing ranks – including Australia’s undefeated champion mare Black Caviar (in foal to Exceed And Excel), Estelle Collection (in foal to Redoute’s Choice carrying a full sibling to Australia’s top-rated horse of the season and the world’s best sprinter Lankan Rupee), Accessories (in foal to Lonhro), Faint Perfume (multiple Group 1 winner in foal to So You Think) and Ortensia (Group 1 winner across three continents, in foal to Choisir).
“In two years’ time the progeny of this intense burst of breeding will appear on racetracks across Australia and the world, signalling the beginning of the next cycle of an annual tradition in one of our oldest sports,” Dr Collins said.
“Yet our proud sporting heritage and our entire racing nursery is under threat from one mine.
“Anglo American’s proposed Drayton South open cut coal mine in Muswellbrook is located less than 500 metres from our international scale studs, Coolmore and Darley.
“Two PACs concluded that international thoroughbred breeding enterprises and open cut coal mining are incompatible land uses at such close proximity.
“In 2013, the PAC and the government’s Independent Gateway Panel recommended this mine not proceed.
“The time has come for the NSW Government to strike a balance in the Hunter Valley, deliver on its commitments and restore faith in a process that was clearly designed to protect NSW’s thoroughbred breeding industry.
“The future of Coolmore and Darley, our entire industry and more than 150 years of thoroughbred breeding and racing tradition hangs on this one decision.
“A decision on one mine in the wrong place that will destroy an entire industry.”
