The death knell is sounding over Crown Lodge, once a capitol of the Woodlands Stud racing empire developed by Big Jack and Mr Bob Ingham and now carrying the Godolphin blue flag.
Surprisingly Godolphin, one of the major racing conglomerates worldwide, will go into a public model – announced this week splitting from private trainer James Cummings – in conjunction with the Hawkesbury standalone.
Including Cummings the trainers of Crown Lodge have always supported the Saturday provincial which this week compares favourably with the Group one South Australian Derby program at Morphettville and strong Eagle Farm meeting.
Cummings, who has done so well for Godolphin will retain some horses but it would appear Dubai, the capitol of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rachid Al Maktoum, isn’t comfortable regarding the business model here.
With Lindsay Park, the training and breeding operation earlier developed by Colin Hayes, Woodlands Stud was one of the outstanding thoroughbred operations in Australia.
Before Crown Lodge, Warwick Farm was a legion of the lost for trainers: battlers and New Zealanders.
However with accommodation for 125 horses, the stable churned out thousands of winners, greats for the Inghams, big in chickens. Took pride in not being losers, particularly at the punt, nor other turf ventures.
Crown Lodge was developed by their first “private” trainer, Vic Thompson, son of “old Vic” Thompson who kicked off at Victoria Park and rarely missed when the money was on. “Young Vic” is the father of John, who is doing very well at Randwick.
“Young Vic” bought the Warwick Farm property for the Inghams, designed the stables which became operational in 1987.
Before the equine factories, so well managed by Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher, got into production of hundreds Thompson had excellent stats. He prepared 313 winners in town and in 1992 was the first to win the Sydney trainer’s premiership plus Gosford and Kembla Grange.
John Hawkes followed Thompson for the Inghams and became a Hall Of Famer, developing Octagonal and Lonhro, who, under the cerise silks, produced so much for the Australian turf.
Peter Snowden came after Hawkes at Crown Lodge and in 2007 Godolphin took over the entire realm, encompassing Woodlands Stud as well as Crown Lodge and Agnes Park, now Osborne Park, a secondary training operation, out Hawkesbury way.
Winners flowed under Snowden as they did for John O’Shea who came next before Cummings, eight years holding the reigns, and going strong.
In recent weeks rumours abounded regarding Godolphin. Yu Long Investments were going to buy big into the Australian operation. Cummings was mentioned in connection with Hong Kong but now he is more likely to return to the ancestral home, Leilani Lodge, at Randwick.
Despite Godolphin having a profit in 2023, a reported $33.4 million up $7.5 million on the previous 12 months NSW Land Tax apparently has taken a toll.
The Guardian Australia reported Godolphin Australia lost almost $148 million in four years up to 2021. In 2019 Godolphin was down $25.5 million despite return of $34.3 million in prizemoney and $10.2 million in horse sales. It’s a highly professional operation.
Maybe Hawkesbury prizemoney will not enhance Godolphin’s budget to a major degree.
James Cummings has won the Gold Rush, one of the features on the program, twice, with Parisal last year and previously Intuition. He has three acceptors in the sprint on Saturday – Tamerlane, Kin, and Renosu while Snowden has a good hope against them, Fire Star.
Snowden notched his first winner of the Hawkesbury Crown, Sung in 2009, and since the circuit has been a happy hunting ground.
Four followed Sung, including Coco Jamboo, successful in the event last year, and backing up from a wide gate (drew 17) supported by stablemate Tashi, a strong tip from Wolfden on Racing.com.
Still majors are speckled with the Godolphin blue over the weekend. Perhaps the best will be Lavalier in the Group one 1million Group One South Australian Derby at Morphettville.
Lavalier has only earned just over a $101,325 to date. Chicken feed by Godolphin standards. No doubt if he wins the Microphone gelding’s contribution to the coffers of His Highness will be most welcome.
Alas should the “for sale” appear for Crown Lodge it would indicate chooks are a better fallback than Dubai oil.
Government and jockey clubs will eventually finish racing in years to come with fees and giving into the activist
Agreed hence why we need new ATC board & clean out of racing nsw to get some sensible creditable people in these position who also have horse sense to work through the issues not just throw money at silly projects without consultation with the people who have the knowledge.
The Scone project is just an example of wasting money without any proper consultation with those that know just wasting money no wonder they say they are in trouble selling Rosehill is not the answer
Kym,
Hopefully the situation will be reviewed after the vote on the sale of Rosehill.
Cheers,
Max P
Great story Max
Bob Fitzgeralds fitin@mail.com
Thank you
The mind is still sharp as ever Max keep it up you and Keith Hillier where great time’s
your usual gem of an article Max, thank you.
Great story
The Arabs don’t normally race geldings because they’re all potentially stallions. I worked @ Emirates Park in the 90 s paddock/ yards full of beautifully bred useless colts could tell a lot of stories but time and space don’t permit.Best produced Brave Warrior (bred by them) Encosta de Lago was sold by them they bought the dam Shoal Creek in foal to Fairy King so go down as the breeder but it was David Throsby who planned the mating and owned her so Emirates claim breeding by them ! Mr Throsby actually bought back into him when he was syndicated after Inglis Easter Sale.