Cover image courtesy of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association
Ahead of Scone’s annual racing carnival last week, the best in the breeding business was gathered together by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (HBTA). It was the night of the HTBA Awards, which recognise annually the achievements of both equines and humans in local breeding.
This year marked 30 years of the Awards, and over 350 of the brightest lights gathered at Scone for the event. Among them was the general manager of Godolphin’s Woodlands Stud, the affable Irishman John Sunderland.
Sunderland had been to the HTBA Awards before. He’d been many times, but this was the first year he had a sudden starring role. He was awarded the HTBA President’s Award for Lifetime (Industry) Achievement, which propelled him straight to local stardom.
“It was overwhelming really,” Sunderland said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “I’ve never been a great sportsperson or anything like that, but this was almost like a player’s award, an industry award from my peers. It has meant so much to me.”
“It was overwhelming really. I’ve never been a great sportsperson or anything like that, but this was almost like a player’s award, an industry award from my peers. It has meant so much to me.” - John Sunderland
Sunderland had no idea he was in contention for his award. He said he was humbled, almost speechless even, when the fact settled on him and he had to accept the honour.
“I was definitely surprised it was me,” he said. “There are so many people that deserve recognition in the industry, so I’m very humbled by it. I’ve been going to these Awards for years and, being part of the HTBA, I know a lot of the people that are there, so I feel way out of place almost, especially when you read some of the names that have won it before me.”
It’s a lucrative list.
The HTBA President’s Award has been won, in its past, by Henry Plumptre, Gerry Harvey and the Ingham family. In very recent history, Noel Leckie and John Clift were winners and, last year, Wayne Bedggood.
The 2022 HTBA Awards' recipients | Image courtesy of the HTBA
The purpose of the Award is elite recognition for an individual that has, for a long time, dedicated their career to the thoroughbred industry in the Hunter Valley, be it through breeding, research and development, or defence and preservation of the industry and its heritage.
Master of Woodlands
Sunderland has been at the helm of Woodlands since 2009, which was the year after Godolphin assumed the Ingham bloodstock empire. He’d been with Sheikh Mohammed five years at that point, the first stud manager of the Kelvinside operation.
Since 2009, which is going on 14 years, Sunderland has overseen Woodlands with his fine attitude and devout professionalism. He is particularly interested in motivating the staff around him, which comes from his interest in education and upskilling within the industry.
John Sunderland, Allison Sedgwick, Lisa Manning, Alastair Pulford and Adam Brayshaw | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Sunderland has been involved in the HBTA’s school-based program Equi-Start since its inception in 2012. These days, it’s known as ‘Thoroughly Schooled’, offering vital work-experience options for school leavers. It’s something that Sunderland has fostered in his professional life, and Woodlands has been better off for it.
“I feel very fortunate to be at Woodlands, and I still feel fortunate after all these years,” he said. “It’s funny, because since opening up again after COVID, we’ve started having people come back through the farm again. We had a bus tour come through the other day, and it’s amazing looking at the farm through the eyes of visitors.
“You get a whole new perspective on it, and you realise how lucky you are that you can live on such a beautiful farm with such a great history. And it’s such a great farm for producing horses. I’m a bit biased, but there have some great horses come off this farm, and great horses that have come off in the last few years.”
“I feel very fortunate to be at Woodlands, and I still feel fortunate after all these years... We had a bus tour come through the other day, and it’s amazing looking at the farm through the eyes of visitors.” - John Sunderland
In particular, Sunderland mentions little Guelph, the four-time Group 1 winner by Exceed And Excel. Guelph was an extraordinary filly on the racetrack, and her story is one that Sunderland is particularly attached to.
“Guelph is a granddaughter of a mare called Camarena, who was the first mare that Sheikh Mohammed bought in Australia,” he said. “I was working at Yarraman Park when Arthur Mitchell brokered that deal, and never ever did I think where things were going to end up.”
Camarena (NZ), by Danehill (USA), had a daughter called Camarilla (Elusive Quality {USA}), and Camarilla was part of the first consignment of yearlings that Godolphin sold in Australia.
Guelph when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
That was in 2006, at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, and the filly sold to Woodlands Stud for $900,000. Two years later, Camarilla came back into the Godolphin fold when Woodlands was bought up, after racing for the Ingham family and winning for them the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce S. among her top races.
It was swings and roundabouts because Camarilla became the dam of Guelph in 2010.
“Guelph is just the loveliest little mare,” Sunderland said. “Any time you’re having a bad day, you just go down and give her a little cuddle and everything is alright. A lot of the times, these top race-mares aren’t always that friendly, but I could stay all day with Guelph.”
“Any time you’re having a bad day, you just go down and give her (Guelph) a little cuddle and everything is alright. A lot of the times, these top race-mares aren’t always that friendly, but I could stay all day with Guelph.” - John Sunderland
In the footsteps of giants
Speaking to Sunderland, you get a quick sense of both his humility and his joy for the job.
The Irishman, a native of County Wexford, has been in Australia since 1990 and, in that time, he has tallied a formidable resumé that includes time spent at Bhima and Yarraman Park, among others, before Godolphin.
However, Sunderland’s time with the Mitchell family at Yarraman left a sizeable impression on his character and ambitions in Australia, and it was something he was quick to acknowledge when he accepted his award at the HTBA event on Wednesday night.
“Harry and Arthur Mitchell have been an incredible inspiration to me,” Sunderland said. “There are no better people in this country that could get a horse like I Am Invincible, and no one deserves that success more. When you look around, and you ask yourself who you want to be like, that’s who I always wanted to be like.”
“Harry and Arthur Mitchell have been an incredible inspiration to me... When you look around, and you ask yourself who you want to be like, that’s who I always wanted to be like.” - John Sunderland
Sunderland said the Mitchells are good people, plain and simple. He said it goes beyond their brilliant breeding acumen.
“There’s an Australian larrikin-ism to them, I suppose,” he said. “I could never pull that off, but they are people I look up to and still do, and I’m so delighted for them to achieve what they have because they deserve it so much.”
It’s a testament to Sunderland that his moment in the sun has been spent thanking the people that taught him so much.
He talks about the Mitchells and the folks at Coolmore in his earliest days. He mentions New Zealand, but also Paddy Mullins, the father of Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who gave him so much guidance and kindness as a very young man in Ireland.
Harry and Arthur Mitchell | Image courtesy of Yarraman Park Stud
In Australia, he said the late David Bath, one-time studmaster of Bhima, had been a wonderful mentor, and his Godolphin peers had been important. He’s had so much encouragement from the likes of Olly Tait, Vin Cox, Henry Plumptre, John Ferguson and Ross Cole, not to mention Sheikh Mohammed.
“Those guys were always willing to let me help out in different facets around the racing industry,” Sunderland said. “And I think that’s great too because without it, I wouldn’t have been able to do some of the things that I’ve done.”
Man of the people
Sunderland’s recognition by the HTBA was about much more than his time at Godolphin.
It’s felt that Sunderland has contributed enormously to the establishment of a formal education pathway within the thoroughbred industry, something that he has helped to foster, alongside Thoroughbred Breeders NSW and others, via the NSW Workforce Development Project.
Sunderland has long recognised the importance of upskilling the existing labour force in the industry, and he has pushed that agenda as far onto a national platform as he can.
Also, he’s been involved with Muswellbrook Race Club for a long time and is its current chairman. The Club, which is one of the oldest continually operating country clubs in the state (1862), is something Sunderland is very passionate about.
Equally, his name has appeared in support of pony clubs, equestrian and sporting events around the district, and various chambers of commerce.
“Helping out organisations, both within racing and within the community, is really rewarding,” Sunderland said. “You come from a place of just wanting to make a difference, and that’s my driving force. If I can make a difference, I will try. I don’t like to be on committees for the sake of it.”
“Helping out organisations, both within racing and within the community, is really rewarding. You come from a place of just wanting to make a difference, and that’s my driving force.” - John Sunderland
Sunderland doesn’t know what it was that invited his HTBA Lifetime Achievement Award, which is probably why he’s such a deserving winner.
He jokes that the 350-strong audience were lucky that he was the last award, that they didn’t have to sit through too much of his babble.
“I’m an emotional man,” he said. “I tend to go on a bit, and those poor people had to put up with me right at the end.
“Of course, winning awards isn’t why I do things, especially when you looked around to see the deserving people in that room on Wednesday night, but it was an extraordinary feeling, and I’m still getting used to it.”
