Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Caitlin Hoysted knows all too well the highs and lows of breeding and racing thoroughbreds. She essentially lives and breathes the industry.
Her husband, Matthew Hoysted, trains with Steven O’Dea at Eagle Farm. While Caitlin Hoysted, formerly Lavin, breeds thoroughbreds on the side under the Lavin Park Racing and Breeding banner.
Caitlin Hoysted (left) and Uncommon James | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In the autumn of 2023, the Hoysteds and O’Dea celebrated elite-level success in the G1 Oakleigh Plate with their gun sprinter, Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}). Additionally, it is unique because the galloper was bred by Hoysted and carried her LP brand, representing Lavin Park Racing and Breeding.
Uncommon James’ dam Pickabee (Jet Spur) holds a special place in Hoysted’s heart, having trained the mare to five race victories and owned by her family. Sadly, for Hoysted, she lost Pickabee in February of this year.
However, she looks to have an ample replacement in the Denman mare, Maybe Markle, if her first foal, Run Harry Run, is anything to go by.
Blue Sapphire success
The Mike Moroney-trained 3-year-old gelding marked himself as one of the most progressive gallopers in training with an electric victory in the $500,000 G3 Blue Sapphire S. at Caulfield on Saturday.
The aptly-named Run Harry Run was an unlucky sixth on debut at Ballarat in September but, since then, hasn’t looked back. Breaking his maiden at Kilmore in October, followed by a win in a BM64 company in November at Ballarat and finally the success at Caulfield. The victory has connections potentially eyeing the G2 Sandown Guineas on December 2.
Hoysted admits she’s had some thoughts about what could have been but is ultimately happy for connections of Run Harry Run, and to see the LP brand carried to feature success is equally rewarding.
“I thought about what could have been, had I not sold him, last night (Saturday) and then this morning (Sunday), I was on the treadmill watching the TV and the Blue Sapphire replay came, and I thought about it again,” Hoysted told The Thoroughbred Report.
“My family and I breed to keep everything, but I bred Run Harry Run on my own, and I thought, well, if this horse keeps stepping up and winning Group races, do I get the same thrill without owning him?
“My family and I breed to keep everything, but I bred Run Harry Run on my own, and I thought, well, if this horse keeps stepping up and winning Group races, do I get the same thrill without owning him?” - Caitlin Hoysted
“I like that some other group of people can share the happiness from the horse. I can still gain satisfaction, given I bred Run Harry Run instead of being selfish. I hate losing, but it’s a win-win because I have his dam (Maybe Markle), and he was a first foal.
“I’ve got two half-siblings to him, and Maybe Markle has just done a 45-day positive test to The Autumn Sun last week, so she’s due to return to Queensland on Thursday.”
Family affair
Hoysted shared how Run Harry Run was bred and why she ultimately sold the son of Written Tycoon for $280,0000 to PR Funds at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she consigned him through Kellie and Cameron Bond’s Kenmore Lodge draft.
Run Harry Run as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I purchased Run Harry Run’s grandam, Queenie, privately in foal to Written Tycoon with a foal at foot by the sire. Queenie was a New Zealand-bred mare and had produced Trump to Written Tycoon, who had won the G3 Gunsynd Classic.
“This was back when Written Tycoon didn’t have his current status. I kept up with breeding Queenie to that line. It worked a little bit but never produced a horse as good as Trump,” Hoystead said.
“So, I sold a few of her foals through the sales, and a couple of them won five or six races but nothing at a high level. I liked Denman as a racehorse and when he retired to stud. So, I decided Queenie would visit him.
“Together they produced Maybe Markle, and with her dam being named Queenie, I was inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dating to call her Maybe Markle. She’s not my favourite person in the world, but I wanted to go with that theme, and it’s funny to see Run Harry Run’s owners have done the same.
“Together they produced Maybe Markle, and with her dam being named Queenie, I was inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dating to call her Maybe Markle.” - Caitlin Hoysted
“I raced Maybe Markle with my husband Matt (Hoysted). However, she sustained a sesamoid injury in trackwork, and I had to retire her immediately to the breeding barn earlier than I had hoped.
“I was eager to try the Written Tycoon cross again, but a lot had changed since Queenie was bred to him and at the time, I didn’t have a spare $110,000. So, I asked Woodside Park to do a foal share agreement with me because I didn’t want to risk losing $110,000 and going into a sale where obviously a million things can go wrong in between.
“I didn’t want to take that gamble. Woodside Park agreed to the foal share, and I gave Run Harry Run to Kellie and Cameron Bond, who own Kenmore Lodge, to prepare for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.”
Not all smooth sailing
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Run Harry Run. A combination of an untimely growth spurt and a lack of interest had Kellie Bond worried if the colt would even sell.
Kellie Bond and Amelia Galea | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Kellie told me she cried at least five times before putting this colt through the sale on the Gold Coast because he was growing way too fast, and he stood so upright for weeks, and she just couldn’t get him to slow down in his growth.
“It was just too much and he was too upright. So, I just told Kellie, “You know, I have to sell him. He’s a foal share, do the best you can', and she and Cameron did a fantastic job to get him to the sale.
“To be honest, he didn’t have that many lookers, and even vet and x-ray checks; there were only a handful, which had Kellie worried. It didn’t help she was very crook at the sale because it was during COVID.
“To be honest, he (Run Harry Run) didn’t have that many lookers, and even vet and x-ray checks; there were only a handful, which had Kellie worried.” - Caitlin Hoysted
“Her and Cameron were just not confident this horse would sell and hoped we could at least get $90,000 because they were so unhappy with his preparation. Run Harry Run was Lot 248 through the ring, and it was a plodding start, and then it sort of sped up, and we got $280,000.
“I was happy and actually more relieved with the price because of all the communication I was getting, and I wasn’t able to attend Magic Millions because I had a baby at the time and with COVID, it wasn’t safe.”
Small numbers, big results
The breeding operation of Hoysted’s Lavin Racing and Breeding has cut back significantly. With the passing of Pickabee, Maybe Markle is the sole mare on the farm.
“Our family lost our best mare, Pickabee, this year, so we’ve only got Maybe Markle left on the farm. We went from 15 to one mare in a few years, but she’s done so well with her first foal.
“Our family lost our best mare, Pickabee, this year, so we’ve only got Maybe Markle left on the farm. We went from 15 to one mare in a few years, but she’s done so well with her first foal.” - Caitlin Hoysted
“Maybe Markle’s second foal is a filly by Vancouver who has been named Vovo, and my mum has bought her, and she’ll race her. At the same time, we have a yearling by Spirit Of Boom.
“We were offered a spot at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale. However, we have elected to retain her, and my mum has always wanted to race a Spirit Of Boom filly, so she’ll probably buy her. Even I joked with her that the filly is double the price after Saturday.
“It’s just cheaper for us to breed and retain them. You have all the additional costs and risks of selling at auction. The syndication space has grown, making horses too expensive to buy. We’re a tiny establishment, so the model makes more sense for us.
“And with Run Harry Run’s siblings being fillies, it’s handy for the future, and all going well, we’ll have a sibling by The Autumn Sun. It’s all very satisfying, but I haven’t seen Run Harry Run since before he was sold.
Run Harry Run | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I gave him the nickname, ‘Winston’ and my husband has been down at Flemington with Uncommon James for the last few months, and he thinks he spotted him on the track one day and said he’s grown into a really big boy now. That wasn’t surprising because he always looked like he would be a big horse, but he’s a very cool, casual customer and was really easy to deal with.
“I think you can see it in his racing, too. He’s not wound up at all, and he relaxes nicely and just keeps getting to the finish line.
“It's great for the Queenslanders and the Queensland breeding industry. I know Run Harry Run and Written Tycoon doesn’t stand in Queensland anymore, but it's always nice when a horse bred here can do something against the big boys down south.
“There are mixed emotions, but you can’t win everything. I’ve got a kick out of his deeds so far and can’t wait to see what else Harry can achieve.”
