Cover image courtesy of Bell River Thoroughbreds

In a game so reliant on numbers, it’s a tough slog for smaller breeders to make a name for themselves. With the industry becoming more focused on super-sized breeding and training enterprises, it is incredibly refreshing to see the Ferguson family’s boutique style Bell River Thoroughbreds breed stakes winners in their quality over quantity style approach.

With just a handful of broodmares, Andrew Ferguson and his sons James and Jock have built an incredible reputation for producing quality racehorses and should be awfully proud of their achievements.

In the last 10 years, Bell River Thoroughbreds are the proud vendors of the winners of 20 stakes events including five at Group 1 level. Newgate’s elite sire Extreme Choice is the most notable Bell River Thoroughbreds graduate having claimed two elite victories in the G1 Blue Diamond S. and the AJ Moir S. along with two other feature race victories. By Not A Single Doubt, he is from the unraced Hussonet (USA) mare Extremely. The Fergusons' $30,000 outlay for the mare at the 2013 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale proved a life-changing investment with the mare carrying the future elite sire in-utero when offered by Arrowfield Stud.

Most recently, the Fergusons' homebred More Prophets (Smart Missile) has carried the family’s recognisable silks to stakes success in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic to hand the talented mare a second career stakes victory. Bred in partnership with the Hognos, More Prophets joined half-sister Prophet’s Thumb (I Am Invincible) as a dual stakes winner to carry the family silks. Retained to breed, the Fergusons can look forward to More Prophet’s first foal by Home Affairs who is due this August.

Table: Bell River Thoroughbreds' stakes winners 2014-2024

Bell River Thoroughbreds’ own homebred Set To Skelter (Reset) has carried the Fergusons' brand through her two stakes winners More Prophets and Prophet’s Thumb. Offered at the 2011 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale where she failed to meet her $100,000 reserve, Set To Skelter was retained to race by her breeders. Under the care of John Sadler, Set To Skelter would race just five times for a metropolitan maiden victory before being retired due to injury. Joining the Bell River Thoroughbreds broodmare band, her first two foals are stakes winners with her third being the metropolitan winner of five races, Go Troppo (Hinchinbrook).

The Ferguson’s liking for Not A Single Doubt is evident with the late sire responsible for almost 40 per cent of all Bell River’s stakes winners. Outside of Extreme Choice, the former Arrowfield sire is responsible for Listed Bright Shadow Quality winner Bidii Babe and G3 Triscay S. winner Faraway Town.

Table: Source of Bell River Thoroughbreds stakes-producing mares

Five of Bell River’s stakes-producing mares were purchased at public auction with most of them falling in the affordable price range. At an average spend of $133,000, the Fergusons have purchased mares as breeding prospects as well as fillies as yearlings. Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic winner Centrefire (Shooting To Win) is from Coco Kerringle (Exceed And Excel) who was a $165,000 purchase at the 2008 Magic Millions Conrad Jupiter Yearling Sale. A three-time winner, Coco Kerringle’s fourth foal was the $100,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Centrefire who was bred in partnership with Bell River Thoroughbreds, Yarraman Park Stud and N Leckie. Royal Emerger (Flying Spur) was the Fegusons most expensive investment having cost them $300,000 at the 2006 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. A half-sister to the G1 Adelaide Cup winner Demerger (Saithor), Royal Emerger won over a mile before producing stakes-winning Royal Rada (Haradasun) as her first foal.

While they are the breeders of some elite racing stock, Bell River Thoroughbreds are always well-represented by strong sale consignments most notably having part-bred and offered Group 1 winners Extreme Choice, Ace High and I Am Excited (Snitzel) as yearlings. Only a couple of days ago, Bell River Thoroughbreds sold a $1,200,000 Farnan colt from I Am Excited who was produced on the farm and raced by the Fergusons and their clients. A sales record for the farm, Bell River Thoroughbreds' record in producing stakes winners is being well-recognised by the industry and the future certainly looks bright for the small but mighty Dungog nursery.