Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
The Ciaron Maher-trained Luijzika is bred in the purple, and should the 3-year-old win the G3 Vanity S. at Flemington on Saturday, she will become an extremely valuable broodmare in waiting.
By one of the all-time great stallions in Snitzel, Luijzika is from the former top-class filly Aloisia (NZ) (Azamour {Ire}), who chalked up three wins during her career, including two in stakes company - the G1 Thousand Guineas and G2 Moonee Valley Vase, both in 2017.
Following retirement in 2019, Aloisia was offered by Newgate Consignment at the 2019 Inglis Chairman’s Sale. She was purchased by Hilldene Farm / Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA) for $1.2 million.
Aloisia (NZ) was purchased by Hilldene Farm and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA) for $1.2 million at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in 2019 | Image courtesy of Inglis
Hilldene Farm is owned and operated by Nick Wakim. The boutique breeding operation is situated on 180 acres outside of Seymour in Victoria. Wakim is determined to develop an elite broodmare band, meaning a black-type triumph for Luijzika on Saturday would prove invaluable.
“At Hilldene, we’re an owner-breeder, we’re not a commercial seller. I race all of my fillies,” Wakim told The Thoroughbred Report.
“If Luijzika were to get black type, you would have to chop my arm off to get rid of a filly like that. I would not be selling her, that’s for sure.
“If Luijzika were to get black type, you would have to chop my arm off to get rid of a filly like that. I would not be selling her, that’s for sure.” - Nick Wakim
“As I said, we retain our fillies, we only sell bloodstock that doesn’t fit our criteria.
“All of these fillies that I breed, like Luijzika, they’re very well-bred, so whether they race or don’t race, they will all most-likely stay within the broodmare band and I will breed from them.
“The objective is to have one of the best broodmare bands in the land, that’s effectively my aim.”
Aloisia (NZ) with Luijzika at foot
Hilldene Farm was founded in 2017 and in a short period of time, it has established a broodmare band that features no shortage of outstanding bloodlines.
Sia (Fastnet Rock) only won a Geelong maiden, but is regally bred, being out of the brilliant producer Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) - a Group 2 winner who has produced the Group 3 scorer Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) and the Listed victress Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock). Ennis Hill has thrown the brilliant filly Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}), a Group 2 winner who runs in Saturday’s G2 Light Fingers S. at Randwick.
Other stakes winners on Sia’s page include Splintex and Weatherly (Beneteau), Ozzmosis (Zoustar), No More Tears (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel).
Sia was consigned by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia at the 2022 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, with Hilldene Farm / James Bester Bloodstock going to $1.6 million to secure her. The mare was in foal to Snitzel.
Hilldene Farm bred and races the 3-year-old filly Pia Mia (Lonhro). The Stony Creek maiden winner is from the Redoute’s Choice mare She’s Got Power, and she herself is a three-quarter sister to the elite-level hero and Group 1-producing sire Invader and a half-sister to the Group 2 scorer Not Listenin’tome (Dylan Thomas {Ire}).
Sia realised $1.6 million at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in 2019 | Image courtesy of Inglis
Hilldene Farm paid Yarraman Park Stud $450,000 for She’s Got Power at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (Book 1). The mare was in foal to Zoustar.
Pia Mia’s grandam, Flame Of Sydney (Encosta De Lago), owns a Listed triumph and was placed in Group company on multiple occasions.
Hilldene Farm also has the talented 4-year-old homebred mare Exceed The Dream (Exceed And Excel), a metro winner who is out of Dream In Colour (GB) - an unraced Frankel (GB) mare.
Dream In Colour realised $750,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. In foal to Exceed And Excel, she was offered by Bell View Park Stud.
Dream In Colour realised $750,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2018 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
From the Group 3 victress Colour (More Than Ready {USA}), Dream In Colour has produced the stakes performer Wizard Of Oz (Exceed And Excel).
Dream In Colour is from the family of the great Snippets - a three-time Group 1 winner who sired nine top-flight scorers.
Given the calibre of bloodstock at Hilldene Farm, there’s little doubt Hilldene Farm would be in a position to consign horses, be it weanlings or yearlings, should it wish to do so. Wakim, though, is adamant that won’t happen.
Nick Wakim with Aloisia (NZ)
“No, I don’t see us doing that,” the successful business entrepreneur said.
“At Hilldene Farm, we’re a high-end broodmare farm and this is my passion. It’s not my business, it’s my passion.
“The intent is not to sell commercially, it’s to breed high-quality bloodstock and then we own and race them, that’s the plan.”
“The intent is not to sell commercially, it’s to breed high-quality bloodstock and then we own and race them, that’s the plan.” - Nick Wakim
Wakim revealed he will once again be active at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May.
“I am a buyer of females, of blood that we don’t have,” he said.
“We don't have many (mares), but what we have is high-quality.”
A filly full of promise
Luijzika has shown above-average ability in her two starts. She commenced her career with a second-placed finish in a Seymour maiden on January 3, before scoring impressively in a maiden at Geelong on January 28.
Luijzika, winner at Geelong on January 28 | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“She’s very exciting, she should be undefeated, as a matter of fact, but that’s the way it goes,” Wakim commented.
“She’s (Luijzika) very exciting, she should be undefeated, as a matter of fact, but that’s the way it goes.” - Nick Wakim
“We’re very happy to have her lining up in the Vanity, and we’re hoping she can shape up to stakes grade, which would be fantastic for us at the farm. It would be incredible if she could make us proud and do herself justice on the day.”
Luijzika will jump from barrier six under Declan Bates in the 1400-metre contest.
Not surprisingly, Wakim said the long-term aim with Luijzika is to get a Group 1 victory on her CV.
“That’s the intent with all of our fillies, but the core goal is to try and get some black type on the board and that starts with the Vanity on Saturday,” Wakim explained.
“So, some black type, then a black-type win, then we will probably put her away and bring her back to see if we can snare something a bit better.
“I think she has plenty of ability. She is small like her mum, Aloisia was tiny, but that didn’t stop her from winning a Group 1.”
