Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Jonker, Winning Rupert and Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon) - the sorts of fast, talented horses who any major stud would have been proud to breed but who came out of the paddocks of Wicklow Lodge run by boutique breeder Jeff Cullen.
Well past paddocks, Jeff not owning a property at the moment though in the process of looking for a new farm for his current broodmare band of six.
Never breeding with large numbers, Jeff boasts an excellent record of producing classy performers having also bred Matryoshka (I Am Invincible) - the lightly raced mare whose second foal Straight Charge (Written By) proved himself to be one of this season's best 2-year-olds.
“Never breeding with large numbers, Jeff boasts an excellent record of producing classy performers having also bred Matryoshka - the lightly raced mare whose second foal Straight Charge.”
Jeff's story starts in childhood. Whilst there was no racing involvement in his family, his sisters enjoyed pony club which sparked his interest. And when one of his sister's horses was stolen from the pony club grounds, his parents were prompted to buy their own property near Cranbourne.
Short lived apprenticeship
And so from thereon horses were a part of Jeff's life and he rode races at the picnics - one of his rivals and friends being the now successful Cranbourne based trainer Mick Kent.
Being just 4ft8 and 43kg when he left school at 15, Jeff gained an apprenticeship with Ken Newman (who would go on to train the high class sprinter Hareeba (Al Hareb {USA}) but, after gaining weight in his first 12 months, never made it to the track.
But he still values his time riding track work, learning about horses.
One of Jeff's rivals and friend, Mick Kent | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
With his father an avid rugby league fan, the Cullen family moved to Queensland and with a new track at Caloundra opening at the time Jeff was able to continue riding track work.
He also rode at the picnics, on a circuit that was shall we say far from professional!
“I remember riding at one track where the running rail was made of packing tape,” he laughed, “it was all pretty raw and I had to learn quickly.”
“I remember riding at one track where the running rail was made of packing tape... it was all pretty raw and I had to learn quickly.”
Unsure of where someone who had left school early and had no training about from riding could head, Jeff had his future decided by him by a twist of equine fate with a horse he was in the ownership of suffering from a bleeding attack.
Stumbling into breeding
And so he “stumbled into” his first broodmare... Vital Statistic (Strategic), a mare who'd won her maiden in town and another race at the Sunshine Coast.
As a fan of Show A Heart, Jeff chose that Glenlogan Park Stud chestnut as his mare's first mate with the result a colt nice enough to take to the sales.
“My trainer was keen for us to race him so I thought I'd take him to the sales and if he didn't get to reserve we'd race him.”
Show A Heart | Image courtesy of Glenlogan Park
The reserve was not big but the result was nice, Wicklow's first horse through the ring fetching $100,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale.
Whilst not a success on the track - Hair Beauty unplaced in nine starts in Hong Kong - he did give Jeff a taste of commercial selling.
And so he set about accumulating mares, building up a nice band only to lose them in a divorce. But he started again, buying a small group including a couple of very important mares who he secured in different ways.
“Jeff set about accumulating mares, building up a nice band only to lose them in a divorce. But he started again, buying a small group including a couple of very important mares who he secured in different ways.”
“I hadn't spoken to Mick Kent for a few years but I decided one day to give him a ring to see if he had any mares for sale.”
A pleasant surprise
“I happened to ring him on the day he'd had a nice filly go amiss - and what ended up being bad luck for her owners ended up being good luck for me.”
Buying the daughter of Kempinsky sight unseen, Jeff had his new acquisition served by Husson (Arg) on her way from Victoria to Queensland and when the truck pulled up at his farm he was in for “a pleasant surprise.”
“She was just such a lovely mare,” he said of the well related Hearts And Arrows - a descendant of (and line-bred 4 X 4 to) Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) who had raced just three times.
Jeff Cullen
Impressively winning her first two Cranbourne starts with Mick Kent holding hopes of Group 1 glory, Hearts And Arrows injured a tendon when contesting, as second favourite, the G3 Auraria S. at her third start.
Whilst her first foal by Husson did not make it to the track, her second by Love Conquers All enjoyed good success - the big boy Beau Arrow winning five races including a couple at metropolitan level.
Her third foal was a smaller, neater package by Eureka Stud's first season sire Spirit Of Boom - a colt Jeff sent to the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Not quite as forward as the other sons of the young stallion, he fetched $45,000.
Jeff with Hearts And Arrows (right)
And years later Jeff jokes - “I sold him for $45,000 and bought a share back in him for $55,000!”
The horse is Jonker, the high quality sprinter who stands at Aquis Farm having won five races including the G1 Manikato S. in which he gamely held off a late finish from Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
Two boys at stud
Jonker is not the first stallion carrying the Wicklow Lodge brand, Jeff also breeding two years before a strong chestnut out of a mare he did not pay much for - and a mare he wasn't planning on having.
“I'd spent all my money on my new farm and had three mares I was happy with. One day the feed merchant asked me if I'd be interested in another and I said no, he said 'that's a shame' and began to walk away.
Jonker | Standing at Aquis Farm
“I decided at the last second to ask him who she was by and he said she was Show A Heart's first winner and one of the best fillies from his first crop.
“That would have to be be Winaura?” Jeff asked, the feed merchant wondering how he knew!
“Having used Show A Heart I was keeping a close eye on his progeny and I saw Winaura debut,” he said, remembering the speed she showed with an Eagle Farm third.
“Having used Show A Heart I was keeping a close eye on his progeny and I saw Winaura debut.” - Jeff Cullen
In a race that turned out to be a decent form reference, won by Gold Edition (Lion Hunter).
A Doomben winner at her next start, Winaura travelled south to take on Melbourne's best juveniles in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington. Below her best having not had an ideal flight down but she still showed enough dash to lead a smart field (the race won by the subsequent G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Nadeem), something that stuck in Jeff's mind.
Going on to three metropolitan races before being retired to stud, Winaura had no black-type and little family in regards to commerciality to recommend her so it didn't take much to buy her. But Jeff liked her speed and the fact that she was from a winning family.
And as it happened, Written Tycoon was not only in Queensland that year - but very close to Wicklow Lodge and he looked to be "the perfect match" for Winaura.
Winaura with Winning Rupert as a foal
A handsome chestnut colt was the result, Jeff hopeful that he would fetch a good sum at the 2015 Gold Coast March Magic Millions Yearling Sale with Barry Bowditch having been impressed by him during a pre-sale inspection.
“I actually had him out to look at another horse but he kept asking after the colt!”
So much did Barry Bowditch like the colt that he purchased him for Bjorn Baker; Jeff disappointed with the $67,500 result but happy to see him head to a strong stable.
The flying Winning Rupert
Beaten only once in a six start career, Winning Rupert won two races in Group company and one at Listed level - always showing blistering speed. Retired to stud at Newgate, his made his way to Grandview Thoroughbreds in Queensland and after that stud closed down, he was sold to Western Australia where he stands at Geisel Park Stud.
Whilst Jeff was not involved in Winning Rupert's racing career - "Barry asked me at the time if I'd like to keep 10 per cent but I said when I sell them, I sell them!" - he did become a shareholder once the colt retired to stud.
He has sent mares to him and hopes to continue doing so, considering getting one of his girls in foal to an eastern state stallion - sending her to Western Australia, selling that foal there and bringing her home in foal to Winning Rupert.
Winning Rupert | Standing at Geisel Park Stud
He has also been supporting Jonker, particularly happy with a filly out of his multiple city winner Believe 'n Achieve (Beautiful Crown) who he purchased for $60,000 at the 2012 William Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
“She is in foal to Stronger but with the Jonker filly being as nice as she is she will go back to him this year.”
Jeff currently has six mares with a policy of selling his colts and keeping the girls - “something that is wise to do when you have good lines going.”
“Beaten only once in a six start career, Winning Rupert won two races in Group company and one at Listed level - always showing blistering speed... He was sold to Western Australia where he stands at Geisel Park Stud.”
One of those girls is his home-bred G3 Pam O'Neill S. winner Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon), a full sister to Winning Rupert who he has in foal to Anamoe with a mating to another big name stallion to take place this spring.
Pedigree and performance
“With her pedigree and performance she can go to any stallion in the country,” Jeff said, noting that after research into pedigree and type he has a think about what his mare is worth in relation to service fees.
“If I think she is worth spending $10,000 on, she goes to a $10,000 stallion - if she is a $100,000 mare, she will got to a $100,000 stallion.”
Another mare he has high hopes for is the unraced Culasse (Spirit Of Boom) who was looking good until injury ended her career before she made it to the track. Currently in foal to Lyndhurst Stud's Better Than Ready (another stallion Jeff is a shareholder in), she is also due to head south this spring.
“If I think she is worth spending $10,000 on, she goes to a $10,000 stallion - if she is a $100,000 mare, she will got to a $100,000 stallion.” - Jeff Cullen
“I had her booked into Too Darn Hot (GB) but with him not shuttling she is on the reserve list to Pierata, hopefully she can get in!”
Meanwhile the 17-year-old Hearts And Arrows - who slipped to Spirit Of Boom this year - will return to that stallion for each of her remaining years at stud. She has a So You Think (NZ) yearling colt whilst her 2-year-old Heart And Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) is a member of the Stuart Kendrick stable having fetched $180,000 at the 2023 William Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Winaura died a few years ago but Jeff has two of her daughters - retaining Tycoon Evie as well as Celtic Empress (Capitalist) who is in foal to Better Than Ready and likely to visit Jonker this spring - Jeff looking forward to bringing his two successful families together.
Whilst he sold Winaura's daughter Matryoshka as a yearling ($80,000 at the Gold Coast), he is excited to see her do well with the G2 Silver Slipper S. winner Straight Charge just her second foal.
Heart And Spirit as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“She was served by Zoustar last year so the family is going places.”
And so there have been many ups in Jeff Cullen's career as a breeder though like everyone he has had his share of set-backs.
“Breeding racehorses is like running at walls,” he said. “It's a tough game but when you have success you think for a while that it is easy!”
