Cover image of Collingrove Stud
With the cancer treatment Daniel Brash is currently taking, there isn’t a great deal of work he can do at the moment before the pain and fatigue of his debilitating disease and treatments kick in.
But there is always work for him on his stud farm at Murchison, south of Shepparton, so he is still contributing in whatever way he can at the moment.
“A lot of days at the farm, I’ll go in for three or four hours and then just head back home,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.
“I’ll just set up the day. At sales, I’m not having to do as much physical stuff. I was running parades and I could sit down in between parades.”
“I’ll just set up the day. At sales, I’m not having to do as much physical stuff. I was running parades and I could sit down in between parades.” - Daniel Brash
It was at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January when things took a bad turn, suffering from a freak infection.
“We’ve been in a bit of a holding pattern because when I was up at the Gold Coast, my gall bladder went septic,” he said.
“It was completely unrelated. I spent the last five days of the Gold Coast Sale in hospital. I missed horses going through the ring, and people had to step up and help us there.
“And then two and a half weeks later I had to get my gall bladder out. Until that fully heals from that surgery which was about a month ago, they can’t do anything yet.
“So I’ll have to wait another month until I can start doing things.”
Brash said the cancer had spread to his lungs.
“It’s metastasized from the abdomen to the lungs,” he said.
“We’ve already taken the tumour out of the lungs. We’re hoping it’s nowhere else but the lungs.
“I’ve got to get a PET scan on April 2, which is a whole body scan to work that out, and then we’ll go from there.”
Racing is his life, but health comes first
Beginning in racing, Brash was employed by respected mentors Lee Freedman, Gai Waterhouse and Gerald Ryan, while as a foreman he oversaw the stables of Greg Eurell, before going on to be become a successful breeder.
But even with that proud history, Brash’s health battles led to him questioning whether he could continue in the industry after being diagnosed with cancer for a second time last October.
“There have been times over the past five and a half months or so that we’ve gone ‘is this our last year? Do we stop what we’re doing?’” he said.
“But it’s something that we love, and we hopefully want to continue doing it for a long time.
“We just want to keep going. We’ve got a couple of horses to go to Inglis HTBA Sale in Sydney (on April 27).
“We’ve got about half a dozen going to the National (Magic Millions) sale in June, and there’ll be a few weanlings going to the Inglis Great Southern Sale.
“It doesn’t stop, and we’ve got to wean all our foals. There’s still plenty on.
“On horse studs, there isn’t much time to have a break. We just keep going and don’t give up. We’ll just do as much as we can.”
“On horse studs, there isn’t much time to have a break. We just keep going and don’t give up. We’ll just do as much as we can.” - Daniel Brash
Brash said the amount of support he has received from industry peers has been second to none.
“The support has been amazing. Farms like Lovatsville and Seymour Park have been amazing towards us,” he said.
“They’ve taken time from their own positions to come and help us when we needed that little bit of extra help.
“Plus our staff. And obviously, their support has been amazing. I can’t thank them all enough. Our own staff have had to fill the void a little bit, and do that little bit extra.
Collingrove Staff | Image courtesy of Collingrove Stud
“It’s been difficult. I’ve spent 40 days in hospital since November 19, and there’s obviously a bit more to come.
“But I’m not feeling too bad at the moment. I’m on some medications, but I still can’t do too much.”
Brash reserved similar praise for the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, where he has been receiving his treatment.
“They’re amazing as well. This is my second time around with cancer. I had it nine years ago, and it’s similar but a different form,” he said.
“It was a sarcoma, but this one is a different form of sarcoma. They’re fantastic, and over the years we’ve probably raised close to $20,000 for them."
Despite the serious nature of what he is currently enduring, Brash still has time for a a laugh.
“We’ve done a few functions. I said at the Adelaide Sale which would’ve been eight years ago, I’d eat 100 oysters in a sitting. And I ate 150," he said.
“We raised about $4500 that night. I’m not sure if I’ve got that in me anymore.
“It was a decent effort, but it was a great night. There were about 40 people who turned up to cheer me on that night.
Peter McCallum Centre | Image courtesy of Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation
“We’ve always supported Peter McCallum because they’ve been so good to us. And not just us, plenty of others – thousands and thousands of others who have also had to deal with this.”
Brash said there was no other industry in the world that could unite behind people in need like racing participants and connections do.
“It’s the best industry, 100 per cent, probably in the world,” he said.
“There have been quite a few deaths lately in this industry. And just the way people get behind people in this industry – it’s just amazing.”
“There have been quite a few deaths lately in this industry. And just the way people get behind people in this industry – it’s just amazing.” - Daniel Brash
It is the racing industry that was also there to offer moral support for Brash when his cancer battles prevented him from becoming a father.
“I’m 46, and no (I don’t have kids),” he said.
“We were unfortunately unable to have children. That was partly from the radiation nine years ago.
“Unfortunately, no kids. But it doesn’t take anything away from our marriage. Kids only would’ve added to it.”
Struck down with health issues, but still a good result at Inglis Sale
Despite his current health battles, Brash sold seven of 11 horses at the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, and gave himself a pass mark for his efforts.
Collingrove Stud’s best result was a Lot 538 colt by Rich Enuff and out of True Temptation (Bel Esprit) being sold to Bridle Bloodstock, Hong Kong for $80,000.
Two other colts, Lot 123 by Harry Angel (Ire) out of Dancingmiracle (So You Think), and Lot 395 by Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and out of Purrpussful (Purrealist) sold for $50,000 each, to Nardoo Valley Stud/S McKinnon and Malady Racing respectively.
“The client was very happy there (with the Rich Enuff colt purchase). We put a reserve of $30,000 on it, and let it run,” Brash said.
Lot 538 - Rich Enuff x True Temptation (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“But we knew he was pretty popular throughout the week.
“There’s a bit of a connection there. The buyer is the owner of Victor The Winner, who’s one of our graduates. And the underbidder was the buyer of Victor The Winner.
“I’m assuming so (he’ll run in Hong Kong). At the moment that’s the plan. If it follows a similar path to Victor The Winner – it usually stays here and gets broken in, gets to a trial stage and then goes over to Hong Kong.
“But I did sign export paperwork, so it might just be going straight away.”
Brash was content with how his stud performed at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
“It was a little bit tough. We didn’t have any big fish. So we were always going to be in that middle to lower market,” he said.
“It was a little bit tough. We didn’t have any big fish. So we were always going to be in that middle to lower market.” - Daniel Brash
“But we ended up selling seven out of 11, and it was a pass mark. It wasn’t a great sale, but it was an OK sale for us.
“A couple of the horses that didn’t sell were always going to struggle. But there were probably one or two that I was a little bit surprised they didn’t sell.”
He added the Harry Angel-Dancingmiracle and Saxon Warrior-Purrpussful colts were good buys for $50,000 each.
“I thought they were both good buys. I thought they’d go for a little more, but we’re here to meet the market to a certain extent given the economic downturn,” Brash said.
Gallery: Lots from Collingrove stud that were good buys for $50,000 each, images courtesy of Inglis
“I thought they were slightly better. The Harry Angel had a small issue, which would have affected Hong Kong buyers.
“It was very low risk for racing, but Hong Kong are so stringent on their vetting. We knew that was going to be an issue for anyone who wanted to buy him from Hong Kong, or a breeze-up type to be on-sold to Hong Kong.
“(The Saxon Warrior-Purrpussful colt is a) beautiful, lovely horse. We thought possibly the Saxon Warrior factor – if he was by a more commercial stallion (he could’ve done better).”
Taking it one day at a time
Brash knows Collingrove Stud has the potential to go bigger and better at next year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, but right now he is just taking it one day at a time while he fights his debilitating cancer battle.
“Obviously, my health issues will come first, and we’ll work on what needs to be done there before any business decision is made,” he said.
“But we’ve got a few nice weanlings of our own that’ll go through yearling sales next year.
“And we’ve got some clients to bring through nice foals who are either on our farm at the moment, or who have been on our farm that’ll come to us.
“So there are some nice horses, but we’ll be trying to still serve all our clients. And we’re trying to get those bigger fish.
“Just because you want the bigger fish, it doesn’t mean you get them. But if the market continues this way, the money at the top end is still very, very good.”
“Just because you want the bigger fish, it doesn’t mean you get them. But if the market continues this way, the money at the top end is still very, very good.” - Daniel Brash
In the meantime, Brash is looking forward to seeing how Petit Artiste (Earthlight {Ire}) performs on debut in the $200,000 G3 Darley Ottawa S. over 1000m at Flemington this Saturday.
The 2-year-old filly is trained by Amy and Ash Yargi - who purchased her for $15,000 from Collingrove Stud at the 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale - and she will be ridden by Daniel Stackhouse from barrier seven.
“We’re just looking forward to the next group of 2-year-olds to come through,” Brash said.
“There’s one of Ash and Amy Yargi’s running at Flemington on Saturday having its first start by Earthlight.
Petit Artiste as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It’s a Stakes race too, so hopefully she can add to our graduates there
“With race results, you get better sales results. If you can add Black Type into your broodmare band, it’s obviously going to increase your pedigree and make your sales results even better.
“We put a huge importance on our race results – we follow all our graduates like they’re our own kids.”
