Quality Fillies to Boost Blandford’s Proud Record

Media Release - Monday January 15
Blandford Lodge has a proud roll of honour with Group One winning graduates including the likes of Lucia Valentina, Criterion, Pasadena Girl and Singapore star Better Than Ever.

The Matamata farm heads to this month's New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, which starts on January 28, with a string of yearlings likely to add to the list.

Graham BaxBlandford Lodge is owned by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax with Wellington businessman Lib Petagna, all parties having a long and successful involvement with thoroughbred racing and breeding.

Graham Bax has bred numerous stakes winners over the last 25 years with one in particular, the striking mare Lucia Valentina, forging the partnership behind Blandford Lodge.

Bloodstock consultant Bruce Perry outlaid $60,000 on Petagna's behalf for a brown Savabeel filly out of Staryn Glenn at the 2012 NZB Premier Sale.

Little did he know she would be the catalyst for the partnership driving the success of Blandford Lodge, one of New Zealand's most prominent boutique studs.

For the record, Lucia Valentina was a racetrack star winning seven times, three at Group One level and accumulating $4.7 million in stakes for her hugely successful owner.

She gave Petagna a day owners can only dream of when she was key to a $3.3m Randwick pay day, winning the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on the same day Sofia Rosa won the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m).

Lucia Valentina is now part of the bright future for Blandford Lodge where she is grazing the fertile pastures carrying a positive pregnancy to boom Australian sire Snitzel.

"So we will be looking forward to offering her off-spring at yearling sales in the years ahead," Graham Bax said.

He was joined by Petagna at Blandford three years ago when Sir Owen Glenn decided to sell his interest in the farm.

Lucia Valentina - Grant CourtneyAnd Bax is loving Petagna's involvement.

"The timing was perfect and it's been great," he said. "Lib is fantastic to work with and he's got some lovely mares on the farm.

"He's a big part of our industry and a real gentleman as well."

Blandford Lodge's 13-strong draft for the upcoming sales features a line-up of 10 fillies.

"Maybe there's another Lucia Valentina among them," Bax said. "Looking down the list, it's just a wonderful line of fillies.

"I wouldn't mind a few more colts, but that's just the way it went when this draft was foaled. On the positive side our best results have come with fillies.

"There must be something in the water, the farm has really good filly families – it seems to be in the genes."

There is ample sire power behind this year's fillies with Dissident, Deep Field, Foxwedge, Tavistock, Ocean Park, Medaglio d'Oro, Sacred Falls, Charm Spirit and Reliable Man represented.

Lot 176, a Tavistock colt from the Zabeel mare Dubai Express, is expected to be the highlight of the male offerings from the farm.

"He should go really well," Bax said. "But as I've been told at our parades, if anyone wants a quality filly they will be getting around to Blandford. We should have a good sale."

The future is in good hands at Blandford. Experienced farm manager Jamie Kennedy oversees a dedicated full-time team of three staff which increases to six during the summer.

"Jamie runs the farm and does a fantastic job," Bax said. "Our results over the last few years show that.

"He came to us from Yarraman Park and had wide experience on a variety of other studs as well.

"Blandford Lodge will continue to get stronger. We have around 50 mares and we don't want to get any bigger, but we want to increase the quality and continue to breed to top-end stallions."

The partnership will seek to raise the bar with the regular purchase of high quality bloodstock to ensure an exciting future for the farm.– NZ Racing Desk.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Mogumber Park hoists wet sail with Marine One
This time last year, the first foals by Mogumber Park stallion Marine One were widely regarded as some of the best types on the ground in Western Australia.
Everest Runner/New G1 Horse for Hellbent as Invincible Legacy Surges
Hellbent has made a solid start to the new season with 25 winners racking up over $2million in earnings and he will have a runner in the $20million The Everest in two weeks time with Magic Time confirmed for the Inglis slot, while at Randwick last Saturday he added another G1 performer to his tally.
Captivant Colt Shines at Warwick Farm Trials
Captivant’s burgeoning reputation for producing precocious 2YOs took another leap forward at today’s Warwick Farm trials, with Courthezon powering to victory in Heat 10.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 3
Here is the full list of 61 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 4
Here is the full list of 119 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.