KOREAN BUYER: One of the Korean trainers during the recent sale checks out a Hard Spun colt bred at Tanja.
Tanja Park Stud has become an exporter of thoroughbred racehorses to South Korea and the Philippines.
Tanja Park, located just east of Bega, offered two yearling colts at the William Inglis & Son Classic Sale in Sydney at the end of January, and both were knocked down to a South Korean bidder.
"The buyer, Happy Farm, an enterprise in that country which is helping to establish a viable horse racing industry on the model of Hong Kong and Singapore," Tanja Park Stud owner Richard Gorton said.
"Their paddocks and training facilities on the website show a very professional and upmarket operation.
"It's representative, Mr Hung-Yul Yoon, was interested to hear that the two colts having grown up together in the Tanja paddocks would be flying together all the way to South Korea.
"The first colt, by Canny Lad out of a Desert King (sire of Makybe Diva) mare Desert Bride, part of Tanja Park's broodmare band, is a full brother to Blue Tosca, a multiple Group 1 winner in Malaysia," Richard said.
"The second colt, by Hard Spun (an up and coming young sire by Danzig) is out of Tanja Park’s mare Group, a daughter of the famous NZ sire, Sir Tristram."
Richard said he had established a boutique breeding operation at Tanja in 2007 and in 2011 had sold a mare for breeding purposes to the Philippines.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China have been among the main markets for Australian racehorses in recent years.
"It was nice to become part of that trade," Richard said. "I don't know of too many other exporters based in the Bega Valley."
Despite its overseas success, Tanja Park remains focused on the local racing scene.
It has a three-year-old filly Octantis, by Octagonal, and a two-year-old filly, Red’s Image by Dehere, leased to local syndicates for their racing careers and currently in the Rosehill stables of leading Sydney trainer
David Payne. Yearlings sold to local owners are currently in training in Victoria and NSW. Trainer Jason Warren, has a 2yo filly, Prior Doubt, in training at his Mornington facilities, and she is yet to race but has some regard for her future. Her 3yo half sister, Princess Lion, is in training with Aaron Clarke in Braidwood and nominated to run her first race at the Sapphire Coast TC on March 25.
Tanja Park currently has six breeding mares from well-regarded bloodlines.
In addition to the above two mares, there are daughters of Rubiton, Montjeu (sire of the 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon), Fantastic Light and Dehere. Mares are in foal to High Chaparral, Exceed and Excel, Reset and Al Maher. Foals at foot currently are by All American, Statue of Liberty, Dylan Thomas, Artie Schiller and Denman. There is no lack of quality here.
