The stunning Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victory by Warmonger on Saturday has already begun to pay dividends for the Wigley family who stand his sire War Decree at their South Island-based boutique breeding operation Inglewood Stud.
A son of internationally acclaimed sire War Front, War Decree will stand his seventh season at Inglewood later this year with the three-year-old Warmonger becoming his first Group One winner from just his second crop.
Stud principal Gus Wigley had just returned from a week at the Magic Millions Weanling and Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast with wife Bianca, where they purchased four young mares to bolster their breeding stock and were thrilled with the victory of Warmonger who was bred by long-time family friend Kevin Hickman.
“We were over there for the week as we had recently sold Parmalove, the dam of this season’s outstanding two-year-old filly Velocious and we went there specifically to buy three or four young mares to help boost our band here at home,” Wigley said.
“It was a really big decision to sell Parmalove as she is a mare I just adore, but we are in the breeding game for the long haul and you have to make those sorts of decisions to keep making progress.
“We ended up getting a lovely Snitzel mare before the sale and then three from the sale itself which we are thrilled about as they were the exact three we had gone there to buy and it doesn’t always pan out that way.
“The mares will stay in Australia initially and then come home to New Zealand for the breeding season next year where they will be mated with New Zealand-based stallions which is the long- term plan for them.”
Wigley admitted his phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the Warmonger victory with a number of additional bookings already adding to an excellent book for War Decree in 2024.
“I think I’ve taken between twelve and fifteen bookings already for War Decree and I think there is more to come,” he said.
“He was already very popular with the way his first crops have performed through the deeds of Val Di Zoldo, Third Decree and Luvnwar, who was sold to Australian interests before the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) last year, to name just a few.
“The great thing is that there are so many South Island breeders who have mares here they would normally send up to a North Island stallion whereas now they have another genuine quality stallion to consider much closer to home.”
Whilst the 10.4 length Derby romp meant there was much cause for celebration, Wigley said there was a tinge of sadness as his thoughts immediately turned to the gelding’s breeder Kevin Hickman. The principal of the former Valachi Downs continues a battle with ill-health that led to the dispersal of much of his admired breeding stock.
“We have had a long and wonderful friendship with Kevin and his family and we were proud to stand Zacinto from 2012 until his move north to Valachi Downs in 2018,” Wigley said.
“We recruited War Decree as the replacement for Zacinto and Kevin, through his Valachi Downs broodmare band, supported us by sending mares to him.
“Princess Sapphire, the dam of Warmonger, is one of those and there was quite a bit of emotion after the race on Saturday as it would have been an even better moment if we could have celebrated with Kevin.
“His impact on New Zealand thoroughbred breeding shouldn’t be overlooked as those mares he imported will have a long-lasting impact on our game and I’m sure the people who were involved with Valachi for all those years will have got just as big a kick out of this victory as we did.”
