Arrowfield has been named the Major Sponsor for this year's Jerilderie Gold Cup. "Country Racing is racing's backbone," reports John Messara. "People often forget that NSW Country Racing comprises 100 professional clubs, 37 amateur clubs and 116 race tracks. That's a significant number of jobs and associated income for remote communities as well as the social/recreational benefits that accrue to race meetings." The Arrowfield Stud Jerilderie Gold Cup will be held on Saturday 12th September, 2009. If you live locally and would like to attend you are more than welcome. Please just let us know and we will arrange tickets. Did you know? Jerilderie is located on the Newell Highway, approximately 60 kilometres north of the Victorian border (640kms South of Sydney) and is nestled on the banks of the Billabong Creek, the longest creek in Australia. Renowned in history for being the only town in NSW that Ned Kelly visited and the origin of the Jerilderie Letter (see below), it is a thriving agricultural area. As well as producing rice, wheat, soya beans, canola, wool, beef, grapes, and onions, latest statistics show that 24% of the gross national tomato product is grown in the area, as well as 5% of the world supply of licorice. Jerilderie is considered the gateway to the Kidman Way, a fully sealed road to the outback travelling through Griffith, Hillston, Cobar, Bourke and on to Queensland. Jerilderie is to Australia's Stud Merino flocks as the Hunter Valley to thoroughbreds. Properties the likes of Bundure, Coornang, The Yanko, Silver Pines, Lone Pine, Morundah, Arrawidgee, Aratula, Willandra, One Oak, Goolgumbla, Pooginook and numerous others have formed the backbone â€" and bloodlines alike Arrowfield - of Australia's wool industry. In racing terms, Jeriderie was the base for successful trainer Ken Sweeney who won the SDRA trainers premiership on a record 17 consecutive occasions. As far as country racing goes, Sweeney remains amongst the best- he would often have 2 horses running in Sydney, 3 in Melbourne, 6 at Wagga Wagga and 2 at Carrathool and co-ordinate the whole thing from one base. The rice industry has been huge over the last 25 yearsâ€"some of the biggest yields have come from the areaâ€"which has tens of thousands of acres under production â€" but now has no water. The district has, as a result, constantly had to re-invent itself, and not lay down and die. They have a vibrant and forward thinking council, the facilities are amazing for a country town, and the community are prepared to get off their backsides and make things happen - hence Arrowfield 's sponsorship! The Jerilderie Letter: Only two original documents by Ned Kelly are known to have survived. The most significant of these is the Jerilderie Letter, dictated by Ned Kelly to Joe Byrne in February 1879. It is the only document providing a direct link to the Kelly Gang and the events with which they were associated. Approximately 8000 words long, this letter has been described as Ned Kelly's 'manifesto'. It passionately articulates his pleas of innocence and desire for justice for both his family and the poor Irish selectors of Victoria's northeast. Donated to the Victoria State Library in 2000, the Jerilderie Letter brings Ned Kelly's distinctive voice to life, and offers readers a unique insight into the man behind the legend. Arrowfield's representative at this year's Jerilderie Gold Cup â€" Brian Gorman â€" has been given a share in Cup runner No Fixed Address by the Jerilderie Race Club for the day. As Brian says "Now THAT is looking after your sponsors!"

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Resuming from a 44 week layoff, Australian-bred 3YO gelding Gaston (Charge Forward ex Capto, by Octagonal) scored a 2 length victory over 1000m in NZ at just his second start yesterday.

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The economic downturn has brought forth challenges for the commercial breeding industry. Like never before, it's time to be disciplined if we are to overcome those challenges. Thus it's back to some of the fundamental rules which make for success: 1. Don't over-mate your mares. As a guide, you should not spend more than 40% of the value of the mare on a stallion service. You should take care to mate on type as well as pedigree to breed an athlete (yearlings in the Melbourne sale this year averaged only 1.53 times their conception service fee â€" so many breeders lost money). 2. Your first loss is your best loss. Be willing to cull mares if they are not producing athletes for you; it costs just as much to keep a good mare as an average one. 3. Analyse the stallion offerings carefully before making your mating decision and look for stallions which upgrade their mares. In the modern era of varying book sizes, it's important to look at a stallion's progeny percentage results rather than just cumulative progeny earnings. 4. Where possible, unproven mares should be joined to proven stallions to increase the chances of success and to underpin the mares' value. 5. Remember, your mating decisions today will bear fruit in 2012. The recession will hopefully be over by then, so don't let the current gloom cloud your decision-making process. 6. Meet the market on your yearlings, especially colts. The Sales Companies and Aushorse Marketing are working hard to bring all available buyers to the sale. Unless you are prepared to risk trying to sell your yearling in a 2YO in training sale, you should meet the market. However, breeders could retain fillies out of top families for their ultimate residual value if they don't reach a sensible reserve price as yearlings. 7. Be mindful of where your horse is raised. Environmental issues play a significant role in the development of an athlete. Don't get despondent about market conditions; they are temporary. We have a great industry here as exemplified by the quality of the Easter catalogue. We are well-served by a wide range of excellent stallions and we have a wonderful broodmare pool continuing to develop. Our racing is amongst the best in the world. Some of the world's most influential owners and breeders are directly involved in our industry and we are a market of choice for the burgeoning Asian economies (including China in due course). Those that survive the current conditions will enjoy a strong recovery in bloodstock values on the turnaround. Times like these can offer up opportunities to acquire extremely well bred fillies or mares at prices well below previous expectations. It's never a bad time to collect mares like this and begin a disciplined breeding program!

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