Tara Talks Racing on Breednet

Winter is finishing, spring is here and so is season 3 of our podcast! The excitement of spring racing and the breeding season is imminent – trials, jumpouts, spring hopefuls, new stallions, stud tours, naughty show jumpers. We’ve eased into it nicely. We hope you enjoy.

We’re joined this week by Shaemus Mills, successful bloodstock agent and renowned for buying fillies at the top end of the market – one of those is last weekend’s G1 Sangster winner Charm Stone. He takes us through his thoughts and strategies at yearling level and mating level. Also home bred Group One winners, a bit of Kentucky Derby and the Champion 2YO debate. Enjoy.

Gilgai Farm’s Kelly Skillecorn is back with us. Since we first spoke in January they’ve bred G1 winner Nepotism and shot the lights out at the yearling sales. It’s another great chat - An unremarkable horse, failed vets, pinhooks, golf courses, Ole Kirk and mating plans. Plus we ponder the Champion 2YO, last week’s racing, weanling sales and service fees. Enjoy.

We’re joined by Jim Clarke – bloodstock agent and key player in the success that is Bjorn Baker. We talk Arapaho, Stefi Magnetica, O’ Ole, yearling sales, mentorship, Ridgmont, loads more – it really is a great chat. And of course we do our take on the big races from Day 2 of The Championships, plus a bit of what’s ahead. Enjoy.

This episode we take the look at the Easter Yearling Sale. The big bangers, the buyers, the sellers, Snitzel, deal with the critics of expensive horses. And the Championships - where everybody can be a big winner regardless of budget. You could have bought 7 Everest winners for less than a million dollars! We also have a go at some tips for this weekend. Tara's got a roughie.

A quick midweek catch up after the big racing finally finished! The good, the bad, sire tables, Newgate, Yulong, sale updates, Easter, The Championships and a sick horse. Plenty covered in 20 odd minutes.

John O’Shea is our guest fresh of the Schwarz plan coming together, a Group One winner and stud career assured. He talks Linebacker, Doncasters, jockeys, memories, breeding theories and his Melbourne Cup hopeful appearing at the trials this week. And we get into the wonderful day that was Golden Slipper Day. The big runs, the future, pedigrees, high priced yearlings flying, the odd surprise, the j...

This week our guest is Matthew Ennis from Stallion Match and G1Goldmine, and managing owner of Golden Slipper contender Skyhook. He tells us the story of Skyhook from being too expensive, to taking ownership, why he is late to the party, the chances of a stud deal and quite a lot more in a fascinating chat. We also look back at the big ones from last week – Lady Shenandoah, Jenni, Vauban and co, a...

After a weekend of over 30 stakes races we’ve trimmed it back to the interesting stuff. Who fired their best shot. Were the losers disappointing? Are some looking ready for stud sooner than later? The Slipper confusion. Kiwi millions and Kiwi raiders. 1st and 2nd season sires covering themselves in glory. And Tom. We love Tom. And our listeners!

Loving this week - Stallions, Fees, Sales, Races, Studbook. We get into it all. And we thank our listeners. That’s a thing apparently in podcast land, and we’re totally on board!

We’re joined by Adam Cook, stud manager at Kingstar Farm who bred Blue Diamond winner Devil Night and sold him for $1.4million. But they also bred another Extreme Choice star in Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside. How do they work with a fertility challenged stallion? What mares suit him? What’s in the future? Adam took some time out from a surfing holiday for a great chat. We also delve into last...

Tara’s in New Zealand fresh off a visit to the iconic Cambridge Stud. We chat about our memories of the farm in Sir Patrick Hogan’s day and Tara talks about it now under Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s vision, both respectful and ambitious. We also have a crack at some Group One winners! Group 2 even!

What a great week of racing we’ve had, and a better week coming up. We dive into it all. What did we learn from the 2YO’s after the weekend? Thoughts on the resuming big race candidates, how are the budding stallions placed after Group 1 racing, gun colts resuming, stunning trials, bubbles popped, sales talk, and who’s on who’s team – Team Via, Team Ceolwulf or Team FannyG!

We cover a lot of territory in a great chat with our guest James Moss from Tricolours Racing – he's building a great record of turning bargains into stakes winners and enjoying seeing his horses do the talking. We look through the 2YO results and peruse the autumn carnival trials – who are our picks for a big carnival. It’s such an interesting time of year. We also have a crack at finding some win...

A great chat with Grahame Begg about the latest instalment of his family's remarkable mare. Has Tara's highlight of 2025 already happened? In January! The Karaka sales and racing. 2YO's - Blue Diamond, Inglis Millennium prospects. Schwarz - is this his time to shine? And a bit more.

A fantastic chat with guest Kelly Skillecorn from Gilgai Farm with tales of O’ Ole, Ole Kirk, a broodmare that was tipped never to carry a foal, a tiny yearling spirited from the sales after being laughed at but with the last laugh, wacky matings, an Easter bonanza for vendors, a couple of top colts and the hunt for 40 Black Caviar relations. We also cover some more Magic Millions, a very good day...

The sale topping bred for speed filly is heading to Japan where more than sprinting is required. The state of the market - we look at how the top, middle and lower tiers are faring. Sire profitability. A resurgent Snitzel. What's ahead for the big selling mares. The Digital sale effect. And we're 99% sure we've found the winners of the Magic Millions on Friday. And a bit more in amongst it.

We look through the lead ups in search of the Magic Millions winners. Dissect some historical factors. Did we see the strongest 2YO race of the year so far at Randwick on Dec 28? Our 2024 highlights and what we're most looking forward to in 2025.

We talk to Scott Darby from Darby Racing. The syndicator who’s bought a Golden Slipper winner for $20k, turned $250k yearling Ozzmosis into a multimillion dollar stallion and was at it again this week, winning the $2mil Ingham with a $160k online buy and the $500k Inglis Nursery with a $30k yearling. And nailed the quinella! He’s doing success his way so let's listen. 

Mel Copelin joins us from Torryburn Stud, breeders of Voyage Bubble & Home Affairs. Mel tells us the story of her gentle giant Voyage Bubble and the far from textbook career of his dam. Also is Ka Ying Rising the best in the world? well bought stakes winning mares and the 2YO's are hotting up in to the Magic Millions.

Welcome to Tom Moore from Coolmore joining us to talk about bargain Justify fillies and the world of yearling x-rays at the sales among a range of things in a great chat. Plus a look at the week's racing - what do we make of the 2YO's?

Poorly placed races moving, more poorly placed races coming, deserving Group One winners, some not so much, a promising two year-old guide and an early look at the yearling sales.

Champions Day – Via Sistina, Mr B, Sunshine In Paris, riding tactics, unconventional creatures, more of the stakes racing circus, brilliant starts for first season sires, Wootton Bassett names, Yulong’s excellent spring,  women in racing, some unraced 2YO’s to blackbook and the new crop of first season horses with the MM 2025 catalogue imminent.

The Melbourne Cup, a great Australian result. Could you have found the winner? We go back to 1903 for guidance. The Oaks wash up. We talk about Storm Boy's future, go through some key stats for Champions Day and 2YO racing on Saturday - more black type that isn't black type, a frustration for 1st season sires.

Derby Day – the heroes, the fails, the future. Sydney’s massive impact on the Melbourne spring. Looking forward to the Oaks and our Melbourne Cup thoughts, horse by horse, fast! Tara going only on the vibe. Be quick, we’ll be deleting it if the tips are no good.