Family breeding champion racehorses for generations

THE Nolan family at Raheen Stud have generations of experience producing internationally renowned racehorses.

Champion: Basil Nolan Jnr gives Publishing Filly a wash. Picture: Chris Ison

PRODUCING champion racehorses is nothing unusual for the Nolan family of Raheen Stud.

They have been breeding horses since the 1960s.

Now up to the fourth generation, Raheen is run by Basil Nolan and his wife Diane, his son Basil Nolan Jnr and his wife Natalie, and their four children Basil, 15, Lily, 13, James, 10, and William, 7.

Based 20km east of Warwick, spring is a busy time of year for the Nolan family.

“The foaling season begins in August and runs through until December,” Basil Jnr said.

“In that time we will have 130 mares foal here.

“They’re all born in the spring time. It’s a busy time for us.

“About 70percent of those would be ours and about 30percent would be outside clients.”

Basil Jnr said they have to hire six extra staff during foaling season.

Raheen Stud has sold horses up to $480,000.

Heroic Valour, a racehorse bred at Raheen Stud. Picture: supplied

“That was a really good result. He was a horse called Conquered Dream. He went to South Africa and won a race over there,” Basil Jnr said.

“Our most successful horse at the moment is Season’s Bloom. He’s a Group One winner in Hong Kong.

“His mother is here now. She was crowned Queensland Brood Mare of the Season this year. Her name is Pyramisa Lass.”

Basil Jnr said they sold 10 horses at the Magic Millions sale last week, all to repeat buyers.

“They went to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Korea. They fly them over on big cargo planes,” he said.

“Those horses would all go into quarantine. They’re what we call ‘ready to run’ horses. They’re broken in and well educated.

“That’s why they like them over there because they are ready to race.

“There is a lot of time, money and effort that goes into those horses to have them physically and mentally prepared for a trip like that.”

Raheen Stud is based on 1618 hectares. 50percent is used for the horses and 50percent is used for cultivation.

The stables at Raheen Stud can hold up to 45 horses at a time. Picture: supplied

“We grow all our own lucerne and rye grass and a percentage of our grain, but half of our grain comes from down south,” Basil Jnr said.

“We irrigate a lot. We have to try and keep the rye grass and lucerne up for feeding the horses.”

The property also has stables that can house up to 45 horses at a time.

Basil Jnr said most of their horses were sold as yearlings, at 14—15 months old.

“A lot of work goes into them, that’s just part and parcel of them. They have to be taken to the sales in prime condition,” he said.

“They have to be educated properly, which starts from when they’re weaned. They’re groomed and exercised on walking machines.

“A lot goes into it.”

Basil Jnr said they have all their own trucks and floats to transport horses to sales.