A major expansion project is coming together at boutique thoroughbred farm Silverdale with no stone left unturned in owner Steve Grant’s pursuit of excellence for both equine residents and staff.
Images courtesy of Silverdale Farm
Grant has owned the original property for 11 years and the recent acquisition of two neighbouring properties brings the farm’s overall size to 230 acres with development well underway at Silverdale, two hours south of Sydney at Avoca in the Southern Highlands.
Construction of a state of the art facility is going along at a steady pace and the end result will see Silverdale offering yearling drafts in Queensland, Melbourne and Sydney for the first time in 2021.
In addition to building, the broodmare band has been updated on a regular basis, the racing team has expanded as have the management ranks with respected and experienced staff in place.
Steve Grant
“It’s been in the planning for a number of years and a lot of construction work to get to this stage, there’s a lot going on,” Grant said. “We’re close to a comfortable point, but we’re certainly not stopping at that.
“We’ve acquired the land on both sides of the property and at the moment we’ve got yearling barns under construction and a horse exercise area, which is part of that one building with 15 boxes and within that space is the walker, a round yard, treadmill and wash bays all under one roof.
“It’s been in the planning for a number of years and a lot of construction work to get to this stage, there’s a lot going on.” – Steve Grant
“We’ve put a lot of work into what we’ve got and the breeding barn is there for our mares to handle their foaling requirements and beside that is the maintenance workshop and storage areas.
“There’s a lot of consideration gone into it in terms of staff to make sure we’re operating efficiently and not moving backward and forward and it’s all contained in one area.
“In the feed shed, it’s been designed so people aren’t lifting bags so we don’t have health issues.”
Silverdale Farm experiences frequent rain topping up its water supply
Grant has successfully combined his professional life with his passion for racing and breeding for many years and now taking it to another level.
“I’ve used my own designs and did the 200 boxes at Rosehill for the STC back in the day and a number of other projects as well. My own forte is designing things that operate efficiently and safely,” he said.
“I’m a builder and also do a number of other development projects as well and I was on the ATC Board for many years and handled all their property issues.”
During his time with the ATC, he also headed the redevelopment of the Rosehill grandstand and negotiation with the New South Wales Government on the integration of the light rail at Randwick.
Silverdale Farm’s recently built barn
It was his association with Milburn Creek that prompted Grant to develop his own thoroughbred operation
“I bought the original property 11 years ago and I mainly had the horses at John Muir’s place. He and Scott (Holcombe, Farm Manager) called around one afternoon and stayed for ages and talked me into doing up my place for horses,” he said.
“I’ve bought a lot of dairy farms in the past and when I saw this property it suited horses. We’ve got seven natural springs we collect from and it goes into a collection well and every horse gets natural spring water.
“We’ve got seven natural springs we collect from and it goes into a collection well and every horse gets natural spring water.” – Steve Grant
“I’ve got 28 mares on site and kick around that number and every year buying more to improve. We cull from the bottom and hopefully add to the top, it’s the same old target that everyone’s got.”
Grant’s racing operation, Grant Bloodstock, is paired with Chris Waller’s Harras Syndicates, the Newgate colts’ syndicate and Louis Mihalyka’s Laurel Oak Bloodstock and also has horses with Bjorn Baker and Mark Newnham.
One of the current stars of Grant’s team is the multiple Group placegetter Sweet Scandal (Sepoy), who will eventually join the broodmare band at Silverdale.
Multiple Group placegetter Sweet Scandal
“The first horse I bred won a few races, otherwise I would have given it away, and that was about 40 years ago and I’ve always had a few ever since,” he said.
“Rebel Dane won two Group 1s and Kinema won the Duke Of Edinburgh S. at Royal Ascot and we went over there and thankfully he saluted. That was a great day.”
Grant was part of the Australian-based syndicate that purchased Kinema (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who also won a 2800 metre race at Flemington under Waller’s guidance and finished fourth in the G3 Geelong Cup.
“He’s now out at Silverdale. He’s the nanny on sight and everybody’s friend and keeps them all calm and collected,” Grant said.
First yearling drafts
This ongoing development and upgrading of the quality broodmare band will result in Silverdale selling under its own banner in 2021.
Yearling with their nanny at Silverdale Farm
“Next year, we’ll probably have a couple at Magics and three or so at Easter and you need the Classic Sale to tidy up the group,” Grant said. “We’ll have seven or eight next year and the following year it will jump up.
“We’ve got some very good people, a great team and everyone is excited about the future and the project we’ve got going. A number of people who have been down to the farm have been blown me away with outstanding compliments.”
Grant said they included Newgate’s Henry Field, Muir, agent Andrew Williams and trainers Gary Portelli and Matt Cumani.
Stud Manager Jennifer Sassier
Key roles at Silverdale have been filled by General Manager Robert Petith and Stud Manager Jennifer Sassier.
Petith was previously Stud Manager at Queensland nursery Canning Downs and is a past Hunter Valley Thoroughbred Breeders’ School Scholarship and Australian Equine Associate Horse Industry Scholarship winner.
His experience also includes stints with The Irish National Stud, Hagyards Medical Institute in Kentucky, Glenlogan Park in Queensland and with the former Woodlands Stud in New South Wales.
Sassier has previously worked at Coolmore in America, The National Stud at Newmarket in England and working experience in Japan, South Africa and New Zealand. She is also a former head of the foaling unit at Arrowfield Stud and a highly-experienced vet nurse.
Article | TDN AusNZ
