Blue Gum Farm And Encosta De Lago

         Former golf professional Graham Campbell purchased his first horse in the late 1950's called Serene Image and after having moderate success with the mare, racing became a passion especially the breeding side. Then after retiring from the golfing profession in the late 1970's. It was 1980 when he purchased some land in Euroa for the family and named the property, Blue Gum Farm. Graham and his son Phillip sent six yearlings to the 1981 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sales which would put the farm on the map. One of these was a Planet Kingdom colt out of Fairway Fun who was the first yearling to sell for over $100,000 in Victoria. They used innovative ideas to sell them like videos of the yearlings, brochures, stall cards and brass name plates for the head collars.
       It was 1985 when US breeder William duPont III of Lexington, Kentucky would send the  French bred Noalcoholic to Blue Gum Farm . He would become Australia’s Champion First Season Sire of the 1987/88 season. Then followed a string of successful sires Rancho Ruler, Umatilla, Kenvain, Rubiton. In the next decade the farm continued to produce a list of good winners until the arrival of the son of the King. 

Encosta De Lago
Vic Health Cup

 
        In 1997 they would make a decision which would forever put the farm, high on a pedestal . They shuttled the brother of  the legendary Sadlers Wells by the name of Fairy King to Australia for a meeting with Shoal Creek, a Star Way mare. The brothers were by Northern Dancer out of a mare by the name of Fairy Bridge.  That mating would produce the great Encosta De Lago. On the track he was talented but in the breeding barn as a stallion he was sensational. Standing at an initial service fee of  just $8,500, Encosta de Lago would established himself in the very top echelon of sires in the country. Producing the sensational Alinghi as well as Hong Kong's champion Sacred Kingdom and the grey flash, Chautauqua. 

Sacred Kingdom Tribute  

 

       He remained a resident at Blue Gum Farm until the 2004 breeding season. When following the death of the great Danehill at Coolmore's Hunter Valley Farm it was decided to transfer him from Blue Gum. He was retired from stud duties in 2015 at the age of 21 leaving his dynasty in the hands of his sire sons, Manhattan Rain,Northern Meteor and newcomer Racing To Win.
                                                   Manhattan Rain Blue Gum Farm

            Blue Gum also produced the great Elvstroem winner of the 2003 VRC Derby, 2004 Caulfield Cup and overseas recorded a victory in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Stakes. At the moment Blue Gum Farm stands Turffontein standing at $8,800 who is  by the unbeaten, World Champion Two Year Old Johannesbug. Fast making a name for himself as a sire of sires. His son Scat Daddy was Champion Freshman Sire in the US and sire of 68 stakes winners including the 2018 Kentucky Derby winner Justify .

Turffontein

 

       Its good to note that Fairy Bridge's final foal was a colt by Danzig called Perugino who was a successful stallion in Australia and her mum Special produced the great broodmare producing stallion Nureyev.While Her son Saddlers Wells dominates the European racing circuit she has plenty of influence in the southern hemisphere as well.