Mike O’Donnell

The owners of Fairhill Farm, they are the proud breeders of Hayasugi; the fourth Group 1 winner to come off the stud that sits in a lovely position in the lower Hunter Valley.

It was in the early 2000s that the O’Donnells made the decision to move from their native New Zealand to Australia, armed with a successful background in business and a passion for thoroughbreds.

Under the guidance of a Muswellbrook real estate agent they inspected a few farms in that vicinity but none really fit the bill with the couple having been used to living closer to major centres.

With the help of a local bookmaker who knew the area, they searched further afield and with Mount Vincent sitting nicely in between Sydney and the major studs of the Hunter Valley they found what was perfect for them.

And so Fairhill Farm was born, the O’Donnells taking into account the natural resources of the area, one which has double the annual rainfall of the upper Hunter.

“In our 23 years here we’ve had only one dry patch and even that wasn’t too bad,” Mike said.

“Recently we had the opposite issue of too much rain but it’s a lovely hilly area and the water just tends to run off.”

Pasture testing and improvement is a priority at Fairhill, the health of horses placed first and foremost with a well researched feeding programme in place.

“We feed to 100% of nutritional requirements,” he said, “so the grass is extra.”

The way they raise their horses is certainly working with Hayasugi, who they sold to James Bester Bloodstock/Rathosheen Bloodstock/C Mok for $47,500 at the 2022 Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale, their fourth Group 1 success story.

She joined Glorious Days, Good Project and Choice Bro as horses who kicked off their lives at Fairhill Farm.

They enjoyed big race successes in different parts of the world, Glorious Days the winner of eight races including the Hong Kong Mile-Gr1, 1600m, Good Project winning five including the Railway Stakes-Gr1, 1600m in Perth and Choice Bro successful on eight occasions with his career highlight the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes-Gr1, 1400m.

Each of those horses created good impressions during their early days at Fairhill with Mike noting a common denominator amongst the best horses; “they have that lovely, relaxed attitude.”

It was certainly something he saw in Hayasugi when he watched her race.

“We travelled down several times to watch her and every time she was asleep in her box. Even when she was walked out she looked like she didn’t have a care in the world!”

Luckless when contesting the Golden Slipper Stakes-Gr1, the Clinton McDonald trained filly looked set for a good three year- old campaign after a fast finishing second when taking on the older horses in the Moir Stakes-Gr1,1000m.

Sadly Hayasugi had to be put down after suffering complications from foot surgery in January, providing her connections, including the O’Donnells, with the extreme ups and downs that racing can provide.

But her memory lives on and pride of place at Fairhill is a gift from her owners to the O’Donnells; a framed tapestry of Hayasugi which was presented to them along with a bottle of Penfolds Grange.

Fairhill is still home to Hayasugi’s dam China Road, a daughter of Commands purchased for $10,000 off an Inglis Digital Sale in 2017.

As a mare with only one ovary, she has presented Fairhill with challenges in regards to her fertility with unfortunately no foals since Hayasugi.

But this spring is an exciting one with China Road due in early September to Harry Angel.

Hayasugi’s sire Royal Meeting was chosen as her mate due to his conformation being a match, Mike noting that “China Road is a heavy set Commands mare whereas Royal Meeting is more of a leaner type, I think he suits those heavier sorts of mares.”

Using a variety of stallions, Mike is a keen student of conformation, travelling to studs to inspect stallions.

Around 45 mares call Fairhill home, served last spring by the likes of Farnan (in whom Fairhill are shareholders), Bivouac, Pride Of Dubai, Acrobat, Tassort, King’s Gambit, Native Trail, So You Think and Wootton Bassett.

Mike is still doing the planning for this spring but is supporting Farnan, Jacquinot, Vandeek and Henry Longfellow amongst others. And in New Zealand, where five Fairhill mares reside at Curraghmore, Sword Of State and Chaldean.

All Fairhill horses are sold as weanlings and there is one simple reason for that.

“I just love breeding horses!” Mike said.

“By selling them as weanlings I can breed as many horses as I want; if I was to take them to yearling sales I would be restricted as we are just a small place and it’s not really what we want to do.”

Mike is not worried when pin-hookers make profits from the Fairhill weanlings, in fact he prefers it when they do as “they come back.”

And he takes great pride in any good racetrack results for Fairhill graduates, as evidenced by his and Di’s regular trips to Melbourne to see Hayasugi race.

Neither Mike or Deb were raised to work with horses, in fact Deb had “zero” equine background, only heading to the races once she met Mike.

“Until we got a farm she had never even been into a paddock with a horse!” Mike said.

Mike’s exposure to horses was also limited though he had been a regular attendee at major New Zealand carnivals with his dad, a keen racegoer.

And then, in 1965; a pivotal moment.

“My dad gave me ten bob to put on my cousin’s horse Lucky Son in the Auckland Cup which he won. And I can tell you, winning is infectious!”

From thereon Mike’s interest in racing was definitely piqued though for three decades racing remained a hobby.

During which time the O’Donnells successfully ran an electrical wholesale business, overseeing a staff of 70.

Their horses were at Waikato Stud, Mike noting that he learned a lot from his conversations with Garry Chittick, and at one stage they had a farmlet.

So the decision to move to Australia was a big one, fuelled by a desire to breed successfully and commercially, considering that task a difficult one in the economic client in New Zealand at the time.

Whilst he has affection for the staying types New Zealand was renowned for producing (“to us the Melbourne Cup was always the ultimate race”), Mike is realistic about the Australian market’s appetite for speed and that is how he breeds.

He likes to give his youngsters time, not pushing them through their weanling sales preparations; “we keep it as natural as possible,” he said.

“As a result our horses don’t always have that big shine to them at the sales and we do pay a penalty for that,” he said whilst also noting that he has been very happy to let the results on the track do the talking.

He loves spending time with his horses, learning all the time.

“I think what I learned first was how smart horses are,” he said, laughing as he added “and it is easier working with horses than with people!”

Fairhill Farm enjoyed early success as breeders, purchasing from the United States the stakes placed End Sweep mare Desert End whose first Australian foal, a daughter of Encosta de Lago, was purchased by the Inghams for $700,000 at Easter in 2007.

She raced as Margham, winning three city races and earning black-type with a Group 3 placing before a successful stud career that saw her produce four winners including the dual Listed winner Mohave.

And Fairhill horses are still doing well at the sales, a weanling they sold for $120,000 last year fetching $800,000 at Easter; he was a Street Boss colt out of the Irish bred Fastnet Rock mare Fee Dansante.

The profit was not theirs but Mike was proud as he said “she is the highest priced Street Boss yearling ever sold in Australia.”

This year’s weanling sales have not been quite as fruitful, Mike admitting that “it has been our most trying year” but he remains optimistic, loving the his adopted industry.

“This is a fantastic industry, really family orientated. We do it all for the love of the horse and really, you can’t beat it for fun!”BB