By Darryn Nufer
WHEN it comes to thoroughbred breeding, Werner Quast knows a bit about the caper.
The 77-year-old has been bringing horses he has bred to the Capricornia Yearling Sale in Rockhampton “on and off” for the past 30 years.
Having previously had a lengthy and successful association with Greenvale Park Stud, these days Werner continues breeding thoroughbreds as a hobby at his Westbrook property on the western outskirts of Toowoomba.
“I’ve bred 38 Black Type winners over the years so I’ve done something right,” he said.
“It’s pretty hard in Queensland to do that.”
From his upbringings, Werner was perhaps always destined to be involved in racing.
“I was born with horses,” he explained.
“My father was in horses in Germany – warm blood horses and trotters. And then when I came to Australia trotters weren’t much and I thought race horses might be the answer.
“I came to Australia from Germany when I was 19. I came over by myself and then my parents followed me.
“The first horses we ever bought were from a Eureka Stud dispersal sale in 1961.”
Werner rates Regal Regard as the best horse that he has bred and sold at the Capricornia Yearling Sale.
By Canadian stallion Forever Regal from the dam Sister Louise, Regal Regard won the Capricornia Yearling Sale 2YO Classic in 1998.
He was a brilliant youngster winning five of his first six race starts as a two-year-old including two of those at Eagle Farm.
Regal Regard went on to win 12 races from 45 starts and earned upwards of $211,000 in prize money – a figure that would have been considerably higher if he raced in today’s era.
“He was a top horse,” Werner said.
At this year’s Capricornia Yearling Sale to be held at the Rockhampton Showgrounds on Sunday, April 14, Werner will offer two fillies.
The first is Lot 47, a brown filly by Love Conquers All out of the Lonhro mare Hello I Love You.
“I bred The Tax Accountant who is doing good things on the track and this filly is by the same sire,” Werner said.
“She’s a lovely filly that I’m bringing up this year and her dam’s first foal was a winner.
“You can’t fault this filly. We did the x-rays and scope and she was 100% on both.”
The second is Lot 66, a bay filly by Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) from the Dehere mare On The Natural.
“This is a filly you wouldn’t mind having because I reckon there’s a bit of speed there,” Werner said.
“She’s strong and very powerful.
“Holy Roman Emperor was a champion two-year-old and he has produced numerous Group 1 winners.”
Capricornia Yearling Sale catalogues are available from the Rockhampton Jockey Club office at Callaghan Park.
Selling on Sunday, April 14, gets underway at 11am.