Want to know the secret ingredient behind the top-quality standardbred yearlings emerging from Phil and Margaret Creighton's East Taieri property?The answer could quite possibly be milk powder.
The Creightons, who entered into the breeding industry with a mare named Vivid Rainbow almost 35 years ago, were absolute novices to the racing game, and learned like any new entrants - by listening.
''We had never had anything to do with horses,'' Margaret Creighton said.
''You just learn as you go along and you've got to listen to people.''
Listening has got them a long way too. Last month, the Creighton's four yearlings at the New Zealand Premier sale in Christchurch fetched a combined $311,000. Asabella's progeny, Bollinger, was knocked down to Emilo Rosati for $200,000.
It was the third time a product of Asabella had sold for a six-figure sum after Dancing Diamonds went for $110,000 in 2010 and Titanium was claimed for $170,000 two years ago.
The returns also make Phil Creighton's decision to buy Asabella in 2002 an astute one.
The Creightons had owned a share in Bellisimo, so when a filly out of the In The Pocket mare was offered, Creighton went north to Karaka to get a piece of the family.
''I pulled out at $41,000 and for some reason, I put in another bid at $48,000 and got it,'' Phil Creighton said.
''I was just lucky to come in again.''
Creighton shares in the ownership of Asabella with Stewart Gillan, of Winton.
So where does the milk powder come into the story? The answer is in the feed.
''We used to buy milk power from Reliance Stock foods in Dunedin and this milk powder had vanilla essence in it,'' Phil said.
''Every day they got a cup morning and night with their feed. It's like vanilla ice cream - they licked the bowl clean.''
While the milk powder no longer has the vanilla flavour, it is still a vital part of the Creightons' feed regime.
''It certainly puts condition on them,'' he said.
''People ask me and I just say you've got to feed them.''
Creighton is often away travelling for work, and Margaret keeps the mares happy in their day-to-day routines at their 6.5ha property.
''Everybody tells us we spoil them, but we just make sure they've got plenty to eat. We keep them warm during winter, and that's about it,'' she said.
Asabella is just one of four mares on the property - the others being Bettor Move It, Cartier and Princess Of Diamonds - but the 14-year-old is the one who has kicked plenty of goals, producing the 2010 WA Golden Slipper winner Ohokas Bondy and Code Red, who was a five-time winner at Gloucester Park after winning six times in New Zealand.
Still, to expect a $200,000 result for the colt named Bollinger was not in the Creightons' minds before the sales.
''We weren't expecting anything like that,'' Margaret Creighton said.
''We thought well, nothing has really happened for about three years. She had lost a foal [to a broken neck], the last filly [Bluegrass Belle] hadn't shown terribly much and Major Stride has only won one so far so we didn't go in with big expectations at all.''
Phil Creighton's approach to choosing sires is simple.
''Some say you've got to cross this with that but look, commercially, I go to the best because that's what they want at the sales,'' he said.
''I'll only go to three at the moment - Bettor's Delight, Mach Three and Art Major - that's where it's at.''
The bloodlines do part of the job, as does Margaret Creighton's nurturing of the mares and foals, but preparers Graeme and Ann Mee can take plenty of credit for the results.
''They've become very personal friends,'' Phil said.
''If I can't do it, they're there to help Margaret. `Without them, we wouldn't have got there because I'm away so much.
''At the sales, the talking point was Graeme and Ann and how they had prepared them. They probably came out of the sales with more kudos than we did!''Beefy T (1995 Golden Nugget, 1996 Chariots Of Fire) is still the benchmark for horses the Creightons have bred, but they are looking forward to Major Ben (Art Major-Cartier) returning after he debuted with a fourth in the Sapling Stakes last month.
The Creightons and the Mees retained a share after he was sold at last year's sales. He's spelling down in Southland for six weeks - you can quote Mark Purdon who said `you've got yourself something special','' Phil said.
''He just needs to mature and fill out a bit so he's got six weeks on the grass and we might aim him at the Breeders' Crown if he comes up.''
