Kool runnings – Unbeaten 3YO flies flag for syndication minnow

Amid the anticipation of a potentially defining moment for a bloodstock business that is gaining traction without the obvious headlines, there is still work to be done.

As the Sydney-trained Ice Kool prepares to put an unbeaten record on the line in the Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate, two partners in a syndication company will momentarily push the hype to one side and look beyond the $3 million race.

In the fast-paced world of bloodstock buying and selling, it is easy to get left behind and with the first yearling sales of the season on our doorstep, there is no time to waste for two relative newcomers to the syndication game.

John McPhillips and Blake Armstrong are the co-founders of Strong Bloodstock. Ice Kool will carry their silks in the Sunlight as one of the main threats to the favourite Grafterburners in a welcome distraction from inspecting Magic Millions yearlings on a tighter financial rein than most.

“We haven’t got the biggest budget compared to other trainers and syndicators,” McPhillips told The Straight.

Strong Bloodstock typically operates within a $20,000 to $150,000 range, prioritising conformation over pedigree and relying on selection over spending power.

“For us, it’s about finding the right athlete and we’re aiming to pick up three or four horses at the sale,” McPhillips said.

“We have to have a good horse with good conformation and moves well. The athlete is really important to us. And then the (pedigree) page comes next. 

“Again it comes down to price point because the horses with those types of (big) pedigrees that are really good athletes, we can’t afford.

“Having said that, I think we punch well above our weight for what we buy.”

In their corner is Olly Koolman, a bloodstock agent renowned for having a good eye for a thoroughbred and an uncanny knack for value.

Koolman is best known for his time working for Hermitage Thoroughbreds in an era that saw the emergence of The Autumn Sun, the champion three-year-old of his season and a rising force in Australia’s stallion ranks.

He also landed Group 1-winning filly Egg Tart at a modest $40,000 for Hermitage while Funstar and Youngstar are recognisable names that have been purchased under his own banner.

“We always do our own inspections and then collate what we’ve looked at together (with Koolman) and that’s how we come up with our final shortlist for sales,” McPhillips said.

Strong Bloodstock was founded after McPhillips and Armstrong, lifelong friends, identified an opening to fast-track their entry into the industry.

“We had an opportunity to buy a business that was already up and running,” McPhillips said.

The pair acquired 2K Thoroughbreds six years ago, allowing them to set up with horses already in work rather than facing the extended wait typically faced by a new syndicator.

“We started off with five or so horses rather than starting off with nothing,” McPhillips said.

The timing of the acquisition coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding a layer of uncertainty to the venture.

“It was a bit of a risk at the time,” McPhillips said.

Despite the challenges, he said the decision was underpinned by a long-standing ambition to establish a presence in syndication.

“We always wanted to get into syndication, so we sort of took the risk … even though it was a bad time to do it,” he said.

Since then, the business has steadily expanded, spreading about 30 horses between trainers in NSW and Queensland.

One of those is Warwick Farm-based Dave Pfieffer, who trains Ice Kool.

Pfieffer is no stranger to Gold Coast success, with Graceful Anna winning the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Trophy for him in 2010, a race that has since been rebranded as the Magic Millions Guineas.

Ice Kool was passed in at the 2024 Magic Millions sale, but a collaboration involving Strong Bloodstock, Pfeiffer and Widden Stud, which stands the sprinter’s champion sire Zoustar, has turned into a potential equine goldmine.

“We actually bought into the horse ourselves as a business and leased the horse out to all of our clients in conjunction with Dave,” McPhillips said.

“So it’s a good story. “It’s nice to get a horse like him between all of us because we’ve worked well together previously.

“We’ve had good stakes success … King Kapa’s won a few Listed races, but Ice Kool is potentially the most exciting horse we’ve had on what he’s done in his first two starts.

“He would definitely be a breakthrough horse for us because we’ve already got a lot of attention off the back of his last win and getting a Sunlight slot.”