The first half decade of Bourbon Lane Stable's expansion into Novel Zealand has exceeded even the most positive predictions of American investors.
The group has enjoyed a long string of successes with the likes of Gr.1 Novel Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). Bourbonaire (Novel Zealand) (Darci Brahma), Gr.2 Prosperous Hill Mile (1600m) winner Bourbon Empress and fellow stakes winners To Cap It All, Super Photon and Glamor Tycoon. At the same time, the Novel Zealand Thoroughbred landscape, in which they are becoming an crucial part, experienced a revitalization and a significant augment in prize money.
“Everything has been going 100 percent since we decided to get involved in Novel Zealand,” said Bloodstock agent Mike McMahon, who runs Bourbon Lane with co-founder Jamie Hill. The pair, along with their lead client and investor Dennis Foster, have become household names on the Novel Zealand scene.
“You could name 10 changes that have taken place in the last few years that have taken things to a fresh level that we never really imagined. We've seen all these racing and prize money improvements, the Ellerslie track, the introduction of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), the list goes on and on. It really couldn’t have been a better scenario for us.”
Bourbon Lane was founded in the United States in 2010 and quickly became a major player in American racing, prompting the partners to look abroad.
“We have had partnerships in the United States for several years, and in 2018 many of our competitors began offering a Southern Hemisphere option to their customers,” McMahon said.
“We actually tried South Africa first and were lucky enough to have a graded stakes winner there, but eventually we decided Novel Zealand would be a better option. NZB really looked after us and helped us a lot to establish ourselves. Their North American representative Joe Miller and Danny Rolston, who was there at the time, did their best and couldn't have been more helpful.
“So NCB played a substantial role in moving us to Novel Zealand and Dennis Foster also has a daughter who lives there so it made a lot of sense.”
The Bourbon Lane partnership teamed up with leading Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh and made their debut in the Novel Zealand sales ring at Karaka 2019. At this auction they purchased four yearlings for a total of $375,000. Mega Bourbon won three races, All Black Bourbon was a winner and Sacred Bourbon placed twice.
But the substantial success story of this first Karaka intake was Bourbonaire. The son of Darci Brahma received $120,000 from Little Avondale Stud's draft and his five starts in Novel Zealand resulted in a debut win at Matamata and second places in the Novel Zealand 2000 Guineas, the Gr.2 Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m ) and the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m).
Bourbonaire earned US$119,900 and was subsequently sold to Hong Kong, where he won two more races and collected HK$7.3 million (NZ$1.67 million).
“Bourbonaire was our very first horse, so the success we had with him was extraordinary,” McMahon said. “We owned a huge controlling interest in him and Stephen Marsh himself owned a petite share alongside us. So it gave us the best possible start in Novel Zealand.
“And it was one of several good sales we had with Hong Kong. This is one way to really grease the wheel.
“Hong Kong seems to like the Novel Zealand breed better than any other in the world, which is definitely an attraction and expands our options. The Novel Zealand breeders have also specialized very well in this market.”
Bourbon Empress wins the Gr.2 Prosperous Hill Mile (1600m)
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Pictures)
Bourbonaire was by no means just beginner's luck. Bourbon Lane's firepower has only grown since then, exemplified by a remarkable start to 2025. Your purchase of Karaka 2022 valued at $80,000 Bourbon Empress (Novel Zealand) (Proisir) won the $270,000 Prosperous Hill Mile at Ellerslie on Novel Year's Day, followed by highly rated two-year-old fillies Tale Of The Gypsy and To Cap It All, who made their debuts at Te Aroha and the Listed Wellesley Stakes on January 4th (1100 m) a week later in Trentham.
These recent successes have all come from fillies and mares who add real broodmare value to their résumés. While breeding is not currently on the radar for Bourbon Lane in Novel Zealand, it is an option they are keeping open for the future.
“We haven’t been lively in breeding in Novel Zealand, even though we are in the United States,” McMahon said. “So far we have been sellers in Novel Zealand. Stephen “the Knife” Marsh tends to poop on our stallions!
“But we have developed some relationships with stallion farms and stud farms. I hope we can move into this area in the future if we have the right horse for it.”
In the meantime, the Bourbon Lane team are fully focused on the eventful Karaka Millions twilight meeting in Ellerslie on Saturday. Bourbon Empress will carry her colors in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1,600m) while she is a winner last start and a proven black performer Bourbon proof (Justify) is taking part in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Last month's Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) placer She is untouchable (Capitalist) is referred to the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200 m).
Last start's winner, Bourbon Proof, will compete in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
Photo: Kenton Wright
“We are packed right now and have a number of stimulating horses waiting for the Karaka Millions evening,” McMahon said. “We are in great shape, with lots of great partners, a fantastic team around us and a very good trainer and bloodstock agent.
“We try to find the types of horses that Jamie and I like and have had success with in the past, and it seems to be paying off.
“Karaka sales are absolutely first class. The team at NZB is doing a fantastic job and really optimizing it for people outside the country. They are a great company and it shows in the fact that the consignors enjoy bringing their top quality yearlings there and enjoy all the incredible hospitality they show them. The standard is truly set from above.
“We always have a really good time in Karaka and I hope we continue to come there every year for the next 20 years or so.
“We almost always have around ten of our owners with us in Karaka. We've all missed it during the Covid years – it's just not the same when you're on the other side of the world and only have your catalog and a computer screen.
“We like to get out and get our hands muddy on the sales floor to get a real feel for the horses and the crew they all have around them.
“Our partners love traveling and are looking forward to doing so again this week. We will have a huge team on site to watch our horses race on the evening of the Karaka Millions.”
Another unexpected development is the partnership between Novel Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park racetracks in the United States. The collaboration was announced earlier this month and links Novel Zealand's fresh Champions Day race meeting in March with the opulent Pegasus World Cup and California Crown.
Winners of Gulfstream's Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup Turf (1800m) and Gr.2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (1600m) receive optional entry into the Gr.1 Bonecrusher Novel Zealand Stakes (2000m) and the Gr .1 World Pool Novel Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m), while the winners of the Prosperous Hill Stud Middle Distance Series and Sport For the Nation Champion Sprint Series, golden tickets are being offered for the Gr.1 California Crown John Henry Turf (2000m) and the Gr.2 California Crown Eddie D Turf Sprint (1300m). Travel and freight costs are also covered for Golden Ticket awarded horses traveling abroad to compete.
“This is another one of those ten things in Novel Zealand racing that we could never have expected,” McMahon said.
“Bringing our Novel Zealand horses to the United States and vice versa was never our plan, but who knows? Covering travel expenses to compete for so much money certainly has a certain appeal.
“But the downside of that is you have to go all that distance and take a beating and then you've taken your horse off the calendar and have nothing left to show for it. So it's a risk. “There is a lot of money in the international Thoroughbred scene at the moment, be it in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or even Australia, where we haven’t had many runners. It’s an stimulating time and there are many opportunities around the world.”
