Confectioner
Love at first sight
by Veterinary & Spelling Manager Yvonne Divers
This is a story of two journeys through the thoroughbred world. Mine and and a bay gelding’s named Confectioner. In 1999, I was a high school student wondering which path I was going to take after graduation. I had studied the VTAC guide, and studied and studied it, and landed on the only horse course listed, Diploma of Horse Studies with a major in Breeding. As a horse-mad kid, this was stuff that dreams were made of - a career path with horses.
Jump to the breeding season of 2000. As part of my studies I arrived at Chatswood Stud in Seymour, just south of Lindsay Park in Euroa, to commence my placement.
A mare that stood out for me there was Princess Blue; a beautiful dapple grey mare, with marked stringhalt to both hind legs from a previous injury evidenced by marked scarring to both hind legs. Beyond her altered gait, was her gorgeous dark leggy colt by Bubble Gum Fellow. An eye-catching, curious and bright foal, he was a well put together good-looking colt and one I’d always look for at vetting and on feed run. Breeding season came and went, and I was asked to stay on at Chatswood through the Christmas break, an opportunity I grasped with both hands.
Early 2001, the unthinkable happened, Princess Blue was found dead in her paddock, seemingly having suffered a bout of colic through the night. Her sweet foal had become a weanling and an orphan overnight. He took to this abrupt change well, and soon enough his paddock mates were weaned and joined this brave colt in the paddock.
The Christmas break came to an end and in turn so did my stay at Chatswood. Returning to my studies, the Bubble Gum Fellow colt was often in my mind and I wondered how he was going. I travelled overseas working for Coolmore America, and during a period of homesickness, the little guy popped into my mind. I jumped on the Australian Studbook and found him. He had been named Confectioner, an ode to his sire.
When I returned to Australia from my travels, I returned to the stables of Brian Mayfield-Smith at Flemington. I followed Confectioner’s career from afar, he had popped up in neighbouring Flemington Stables of Lindsay Park, racing in the famous Devitt & Gordon colours and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Mummify, Makybe Diva, Elvestrom, Grand Armee, El Segundo and champion stablemates Niconero and Fields of Omagh.
I would occasionally see the now gelding around the Flemington track, he had grown into a strong tall horse, and was still just as eye catching.
In 2007, I was fortunate enough to commence working for the stable vet of Brian Mayfield-Smith, Dr McKellar, who was also the stable vet to Lindsay Park. On occasion, I would visit their Flemington stables and see Confectioner, with his baby face and nonchalant nature he had a regal air about him. After 39 starts with 8 wins, 4 seconds, 5 thirds and prize money over 1.3 million dollars, he retired to the Lindsay Park Angaston property in 2008.
In 2010, with Lindsay Park opening their operations in Victoria, I joined them in the small town of Euroa. Shortly thereafter, the retirees in Angaston relocated to Euroa too, including Confectioner. He was much rounder and fluffier than I remembered, having settling into retirement like a champ.
A couple of years later, I asked if I could adopt Confectioner and have him live out his days with me and my family on our property. I was so happy when he unloaded off the float and went straight into grazing, like he had been there all his life. Not a care or worry in the world.
Now, rising 24 years of age, he moves much slower than his Group One performances, though he still enjoys a comfortable canter up to his feed bin if he’s late to his meal. He spends his days pretending he needs no-one, but he is never too far from his paddock mate ex-lead pony, 23 year old Cody. Be it grazing, eating carrots, rolling in the dam (sometimes with his rugs on) or basking in the sunshine, Confectioner has a home with me for the rest of his days. I love to look out the window every day and see him happily grazing in my paddock and remember the brave little colt I met at Chatswood Stud all those years ago.
