Trelawney Stud are mourning the loss of one of their favourite broodmares in Boundless at 17 years of age.
Bred by Brent and Cherry Taylor, Boundless was sold as a yearling with Cherry retaining a share in the racing ownership.
This proved to be an astute decision as the daughter of Van Nistelrooy developed into a standout on the racetrack, winning on nine occasions, four times at Group level, out of the stable of Stephen McKee.
Her greatest triumph was in the 2008 Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks where she gamely battled to score an upset win in the three-year-old classic, paying a winning dividend of $43.
She went on to also win the Gr.3 Nicolas Feuillatts Stakes and Gr.2 Counties Cup before retiring on a winning note after scoring in the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Cup.
To dissolve the racing partnership Boundless was offered at auction during the 2011 Inglis Sydney Easter Broodmare Sale where Paul Willetts went to $700,00 on behalf of Brent and Cherry Taylor to secure her for their Trelawney Stud broodmare band.
“It was a lot of money to pay at the time,” Cherry Taylor fondly recalls. “I had kept saying to Brent that I wanted to buy her and he kept saying he wanted something else.
“When she went into the ring I was adamant we were having her and we made one bid, which was nearly a million dollars Kiwi.
“Someone said to Brent that it was the most we’d ever paid for a horse, to which he said it was still cheaper than divorce, hence the name of her Savabeel filly we retained to race."
Boundless has proved to be a success at stud, so far producing five winners headed by dual Group Three winner Cheaperthandivorce and Listed winner Richie McHorse.
There is still plenty to come from the progeny of Boundless with her three-year-old Double O’Seven already a winner for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike and her yearling filly by Charm Spirit set to be retained to race in the Trelawney Stud silks.
Meanwhile Cheaperthandivorce is currently in the care of Moira Murdoch and enjoying her time working on the beach at Waiuku and will return to the Cambridge stable of Roger James and Robert Wellwood in a few weeks.
“Cheaperthandivorce has come back stronger than ever,” Cherry Taylor said. “I’m sure she will go on to make her mum proud.
“The Charm spirit filly is tough and very full of herself which reminds me of Boundless so I’m looking forward to seeing her in work.
“Boundless was my favourite, she had heaps of personality she knew what she liked and what she didn’t. She loved me scratching her and loved thinking she was in charge at Trelawney.
“I talked to her most days when I went walking and I’ll miss her so much.”