Westport couple experiencing Ultimate success

The Ultimate Breeding brand of retired Westport businessman Graeme Walsh and his wife Katrina has become synonymous with excellence in harness racing on both sides of the Tasman.

The couple's 45-acre property on the West Coast has produced an extraordinary stream of elite performers, headed by Inter Dominion champion and New Zealand Horse of the Year Ultimate Sniper, four-time Group 1 winner Ultimate Machete, and outstanding Western Australian racemare Major Reality.

"We try and concentrate on the top end. We just try and breed to the best and hope for the best," Graeme said.

The common denominator behind those stars was the outstanding broodmare Reality Check (Armbro Operative), the 2019 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year. Walsh purchased the Listed-winning mare for $70,000 at the Croon Bloodstock dispersal sale in 2009.

"She only had one foal at that stage and was in foal to Christian Cullen," he recalled.

The investment proved a masterstroke.

While both Ultimate Sniper and Ultimate Machete have since established themselves at stud following outstanding racetrack careers, Major Reality is now making her mark as a broodmare.

The Walshes sold Major Reality to leading Western Australian trainer Justin Prentice for just $31,000 as a yearling.

"We sold her at the yearling sales to Justin Prentice for $31,000," Walsh said.

The mare went on to win 22 races and more than $400,000 in stakes in Western Australia, capturing the WA Oaks, Empress Stakes, Norm's Daughter Classic, WA Gold Bracelet and two editions of the Golden Girls Mile.

Following her racing career, Major Reality was purchased by prominent Victorian owner-breeder Harvey Kaplan. She added a Menangle victory in a lifetime mark of 1:50.9 before retiring to stud.

"Harvey bred the first foal out of her named Delightful Reality who he sold to Stonewall Stud for $300,000 at the Karaka sales, but prior to that we bought Major Reality as an empty mare and got her in foal to Bettor's Delight," Walsh said.

That mating produced the highly talented four-year-old Ultimate Fury, who continued his rise through the Australian ranks when scoring his 13th victory from just 23 starts at Menangle last Saturday in a slick 1:50.3.

Purchased by major New South Wales owner Mick Boots for $80,000 at the 2023 NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka, Ultimate Fury has already banked more than $157,000 in stakes.

Among his highlights have been victory in the Group 2 Bathurst Gold Chalice and a close third placing behind Fate Awaits and The Janitor in the Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park.

Since producing Ultimate Fury, Major Reality has continued to add depth to the family's breeding programme.

Her two-year-old son Treacherous Reality (Captaintreacherous) recently qualified at Ashburton for Cran and Chrissy Dalgety, while her yearling daughter by Captaintreacherous has been leased to leading owner Dean Shannon.

"She's been broken in and Scott Phelan and Barry Purdon will train her. We will get her back when she's finished racing," Walsh said.

The future remains bright for the family.

"She's due to foal to Bettor's Delight in early September. If we get a filly we'll sell it and we might go back to Bettor's and try and get another filly."

Sadly, the Walshes lost Reality Check earlier this year after she produced a filly by Art Major.

However, her influence remains strong through her daughters and descendants.

"We've got two of her daughters in Ideal Reality and the weanling filly by Art Major as well as a yearling filly out of Major Reality," Walsh said.

One of those daughters, Ideal Reality (American Ideal), has already demonstrated her own broodmare credentials.

Her first foal, Ultimate Missile (Bettor's Delight), sold for $210,000 at the 2020 National Yearling Sale at Christchurch before going on to win in both New Zealand and Australia.

Her second foal, Elusive Dreams (Bettor's Delight), fetched $135,000 at the 2023 Christchurch Yearling Sale and made an immediate impression by winning at her first start at Addington as a two-year-old.

The next generation is already becoming involved.

"My daughter Lily is breeding from Ideal Reality now. She bred an Art Major colt and put him through the Gavelhouse weanling sale and got $44,000," Walsh said.

Today, the Walsh broodmare band remains small in number but rich in quality. Alongside Ideal Reality and Major Reality, the roster includes New Zealand 3YO Filly and 4YO Mare of the Year Belle Of Montana, Group 2 winner Yourtheonethatiwant, six-figure earner Follow Your Dream, and Sky Delight, a half-sister to Sky Major.

It is a collection that reflects the philosophy that has underpinned Ultimate Breeding's success for more than a decade: focus on quality, invest in elite bloodlines, and give yourself every opportunity to breed the next champion.