Tauranga based brothers Bill and Jim Gartshore have only been in the thoroughbred industry a short time but both admit they love it especially after breeding Australian Group winner Strike The Stars.

Strike The Stars (NZ) is the first horse bred by Gartshore Bloodstock and they sold him to Anthony Cummings for $80,000 at the 2010 Inglis Easter yearling sale.  He was runner-up to Trusting in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at Warwick Farm before winning the G3 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill.

They also have a share in recent Singapore Group 3 winner Flying Fulton (Flying Spur).

Strike The Stars (3g Savabeel – Ambitious by Last Tycoon) is from a winning daughter of Starcent (Centaine) who was a G3 winner of the Gold Trail Stakes and Lowland Stakes.

“It’s all very exciting and it’s turning into a wonderful spring,” Bill Gartshore said.  “Ambitious is due to foal any day to Pins and will go back to Savabeel.  We also have a yearling full brother to Strike The Stars to sell at the sales next year.

“Mark Chittick got us into the racing and breeding industries and we board our mares at Waikato Stud.”

The brothers established Gartshore Bloodstock in 2008 and they also own De Lago Lady (Encosta de Lago) along with American bred mares Former Glory (Dynaformer) and Megan’s Tough Love (Rahy).

De Lago Lady is an unraced half sister to Maroofity and she has an O’Reilly filly catalogued for the 2012 NZB Premier yearling sale at Karaka.  She is due to foal to Fast’N’Famous and will visit Paco Boy this season.

The Gartshores run a successful construction company in Tauranga.  They started with a share in King’s Ransom who was a G2 winner of the Wakefield Challenge Stakes and Listed Ford Fairview Slipper.

“We’re in boots and all,” Bill Gartshore said.  “We love it!”