It is here in undulating, good bone growing sheltered paddocks that a scion of one Queensland's most respected horse racing and breeding families, the Nolans, appears on the threshold of becoming one of the dynastys best source of superior performers. He is Tim Nolan, a son of Basil and Di Nolan, owners for half a century of the Raheen stud in the Gladfield Valley near Warwick.

In mid 2008,Tim Nolan, along with his wife Celie, broke with the family tradition and moved to New South Wales, acquiring the well established and proven Murrulla stud, a commercial agistment farm at those Kingdon Ponds headwaters. It was a property Tim knew well as he resided on it when he brought Nolan mares down for Hunter Valley servicing in the 2007 season.

At that time Murrulla was owned by leading horseman Martin Byrne, one of the breeders of the Murrulla produced Sirmione, an Encosta de Lago winner of the VRC Mackinnon Stakes, Australian Cup and QTC Grand Prix Stakes, second in the MRC St George Stakes and third in the QTC Queensland Derby, STC The BMW and in another crack at the Mackinnon.

Also bred on Murrulla under Byrne was Carry on Cutie, conquerer of Fashions Afield in the 2005 Champagne Stakes. Carry On Cutie was sold for $1million at the 2006 Magic Millions mare sales at the Gold Coast,

In his last two years of operating at Murrulla, Martin had 20 yearlings catalogued for the 2007 Magic Millions January yearling sales at the Gold Coast and 18 for 2008 and also drafts in the Inglis Classic sale. He was entrusted with the preparation and marketing of yearlings by such prestigious sires as Danehill Dancer, Commands, Danzero, Hussonet, Royal Academy, Flying Spur and Mossman.

Although they only took over Murrulla on the eve of close of entries for 2009 yearling sales, the new owners,Tim and Celie Nolan, prepared 12 lots for clients for the Gold Coast sale, including offspring of Elvstroem, Commands, Hussonet, Mossman and Danehill Dancer and 16 for the Classic sale, including representatives of Flying Spur, Jet Spur, General Nediym, Charge Forward, Catbird and Secret Savings.

Their yearling preparation and marketing has got off to an exciting start with their first runner being one of the most brilliant seen out in the first month of juvenile racing, Slice and Dice. They sold this representative of the first crop of Jet Spur for a client for $70,000 at the Classic sale.

Jet Spur is by the Danehill Golden Slipper winner and champion Australian sire Flying Spur, the sire also of Flying Mahal, a Sydney winner who has a Lonhro filly in the draft of 11 Murrulla has in the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast catalogue.The others are by Choisir, Elusive Quality, Fastnet Rock, Exceed and Excel, Excites, Gonski, Snippetson, Stratum and Alert (two).The Nolans will also have a Murrulla draft again in the Sydney Classic sale.