It’s been a busy couple of months at Queensland’s Oaklands Stud and not likely to slow down any time soon.
Sure, every farm has its early starts and long days at this time of year, but Oaklands principal, Neville Stewart, has really been burning the candle – so to speak.
After all, while Oaklands’ star stallion, Power, has his fair share of runners in this neck of the woods – 2021 Kiwi stakes winners Force of Will, Streak of Power, The Gift, Grand Mayson and Lady Maroal among them – it’s the Oasis Dream stallion’s European progeny that’s keeping Stewart up at nights.
Just in this year alone Power has produced a Group 1 winner in England (Helvic Dream) and France (Law of Indicies) and, as of last Saturday, Group 1 Irish St Leger hero, Sonnyboyliston.
“That was some win by Sonnyboyliston in the Irish St Leger – he beat home last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment and the pair have been alloted topweight for this year’s Cup,” Stewart points out. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear Sonnyboyliston will be heading down under, but maybe next year.
“Everybody would love to end up with the sire of a Melbourne Cup winner, but it’s worth remembering just what a versatile sire he is : Power’s had 22 stakes winners overall and 10 of those in the last year alone. Yes, he can get St Leger winners but Law of Indicies was a Group 2 winner at 2, Mighty Giant is a Group 1 sprinter in Hong Kong, Peace Envoy a multiple stakes winner at 2 and Group winner Power O’Hata won six races up to 1300m.
“He’s going super and naturally there’s plenty of interest from broodmare owners.”
Plenty of interest too – not surprisingly – in first season sire, Prince Fawaz, the first Group 1 winning 2YO in Australia by Champion Sire and Sire-of-Sires, Fastnet Rock.
“The book is building daily, but the most encouraging aspect is actual quality of mare that’s arriving on farm … it’s well above average,” Stewart enthused. “The impact of Fastnet Rock is hardly lost on Australian breeders, nor is the fact that the Group 1 he captured (the JJ Atkins Stakes) is Queensland’s premier juvenile race and has played host to some top sires such Zoustar, Brazen Beau, Darci Brahma, Show A Heart, Zeditave and Luskin Star over the years. What’s more, Timeform rated Prince Fawaz’s JJ Atkins win superior to that of The Autumn Sun’s the year prior.
“We’re really humbled to have the opportunity to partner with the owners to stand Prince Fawaz. Apart from his 2YO form he ran second to Castelvecchio in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, while Fastnet Rock produced his 179th stakes winner last week … and now has eight of his sons at stud which have already produced Group 1 winners themselves!”
Rounding out the Oaklands Stud trio for 2021 is the Lonhro stallion Exosphere, which Stewart has good cause to be excited about.
“He won the sire-making Group 1 Golden Rose and Group 2 Skyline Stakes by 4 lengths at 2 … what a super horse … and I’m absolutely certain the best is yet to come,” Stewart adds. “At the time we bought him, he’d had just the one stakes winner from his first crop (oldest are 4YOs) in the Group winning 2YO and Group 2 Edward Manifold winner, Thermosphere, but since then he’s had a Group winner in France with Ocean and Group success in NSW via Exoboom. In fact, Exoboom is resuming at Randwick on Saturday and he’s only once been out of the money in nine starts. And keep an eye out too for Quackery who is with Steve Tregea at Toowoomba. He won really well earlier this month and is now two from four.
“Exosphere’s book is coming along nicely and getting such a steady flow of winners always helps.”
For further information on Power, Prince Fawaz and Exosphere, phone Alistair Stewart on 0400 718 010 or Neville Stewart on 0418 718 011.
