George Altomonte has enjoyed outstanding success as a breeder over many years and having bred and sold a Golden Slipper winning champion sire in Sebring it should come as no surprise that he has taken the decision to stand two of his homebred stallions this spring in Standout and Menari, who has a couple of very interesting runners this Saturday.
Situated at Dunedoo in NSW, the paddocks of Corumbene Stud have produced countless stakes-winners highlighted by Golden Slipper winners Sebring and Overreach, HK Group I winner Southern Legend and Blue Diamond winner True Jewels, with two of the most successful Corumbene families responsible for Group II winners Standout and Menari.
A full brother to Golden Slipper winner Overreach and a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Group I Blue Diamond winning sire Reward for Effort, eye-catching Exceed and Excel colt Standout was certainly well named.
A powerhouse chestnut with a baldy face and two prominent white socks, Standout was retained to race by the Altomonte family and won his first three starts culminating in a brilliant win over Cosmic Force in the Listed ATC Heritage Stakes.
He later won the Group II ATC Expressway Stakes (1200m) at WFA beating multiple Group I winner Alizee and competed successfully in Group and Listed races at four and five racking up numerous Black Type placings and will retire with earnings in excess of $870,000.
By champion sire and noted sire of sires Exceed and Excel, Standout has the physical type and race performance of a serious sprinter and the pedigree to back it up with his first two dams by revered Australian speed sires Snippets and Rory’s Jester. He is also closely related to this season’s undefeated 2YO Lofty Strike, who has no raced since winning the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Prelude.
Standout stands at a debut fee of $8,800 inc. GST.
A brilliant Snitzel colt that won the Group II ATC Run to the Rose and was third in the Group I ATC Golden Rose and fourth in the Group I ATC Golden Slipper, Menari started his stud career at Newgate and his oldest progeny are 2YO’s.
Menari encountered fertility issues in his first season and as a result has covered smaller books with 180 mares covered in total in his first four seasons at stud.
With an influx of new stallions arriving at Newgate this spring, the decision was taken to move Menari along and George Altmonte was quick to give the handsome bay further opportunity to build on his considerable potential.
Combining the blood of champion sire Snitzel and brilliant speedster and G1 sire General Nediym, Menari has had seven runners from his first crop to date and three have won with a further two youngsters being placed.
His first winner was promising filly Menari Magic, who won the first 2YO race of the season in Queensland at Toowoomba last September and trialled recently in preparation for her return.
She holds an entry for this Saturday’s Listed BRC Dalrelllo Stakes.
Talented Menari colt Green Shadows has won two from two for the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable at Goulburn and Eagle Farm and is entered for the Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Menari stands this spring at a fee of $16,500 inc GST.
