Kia Ora Stud, long renowned for producing high quality bloodstock, moves into an exciting new chapter this season with the arrival of the first foals by G1 Champagne Stakes winner Captivant and the highly anticipated sales ring debut of the first crop of weanlings from Farnan and Prague.
This trio of elite juveniles represent the best bloodlines in Australia and have been backed by many of Australia's most prominent breeders.
Kia Ora has also invested heavily in its broodmare band and the success of its stallions will continue to be underpinned by a significant number of high quality resident mares.
Today Kia Ora announced their service fees as unchanged for the 2023 season, providing breeders with an opportunity to access three high quality stallions at value price points.
Farnan $55,000 inc GST (all payments on live foal terms)
A Golden Slipper-winning Champion 2YO by Not A Single Doubt and Timeform rated the single most dominant juvenile of the century (122), Farnan has all the proven ingredients for success.
Farnan covered over 380 mares in his first two seasons and has been backed with confidence by many of the country's best breeders.
"His books have been suitably fit for a champion and feature some of the biggest names in Australian racing," said Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright.
"Lighthouse (USA), Mizzy, I Am Excited, Jennifer Eccles (NZ) and Bel Mer are just a few of the Group 1-winning glamour fillies in foal or with Farnan weanlings on the ground, and he's also covered the dams of Group 1 winners Wild Ruler, She's Extreme, Flying Artie and Peeping," Wright said.
"Farnan is the highest-earning Australian colt by Not A Single Doubt and we already know the potency of NASD as a sire-of-sires," said Belle Howard, Kia Ora Nominations and Sales Manager.
"History shows that Golden Slipper-winning sires produce precocious and fast racehorses and we're pleased to report that Farnan's weanlings give us every indication that, like him, they’ll run early. They're strong, powerful, athletic and encompass everything we could've hoped for," Howard said.
The Not A Single Doubt branch of the Danehill sireline has become one of the fastest growing in the country and the Champion 2YO has been strongly supported in his first two seasons and continues to be priced for serious appeal.
Captivant $27,500 inc GST
Another rapidly emerging Australian speed sireline stems from Champion Sire Written Tycoon through his Golden Slipper-winning son Capitalist, whose first Group 1-winning son to go to stud is Captivant
From a fast-running Australian Black Type female family, Captivant covered an excellent book of mares last spring and his first foals are highly anticipated.
"Captivant possesses exceptional quality. As a physical type, he has a strong hip, deep girth, short cannons, and an exceptional head. We couldn't be more excited to see his first foals. Between Kia Ora and fellow shareholders' broodmare bands, he has been afforded an excellent start at stud," Wright said.
"Captivant was a pre-Christmas Victory Vein-winning juvenile that went on to place fifth in the Golden Slipper and third in the G1 Sires' Produce before topping off his two-year-old season by winning the coveted G1 Champagne Stakes. He was there in all the majors.” Howard said.
"A model of consistency, Captivant lost no admirers when he ran a gallant second at three in the sire-making G1 Caulfield Guineas when beaten half a length by the champion Anamoe."
Breeders have identified the opportunity to access a Group 1-winning two-year-old from an up-and-coming, strongly supported sire line at a modest stud fee. Captivant has been given every chance to impress the market with his first foals and make his mark on the racetrack.
Prague $16,500 inc. GST
A $1.6 million Magic Millions yearling, Prague is one of the most impressive-looking stallions standing in the Hunter Valley and is among the last sons of legendary sire-of-sires Redoute’s Choice to enter stud.
An ultra-fast dual Group-winning juvenile that placed a narrow second in the G1 Sires' Produce Stakes, Prague has the bloodlines to match with his first two dams by Champion Sires Pins and O'Reilly while his fourth dam is legendary matriarch Emancipation.
"He has passed on quality, size and athleticism to his progeny and has earned repeat visits from breeders who used him in his first season. Kia Ora has strongly supported Prague and he's been hugely popular among breeders. Group 1 mares covered include Invincible Gem, Perfect Rhyme, Mani Bhavan (USA), and he’s covered some excellent producers, such as the dam of recent Group-winning juvenile Libertad," Howard said.
"As a two-year-old, he convincingly won the G3 Canonbury Stakes, a race previously won by top sires Not A Single Doubt and Sebring, and the G3 Pago Pago Stakes, before finishing a gallant half-length second in the G1 Sires' Produce Stakes as the tearaway leader.
"At three, he was only a length off winning the G1 All Aged Stakes and just over a length off winning the Group 1 Newmarket, both from wide gates.”
Prague provides breeders with the opportunity to access a precocious Group 1 quality juvenile sprinter at a very reasonable fee.
