Few shuttle stallions have ever come to Australia with a race record like this one and his first foals born in the Northern Hemisphere this year are seen as something special.
A Group I winner at two and European Horse of the Year at three, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) won six races from 1200 to 2100m and five of his wins were in Group I events.
“St Mark’s Basilica is a sire prospect with impeccable credentials that are extremely rare. His race record, pedigree and physique are all faultless and in my recent visit to Ireland I was blown away with the quality of his foals. They had the strength and depth that Australian breeders are in pursuit of, and we feel like he will suit Australian mares perfectly. For example, the filly out of the Australian-bred Believe’n’succeed – winner of the Blue Diamond Prelude and dam of Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyk – is as good a foal as you will see,” said Coolmore’s Tom Moore.
By champion sire Pivotal, Siyouni is a sire on the rise and currently has the best three year-old colt and filly milers in Europe in Paddington and Tahiyra. He stands at Aga Khan Studs in France at a fee of €150,000.
“Through the deeds of horses such as Paddington, Siyouni continues to get better and better and consolidate himself as one of the best sires in the world, so we feel breeding to St Mark’s Basilica now is an opportunity too good to miss and we’re sending him a number of high profile mares in Australia this spring,” Moore said.
The star racemares and producers booked to St Mark’s Basilica include Group I winners Amicus, Global Glamour, Nakeeta Jane, Nechita, Rostova, Tiggy Wiggy and Sea Siren, the dam of this year’s G2 Royal Ascot Ribblesdale stakes winner Warm Heart.
Not to mention the dams of champions Lankan Rupee and Loving Gaby, plus other top mares including Fix, Formality and Art Collection.
“Some of the best breeders throughout Australasia supported him last season, so we really look forward to seeing his foals in the next few weeks. Breeders with mares in foal include Arrowfield, Bob & Sandra Peters, John Camilleri, John Muir, Robert Crabtree, Bruce Wilson, Gerry Harvey, Olly Tait, John Singleton, Linda & Laurence Monds, Harry Perks, James Chapman, the Hawkins family at Wentwood Grange, Ben Kwok, Jason Abrahams, The Kepitis family and many others. At his fee of $44,000, we feel like he is unbeatable value, even more so after getting a glimpse of what he is capable of producing,” Moore added.
