When Larneuk Stud, the prolific Victorian stud and nursery, was briefly offered for sale last year, principal, Neville Murdoch realised he was attached to the farm and the industry in a way that defies explanation.
That epiphany brought him back with a new found vigor, adding two new stallions and a 400 acre spelling facility.
With the addition of the two quality stallions for this season, Larneuk Stud emerges as a Bigger, Better and Bolder version.
This spring Larneuk Stud will stand exciting first season sire, LAUDA SION and the Group producing IMPENDING, both joining the proven and promising pair of WANDJINA and WOLF CRY.
Freshman sires create the same excitement and anticipation created by 2YOs racing for the first time – the hope and suspense of the unknown that drives the racing industry.
LAUDA SION is definitely a case in point … since Sunday Silence (USA) stood his first season in Japan in 1995, who could predict the explosion in the importance attained by Japanese horses in World Racing.
Lauda Sion comes from the pre-eminent Sunday Silence sire line with his sire being Real Impact, a son of Deep Impact : the superstar sire and grand sire of sires which include Santano Aladdin, who stands in New Zealand and is enjoying huge success.
Lauda Sion raced with elite success in Japan – the toughest of racing jurisdictions.
This was no spring/autumn 2YO who was immediately retired to stud to preserve his reputation. Indeed, Lauda Sion raced from a precocious 2YO until the end of his 6YO season, winning or placing in multiple Group races: including 2 out of 4 and a placing at G3 as a 2yo … Japan’s top G1 3YO – the NHK Mile … and, 4 and 5, he won and placed in multiple Group races.
Named after a prayer hymn, with Lauda Sion’s Pedigree, Performance and Resilience – he is a blessing for the farm.
By Lonhro out of Encosta de Lago’s dual G1 winning daughter Mnemosyne, IMPENDING is a pedigree that can’t miss.
He won the G1 Stradbroke and followed up the next year winning the G1 Kingsford-Smith and the G2 Victory Stakes. He also won the G2 Stan Fox, was a city winner as a 2YO on debut and was placed in the Golden Rose and the Arrowfield Sprint.
At stud, Impending’s oldest progeny are 4YOs and include multiple G2 winning filly and runner up in the G1 NZ One Thousand Guineas, Impendabelle, with his other stakes progeny Running By (Melbourne, multiple Group placed), Hope at Hand (Group placed 2yo) and Surprise Coming (Flemington black type runnerup).
A great start to his breeding career.
WANDJINA is a proven stallion with an impressive 70 percent winners to runners. Not much more needs to be said. Breeding to Wandjina gives you a 7 in 10 chance to produce a winner. Much better odds than most other success statistics in racing.
Wandjina not only has an impressive strike rate but has produced a number of stakes winners including Group 2 winning 2YO, Mamaragan (also placed in the Golden Slipper), Group winner Wandabaa, Tiger Roar and Express Pass and he is showing no signs of slowing down with Kris Lees’ Infancy winning the (Listed) Fireball in March and was beaten a lip in the (Group 3) PJ Bell at her last start.
Wandjina’s 4YO, Galaxy Patch has won six in Hong Kong – including the Group 3 Lion Rock Trophy last week – and was a good thing beaten in the Group 1 Silver Jubilee Cup, before missing by a whisker in the Hong Kong Derby in March.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of faith around WOLF CRY … by Street Cry out of a Redoute’s Choice mare he was multiple stakes placed at 2.
From limited numbers he has sired the Group 2 placed 2YO Wolves, along with stakes horses Prowling and General Wolffe from his first crop. Encouragingly, two of his biggest books are coming through as 2YOs and yearlings for 2023/24.
All these stallions have been attractively priced.
Lauda Sion $11,000 (Gst Inc)
Impending $ 6,600 (Gst Inc)
Wandjina $ 6,600 (Gst Inc)
Wolf Cry $ 3,300 (Gst Inc)
For further information on the Larneuk Stud lineup for 2024, phone Neville Murdoch on 0418 105 706 or visit www.larneuk.com
