The creation of future stallions is big business and for the powerful colt syndicates now is an important time as they assess what they have and work out whether promise shown this season can be converted to further Black Type and a path to riches in the season ahead.
There has only been one Group I winning two year-old colt this season and it’s the Godolphin homebred Broadsiding, who won both the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes and Group I BRC JJ Atkins at 1600m.
From the first crop of Too Darn Hot (GB), who will be crowned Champion Australian Season Sire of 2023/2024, Broadsiding has already done enough to earn his place on the Darley Stud roster next year, but there is a myriad of other colts that are all looking to elevate themselves with Group I performance in the season ahead.
Coolmore will have high hopes for Storm Boy trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Switzerland from the Chris Waller stable.
Storm Boy (Justify (USA) won his first four starts in a row including the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Group II ATC Skyline Stakes before finishing third in the Golden Slipper and fourth in the Sires Produce.
Pedigree suggests he should be able to get a mile so will have plenty of options.
Switzerland (Snitzel) won his first three starts including Group II ATC Todman Stakes and then eighth in Golden Slipper and he has enough depth in his North American female family to think he could get 1400 and possibly a mile.
Yulong were big investors at the yearling sales in 2023 and have quite a few contenders to show for it including Growing Empire (Zoustar), Straight Charge (Written By), Althoff (Written Tycoon) and First Settler (Written Tycoon) – all of them with different trainers.
The first three are all stakes-winners and First Settler is two for two in his only starts during the winter.
James Harron Bloodstock and his investors have a trio of stakes-winning colts in Espionage (Zoustar) and Bodyguard (I Am Invincible) that were exciting pre-Christmas 2YO’s, but didn’t make the top grade in the autumn, and Aardvark (Capitalist), who won the Listed VRC Talindert.
Espionage and Bodyguard were million dollar yearling purchases, promised much and are bred for speed, but will need to take a step forward to maintain their standing in the elite division.
Kia Ora and TFI have a stakes-winner in Prost (Snitzel), who won the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes and was second to Storm Boy in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes before out of the money in the Golden Slipper and Sires Produce Stakes.
Bred for speed as a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Golden Slipper winner Shinzo and will need to step up.
Aramco Racing have a couple of under the radar types in Emirate (who they co-own with Yulong) and Gatsbys with both trained by Chris Waller.
Emirate (Extreme Choice) has won both of his two starts in impressive fashion albeit not tried in stakes grade, but gee there was a lot to like. Pedigree says speed although 1400m should not be a problem.
Gatbsys (Snitzel) won a very strong maiden on debut and was then fourth in the Group III Pago Pago Stakes. Bred for speed and has two Black Type performing full siblings in Letzbeglam and Snazz ‘n’ Charm that were both short course up to 1200m horses.
Newgate / China Horse Club and partners had two stakes-winning colts in High Octane (Deep Field) and Holmes a Court (Capitalist), who has already been exported to Hong Kong.
High Octane won the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview on debut before finishing unplaced at his next two starts in tougher grade, so will need to improve or he too may follow Holmes a Court to Hong Kong where his sire is the reigning champion sire.
An under the radar horse for the partnership may be Fastnet Rock colt Mayfair, who won last Saturday at Rosehill, read about him here.
One colt that has the potential to blow them all away and is not owned outright by a stallion syndicate is the Matt Laurie trained Coleman.
The son of Pierata won his first two starts before failing in the Blue Diamond, but came to Sydney and jumped out of the ground running a close second in the Golden Slipper and third in the Sires Produce Stakes.
There will be a lot of interest in this guy!
