With 11 new stallions standing in Victoria this coming breeding season, including the winners of three Group 1 races on their ‘home’ soil, the short and long-term future looks increasingly bright for the state’s vibrant industry.
Given their racetrack feats and impeccable pedigrees, Rosemont Stud’s Schwarz (Zoustar) and Widden Stud’s Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) - whose crowning achievements came in two of Moonee Valley’s sprint features - share top billing with an introductory service fee of $38,500.
Dual Group 1 winner Celestial Legend (Dundeel) adds significant depth to the stallion ranks at Woodside Park, where he will commence stud duties for an opening fee of $27,500 after a partnership was forged between the farm’s proprietor Eddie Hirsch and the striking grey’s owner Bon Ho.
Yulong Stud’s already elite roster, which is headlined by the state’s pre-eminent sire Written Tycoon, has been further enhanced by the arrival of his exciting son First Settler and fellow Victorian Stakes winner Growing Empire (Zoustar), who will stand in Nagambie for respective fees of $11,000 and $22,000.
Highly-anticipated shuttler More Than Looks (More Than Ready) also brings international form and pedigree to Mr Zhang’s operation, having won at the highest level in the United States. The same applies to European Group 1 winner Henry Longfellow (Dubawi), who will stand alongside Schwarz at Rosemont this coming season for a very competitive fee of $22,000 - the same as More Than Looks.
In addition, Larneuk Stud welcomes 2023 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) hero Griff (Trapeze Artist) to its boutique roster for a fee of $9,900, whilst Bombora Downs’ Ellsberg (Spill The Beans) and Riverbank Farm’s Kingwell (I Am Invincible) will stand for respective opening fees of $7,700 and $5,500.
Kingwell is one of two sons of ‘Vinny’ soon to commence their breeding careers in Victoria, with Move To Strike one of the more intriguing additions to the state’s burgeoning stallion ranks this year.
Move To Strike, who will stand at Lovatsville Stud for $16,500, became his superstar sire’s first juvenile Group 1 winner when the Te Akau Racing-owned colt stormed home over the top of some high-class rivals to claim the 2024 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham.
Adding further merit to the eye-catching victory was the fact that the beaten brigade that day included subsequent elite level victors Captured By Love, Savaglee and Velocious, as well as the Ciaron Maher-trained Sergeant Major whose last start saw him break through in Stakes grade in the Listed Pacific Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
According to Lovatsville’s founder and CEO Sam White, the precocity of that performance - allied to his good looks and an unflappable temperament - should ensure a long and prosperous stud future alongside his fellow residents Fierce Impact (Deep Impact), Generation (Snitzel), Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Gold Trip (Outsrip) and Royal Meeting (Invincible Spirit), the sire of last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) heroine Hayasugi.
“We’re all very focused on precocity in this industry, and this colt certainly had plenty of it,” said White.
“Particularly as a son of Vinny he had been on our radar for a while, these type of colts are often hard to access so we were delighted to come to an agreement with our partners at Seymour Bloodstock and Te Akau to stand him here at Lovatsville.
“His win in the Sires’ Produce was absolutely enormous, you don’t see two-year-olds capable of winning a Group 1 in that manner too often. It was a high-quality field and he put them away easily, which is what really locked us into him. Whilst he had plenty of speed, his performance over 1400 metres that day suggested he could’ve got over a mile in time, and that versatility is something the market is certainly looking for.
“What has probably impressed us most is how seamlessly he has fitted in at the farm. [Te Akau boss] David Ellis and [trainer] Mark Walker were both glowing in their praise about his temperament, and it’s very easy to see why because he’s been absolutely outstanding since the moment he arrived.
“Mark told us he’s one of the most sound-minded colts he’s ever put a saddle on, and he’s trained a lot of good horses. He said he was always a pleasure to work with, and he’s shown that on the farm. Nothing fazes him, and he’s integrated very quickly and easily into a stallion barn with some dominant Alpha males in it. So that is really pleasing, and his sound temperament should take him a very long way in this game.”
All 11 newcomers are nominated to the VOBIS Sires program, with Service Fees eligible for payment with a VOBIS Platinum voucher redemption.
Progeny of VOBIS Sires stallions are VOBIS Platinum eligible and, once nominated, may race for over $30 million in VOBIS prizemoney, bonuses and vouchers each season including the exclusive $1 million VOBIS Platinum Showdown for two-year-olds and $500,000 VOBIS Platinum Guineas at three. Progeny of VOBIS Sires stallions are also eligible for purchase with VOBIS Platinum vouchers, and in turn may compete for an additional $7.5 million in VOBIS Platinum vouchers on offer each season.
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