Lovatsville has unveiled its 2026 stallion roster, a six-horse line-up headlined by the arrival of Espionage and built, top to bottom, around fees pitched with a breeders-first mentality.
A multiple Group-winning two-year-old son of Champion Sire Zoustar and a $1 million Magic Millions yearling prepared throughout his racing career by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Espionage has the looks, pedigree and profile to make an immediate impact.
Lovatsville’s Sam White is delighted to have secured the horse, with Coolmore retaining an interest.
“He is a great coup for our farm and for Victoria, and Coolmore’s continued backing underlines his credentials in this market,” said White.
“He’s a beautifully coloured stallion with a fabulous Zoustar-styled head — a brilliant loose mover with a plunging girth and a great shoulder. He has scope, short cannons, great length to his hocks, and an outstanding demeanour.”
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse was equally enthusiastic.
“He was a precocious two-year-old, a sensational horse with enormous speed who did everything so easily,” Waterhouse said.
“He has a fabulous temperament, which is so important. He’s as good-looking a colt as you will find, and being a fast son of Zoustar with looks like his, I know breeders will be very impressed when they see him.”
After finishing as the second-most active freshman sire of 2025, MOVE TO STRIKE holds firm at $16,500 - exceptional value on the back of an extraordinary twelve months for the I Am Invincible sireline.
Move To Strike was the first Group 1 winning two-year-old ever produced by I Am Invincible, and on the strength of what the sireline has delivered through the past year, including the feats of Home Affairs and Hellbent, he looks an incredibly exciting prospect.
“Move To Strike was a revelation for us last season. He was well supported in a competitive market, with breeders impressed by his physique, his juvenile form and his brilliant pedigree,” White said.
“He’s deep, dark, strong, and has a fantastic temperament. He’s got the head, hip and girth we expect to see as dominant attributes in his foals, and for all that his sireline has achieved in the past twelve months, he looks like a free lick of the ice cream at $16,500.”
Now into their third seasons at stud, GOLD TRIP and GENERATION both represent outstanding value given their credentials.
Gold Trip, a world-class weight-for-age star, returns at a remarkable $5,500 down from $8,800.
Generation - a fast, precocious Snitzel-line colt with the same race-record and sale-price profile as Sword of State (now $50,000) stands at $6,600, the same fee at which Written Tycoon stood in his third season.
“We have a few interesting deals and initiatives in place this season. One of them is an additional 25% discount on Generation’s fee for any Written Tycoon-line mares that visit him,” White noted. “It’s an exceptional cross, and one we’d like to exploit.”
Rounding out the roster at the value tier, ROYAL MEETING and FIERCE IMPACT both stand at $8,800.
Royal Meeting is the sire of a Group 1 winning two-year-old from his first crop in Hayasugi, and is quietly building a real profile in Hong Kong.
“Royal Meeting covered 129 quality mares in 2024, so he has great strength coming through.
“You’re able to access a Group 1-producing sire, with a trade profile, at a very attractive fee.”
Fierce Impact continues to return over 8% black-type performers to runners — a strike rate that holds its own against any stallion in Australia at any fee.
“The Deep Impact sireline improves with age, time and distance, which is exactly what Fierce Impact did himself.
“We continue to receive positive feedback from trainers who have his stock in their yards, and we look forward to seeing the sireline demonstrate its class in this part of the world — led by Sheza Alibi.”
Reflecting on the season ahead, White concluded:
“We’ve taken the view this year that we meet the market.
“It’s a competitive game, and the industry is healthy — but when conditions are challenging, we need to be sure we’re on the journey with everyone in it.
“We have some exciting initiatives in play, some interesting discounts and opportunities and we welcome your call to discuss the possibilities.”
