Aethero (Sebring), bred by Tyreel Stud, looms as one of Hong Kong's brightest young stars having taken his unbeaten run to three with an effortless 3.75l win at Sha Tin on Monday in class record time over the 1200m.
Trainer John Moore has always held a huge opinion of the 2-year-old, who was purchased out of Tyreel Stud's draft at last year's Sydney Easter Yearling Sale for $575,000, and is aiming him towards the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint in December.
“I'll give him three runs next season to get him into the 100-range before we get to the Hong Kong Sprint, that would be the ultimate target. I’m getting ahead of myself a bit but I believe he’s definitely the sort of horse that could be the likely type to make it,” Moore said.
“He has the makings of one of Hong Kong’s top sprinters, the way he went there. I know he didn’t beat very much but he’s only a 2-year-old, he’s in open company so to do it as comfortably as that is really pleasing.”
“He has the makings of one of Hong Kong’s top sprinters, the way he went there." - John Moore
The sudden loss of Sebring in February was a huge blow to Widden, but the emergence of a potential star from what will be his fourth-to-last crop, is some tonic.
"Quite often we see that. A stallion passes and they come out with a host of winners or a really high-class horse and this Aethero, he looks something really out of the box," Widden's Marketing and Stallions Nominations Manager Ryan McEvoy told TDN AusNZ.
"The way he travels and relaxes in his races, builds momentum and then he quickens again, he never seems to be under pressure. He appears to be doing it so easily."
Good nick leaves future star
Aethero is out of the Encosta de Lago mare Pinocchio, making him a half-brother to the Group 2 winning Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), who is locked in for a tilt at The Everest in October.
He is one of 30 winners by Sebring out of an Encosta de Lago mare, a nick that has proven his most successful in terms of winners.
"It's an incredible nick. Horses like Believe Yourself, Seaburge and Catch A Fire have come out of it. We started to see a lot of Encosta De Lago or Northern Meteor mares go to Sebring in the last few years off the success of that particular nick," McEvoy said.
Aethero was always destined to make an impression. Moore famously told his son George to 'just buy him' as soon as he came out of the box at the Easter Sale, comparing him to his champion Able Friend (Shamardal {USA}).
"He was an impressionable yearling, a real strong, bold colt," McEvoy said. "Linda and Laurence Monds bred him at Tyreel, and all credit to them. Selfishly, It’s somewhat of a shame he’s been gelded because if he can get to the levels the stable think he can, he might have had a future as a stallion, but that's not to be."
"He was an impressionable yearling, a real strong, bold colt" - Ryan McEvoy
"The beauty of that I suppose is we will get to see him as a racehorse doing what he can do over the next four or five years."
Best yet to come?
It is the nature of the breeding business that a stallion's best progeny can emerge after their death. Sebring served big books of mares in his final few years at stud, with the quality also increasing off the back of the racetrack performances of his early Group 1 winners Dissident and Criterion.
"From our perspective, we are really proud that Sebring has sired yet another exciting young horse. He's still got a few crops to come through, and while we are sad that he is not with us anymore, I still think there is a really exciting future for him." McEvoy said.
"From our perspective, we are really proud that Sebring has sired yet another exciting young horse." - Ryan McEvoy
Sebring currently sits sixth on the Australian General Sires table, which should he sustain until the end of the season would represent his second-best season in that regard.
He also has a chance to set a new mark for winners, with 145 so far, just four short of his personal best, while his progeny are closing in on $10.5m in prize money, led by the Group 1 winning filly Amphitrite.
Sebring is currently sitting sixth on the Australian General Sires table
Hard gap to fill
He is one of four of the current top ten on the Sires' Table who have died, leaving a gap in the market which McEvoy says breeders are finding hard to fill.
"Losing the likes of Sebring, Hinchinbrook and even Redoute’s Choice has left somewhat of a gap in the ‘proven’ market and I know it’s been a challenge for breeders this year to find that however I suppose some of the younger stallions out there have been the beneficiaries and will get their opportunity to fill the void," he said.
"Losing the likes of Sebring, Hinchinbrook and even Redoute’s Choice has left somewhat of a gap in the ‘proven’ market." - Ryan McEvoy
Certainly the proven stallion in the $50,000-$100,000 range in Australia is hard to find and that gap is one of the reasons why Vinery's More Than Ready (USA) has made a surprising return to Australia for the coming season.
Supido will be continuing the Sebring legacy this season at Widden Stud
Sebring's legacy to the Australian industry is also being left by his sire sons, with four of them on rosters in Australia for the 2019 season. That includes Supido, who stands his second season at Widden at $9900 (inc GST).
"Sebring was a wonderful stallion and whilst he is hard to replace, we’re thrilled to be standing his fastest son in the Group 1 sprinter Supido. This is a young stallion from a big sire-making family, possessed an electric turn of foot and was a dominant Flemington straight horse which is a trait we feel is important for sire success. We’re quite confident about his prospects," McEvoy said.
