Spendthrift Australia held highly successful stallion parades on Friday and Saturday, with high-profile new recruit Bolt d’Oro (USA) taking centre stage.
Spendthrift’s General Manager Garry Cuddy reported a strong turnout for the parades, which took place at 3:30pm on Friday and 12:30pm on Saturday.
“It’s been a great couple of days,” he said. “It’s probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever had, which is fantastic and very encouraging for the future.
“I think the introduction of Bolt d’Oro was a big part of that.”
"It’s probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever had, which is fantastic and very encouraging for the future. I think the introduction of Bolt d’Oro was a big part of that.” - Garry Cuddy
The newcomer, who will stand for an introductory fee of $13,750 plus GST, proved to be a major drawcard.
A son of proven world-class stallion Medaglia d’Oro (USA), Bolt d’Oro is a half-brother to two stakes winners. He surpassed those siblings’ achievements with brilliant victories in the G1 Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner S. as a 2-year-old, then won the G2 San Felipe S. as a 3-year-old.
Bolt d'Oro winning the FrontRunner S.
He also finished second to the subsequent Triple Crown champion Justify (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) in the G1 Santa Anita Derby, and ran third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“He made an outstanding impression in our parades,” Cuddy said. “He came out and basically posed for the cameras. He looked great.”
“He made an outstanding impression in our parades... He came out and basically posed for the cameras. He looked great.” - Garry Cuddy
His fellow sires on the young Spendthrift roster, Gold Standard, Hampton Court, Jimmy Creed (USA), Overshare and Swear, were also well received.
The oldest progeny by Hampton Court and Jimmy Creed, who stand for $5,500 and $8,800 respectively, are 3-year-olds this season. Jimmy Creed sired two winners from three runners in Australia in 2018-19.
Swear, whose fee is $5,500, will have his first yearlings through the ring in the coming season, while the first foals by Gold Standard ($5,500) and Overshare ($11,000) will arrive this spring.
“There was really good feedback on all of the stallions,” Cuddy said. “Particularly with horses like Gold Standard and Overshare, I think people were very impressed this year in comparison to what they saw last year. They’ve developed really well.”
