Quality new blood joins Godolphin broodmare fold

The newcomers to stud this year for Godolphin are headed by the multiple top-flight winner Alizee (Sepoy) and the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Kiamichi (Sidestep).

While Godolphin Australia’s long list of broodmares has been significantly trimmed in recent years, it still remains a major undertaking to ensure each member is mated to its full potential with the top-class Darley stallion roster.

The breeding and racing giant goes through an exhaustive process when locking in plans for its broodmares with input from several areas, including offshore.

With Group 1 winners Blue Point (Ire), Too Darn Hot (GB) and Microphone also added to the Darley stallion roster for 2020 alongside a host of proven stallions, the operation is spoiled for choice.

Gallery: The newest recruits to the Darley Australia 2020 roster

Managing Director Vin Cox and Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh start the ball rolling with their breeding plans, which then go before several other sets of experienced eyes then back to the team for sign-off.

“All up, there are 150 that we plan to retain and there’s a few extras that would be on a sale list for next year,” Walsh said.

“Between Vin and I we have oversight of it and we take input from a lot of other different places, our stud management and nominations team, and our global team in Newmarket also has a significant amount of input.

“We have some independent involvement as well. It’s not as big a job as it used to be though when we were covering up toward 300. It’s a great pleasure to be able to sit down and do matings for a broodmare program of the quality that we have access to.”

The strong numbers of well-performed mares retiring off the track has prompted a change to the Godolphin model with the entry level criteria scaled up.

“We have 12 stakes-winning mares that have been retired this year, which is significant by any measure and we have embarked on a process over the last five years of constantly reassessing our broodmare program,” Walsh said.

“We have been reasonably strong in culling for quality, so every year when we sit down to do the matings it does get easier because you are looking at really high-quality pedigrees.

“It’s getting to a point where the minimum requirement for a place in the broodmare program is good racetrack ability as well as pedigree.”

Alizee is one of only three mares to visit an outside stallion and will be covered by I Am Invincible, as will G3 PJ Bell S. winner Multaja (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), also a maiden mare, and the G2 Surround S. winner Ghisoni (Lonhro). She has twice been covered by Exceed And Excel, foaling a colt last season.

“Alizee is the stand-out. She represents the future of our breeding and racing programs. She is from one of our best families and a top-class race mare herself,” said Walsh.

“I Am Invincible should really suit her as she’s a very big, brute of a mare and will appreciate the quality he throws. We’re excited and it’s a significant investment but for a mare of her profile we feel it is warranted.

“Multaja is a different style of mare and again she will appreciate his quality. For all of these mares it’s about giving them the best chance we can at the start of their breeding careers and he’s one of the leading stallions in the country and we’re hoping he can do that job for us.

“We have a long-term approach with mares of this quality as stakes winners from big pedigrees, so generally we have a policy of sending them to proven stallions in the first three of four seasons.

“Over the last few seasons we’ve used Snitzel a bit, Sebring before he died, we have a few progeny of Fastnet Rock and Pierro so we have been casting the net a little wider the last few seasons.

“This year there will just be the three to an outside stallion.”

Kiamichi will visit Lonhro, dual Group 2 winner La Tene (Helmet) is booked to Street Boss (USA), G3 Kembla Grange Classic winner Pohutukawa (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and G2 Reisling S. winner Tenley (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) will both be served by Lonhro.

The G3 How Now S. winner Manicure (Exceed And Excel) is booked to Street Boss, G3 James Carr S. winner Laburnum (Denman) is going to Brazen Beau as is the G3 Black Opal S. winner Pin Sec (Lonhro) and Listed Silk Stocking S. winner Demerara (Commands) will visit Lonhro.

Top mares racing on

Consideration was also given to bringing down the curtain on the careers of the Listed Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates (Snitzel) and the three-time Group 2 winner Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}).

“Exhilarates will carry on for the early part of the spring. We’re really happy with her and she’s carrying as much condition as she ever has and has trialled well,” Walsh said.

“We’re excited that there might be a bit more to come from her.

“Savatiano has been terrific and is just on the cusp on winning that all-important Group 1. She’s a mare that James (Cummings) has developed really well and feels she has more to offer with maturity. We’re committed to giving her another full season on the track.”

Outstanding support from outside bookings

Head of Sales Alastair Pulford has been delighted with the breeder support for the three newcomers; Blue Point, Microphone and Too Darn Hot.

“We’re very pleased and each of them is covering similar numbers of stakes winners and stakes producers,” he said. “Blue Point will get 36 stakes-winning mares and 19 stakes-producing mares, Microphone 30 and 22 and Too Darn Hot 37 and 17.

“There are a lot of quality mares going to all of them and importantly, high quality breeders involved. In Victoria, Rob Crabtree, Yulong and David Moodie are getting right behind Blue Point and Too Darn Hot.”

Loyal Darley client David Peacock will be sending Group 2 winner Serenely Discreet (Exceed And Excel) and Group 3 winner Just Discreet (Exceed And Excel) to Blue Point.

“Similarly, another South Australian breeder Peter Katelanis is sending his Group 2-winning sisters Shrouded In Mist, by Exceed And Excel, and Into The Mist, by Redoute’s Choice, to Blue Point,” Pulford said.

“Yulong is acquiring a fantastic broodmare band and they are utilising the services of our new stallions. Mr Zhang is sending two stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mares in Nina Rock and Bleu Roche and Gypsy Diamond, a stakes-winning Not A Single Doubt mare.

“In New South Wales, Too Darn Hot’s probably getting the 'name' mares. David Peacock is supporting him with Maybe Discreet, a Group 1-winning Shamardal mare.”

Sandy Tait has booked in Tortoni (Strategic), dam of the stakes winner Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Crabtree is sending G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Catchy (Fastnet Rock) to Too Darn Hot as well.

“Segenhoe has been terrific supporters and they are sending a number of mares, including Group 2 winner Set For Fame,” Pulford said.

“Interestingly, Shadwell Stud is sending her daughter Madeenaty, who is by Exceed And Excel, to the same sire. She’s a stakes winner and also Khulaasa, a stakes-winning Epaulette mare.

“Other notable mares to go to Too Darn Hot are Cosmic Endeavour, obviously a Group 1 winner, and Planet Rock, a Group 1 winner from New Zealand.

“Too Darn Hot is getting a high-quality book and he’s so well-suited to so many of our Australian mares, particularly those Danehill-line mares, Fastnet Rock, Exceed And Excel and Redoute’s Choice.

“Microphone will get great support from a huge number of commercial breeders, people like Ron Gilbert, Yarraman Park, Duncan Grimley, Newgate and Kia Ora Stud.”

Microphone will also serve the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Global Glamour (Star Witness) in Spectacula (Testa Rossa), Fleur De Here (NZ) (Dehere {USA}), a Group 1 placegetter and dam of a G1 Blue Diamond S. placegetter Zamzam (Redoute’s Choice), three-time Group 1 winner Yosei’s (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) dam Fuji Fairy (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}) and Group 2 winners Sistine Angel (Testa Rossa) and Te Akau Rose (NZ) (Thorn Park).

“Microphone’s getting a really good book of high quality commercial mares. Newgate will be supporting him with a lot of stakes-winning American mares they have purchased so he will get every opportunity with fast mares,” Pulford said.

Broodmare gem

Among the jewels in the Godolphin broodmare band is Essaouira (Exceed And Excel), the dam of Alizee and the G1 Golden Rose S. winner Astern, who is now on the Darley roster, and the Golden Gift winner and sire Tassort. She is due to foal to I Am Invincible and will visit the multiple Group 1 winner Blue Point.

“That illustrates the confidence we have in our new season horses. They will all be covering in the vicinity of 10 mares of ours each and Essaouira is very important to our breeding program,” Walsh said.

“She is a Blue Hen mare who just seems to get high class horses from whatever stallion and she can contribute the profile of a young horse like Blue Point.”

Dual Group 1 winner Forensics (Flying Spur), who is in foal to Brazen Beau, the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Anamato (Redoute’s Choice) and Pierro’s dam Miss Right Note (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}), who is empty, will also be covered by Blue Point.

“Miss Right Note is quite a refined mare who will suit physically as well,” Walsh said.

Among the Godolphin mares to visit Microphone are Celts (Lonhro), dam of Group winners Gaulois (Street Cry {Ire}) and La Tene (Helmet); dual Group 1 winner Mnemosyne (Encosta De Lago), who has produced dual Group 1 winner and sire Impending, as will Accessories (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).

She is the mother of the Group 1 winners and sires Epaulette and Helmet and the Group 2 winner and sire Bullbars.

“Celts is quite a diminutive mare so she should suit Microphone well and she is obviously a proven performer,” Walsh said. “She will be among the lovely mares to start Microphone off.”

The first book of Too Darn Hot will include Glissade (Redoute’s Choice), dam of G1 Thousand Guineas winner Flit (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), dual Group 1 winner Purple (Commands) and Yavanna (Redoute’s Choice).

She has produced the G1 Randwick Guineas winner Kementari (Lonhro) and the Listed Lonhro Plate winner, G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. runner-up and sire Telperion.

Back to Lonhro

Four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel), who visited I Am Invincible in 2019, is the dam of the G2 Danehill S. winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Encryption.

“She’s going back to Lonhro and has visited him a number of times. We are very excited about a daughter of hers called Emanate (Lonhro) and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her progress to stakes class as a 4-year-old mare,” Walsh said.

“Another one called Stelvio will be seen at his best in the autumn and he looks like one of our leading 3-year-old colts. Guelph is from one of our biggest families so we felt compelled to send her to Lonhro while we can.”

Dazzler (More Than Ready {USA}) is the dam of the dual Group 1 winner Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) and is in foal to the stallion again and no prizes where she is going in 2020.

“For obvious reasons it’s back to Exceed And Excel and we’re very excited about Bivouac. He’s quite a refined colt and very athletic and has come back this preparation bigger and stronger,” Walsh said.

“He’s got some important aims through the spring and autumn and he’s shaping as our most important colt in training. His family nicks particularly well with Exceed And Excel. There are plenty of reasons to go back there.”

Sadly for Godolphin, they recently lost Itameri (Exceed And Excel), dam of the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner and G1 Blue Diamond S. runner-up Hanseatic (Street Boss {USA}).

“Unfortunately, she died foaling a few weeks ago, it was very sad and we were devastated,” Walsh said.

Godolohin Australia’s 2020 mating plans

A selection of outside mares to visit first season Darley sires