Written Tycoon to debut at Yulong at $165,000, Tagaloa at $33,000

Yulong won the race to secure Written Tycoon last month in a huge boost for the Victorian-based farm, which is ramping up its stallion offering with four new additions to its roster in 2021.

Written Tycoon stood his most recent season for $77,000 (inc GST) at Arrowfield Stud, having transferred from Woodside Park, where he stood for $110,000 (inc GST) in 2019.

Sponsored video

CJ's Sweet Deal

Off the back of an amazing season with his progeny on the track, where he has had 12 stakes winners to date and is right in the battle to claim his first Champion Sire title, and a spectacular run in the sales ring, where his yearlings have averaged over $300,000 for the first time, Yulong has doubled his fee.

The $165,000 (inc GST) price point puts him level with Champion Sires Snitzel and Fastnet Rock, and behind only I Am Invincible, who will stand for $220,000 (inc GST), as Australia's most expensive advertised stallions.

"With his racetrack performances and what he has been able to achieve in the sales ring, he has definitely justified his service fee being among the leading stallions here in Australia," Yulong Chief Operating Officer, Sam Fairgray, said.

Written Tycoon served 199 mares last year but Fairgray confirmed with strong support from Yulong's own broodmare band, his book would be more limited in 2021, with the stallion set to turn 19 in August.

"We will obviously be supporting him with a lot of the nice Yulong mares and also we will be looking to manage the horse and look after him as best we can. We will limit his book and make sure we look after him," he said.

"He's on the farm now and he's settled in well. He's a lovely horse. He is so laid back and quiet and easy to do anything with."

Fairgray said just the presence of a stallion of Written Tycoon's calibre on the Nagambie-based farm was a big boost to the entire Yulong team.

"It's fantastic to have a horse of his quality here at the farm and there is certainly a lot of excitement here. We are really looking forward to the breeding season with him, and from the interest we have had so far, we are sure he is going to get a really good book of mares," he said.

Tagaloa ready to launch

Tagaloa, the son of Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), was recently retired from the track after a 13-start career which was highlighted by his victory in the 2020 G1 Blue Diamond S. for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

His fee has been confirmed at $33,000 (inc GST), with Fairgray confident he can attract a strong opening book at that price.

"For a Blue Diamond winner, he's great value at that. He's an easy stallion to mate to, being free of Danehill. He's a good-looking horse, so at that sort of fee, he is going to give breeders the opportunity to get a good return in the sale ring," he said.

Yulong has already fielded significant interest in Tagaloa, who becomes the first son of Lord Kanaloa to stand in Australia. Lord Kanaloa was runner-up to Deep Impact (Jpn) on the Japanese Sires' table in 2020 and is in the same position so far in 2021.

"Tagaloa is super popular, so we think he will do really well at stud. To be able to have the calibre of race performance, pedigree and looks that he's got, to stand here in Victoria, he'll do very well," Fairgray said.

Lucky return pleases

Yulong Chairman Yuesheng Zhang's commitment to secure elite thoroughbreds is a global enterprise and on Saturday, the Yulong-owned Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) went within 0.5l of winning the opening Classic of the British season, the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, finishing third.

While his racing career is not yet finished, Lucky Vega is set to feature in Yulong Stud's Australian roster in 2021 at an opening price of $22,000 (inc GST).

The colt, who is trained by Jessica Harrington, won the G1 Phoenix S. at The Curragh last year and was making his first appearance of the racing season in the 2000 Guineas, fighting hard all the way to the line behind the Jim Bolger-trained Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).

"It was a fantastic run, and a really tough run. He never gave in and kept coming at the end of the race. He was still as strong as he was at the 200-metre mark," Fairgray said.

"He's come back from his 2-year-old season after winning the Group 1 and he looks like he is in for a good campaign, with another couple of runs to come."

Fairgray confirmed the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas was the race most likely next on Lucky Vega's agenda and he backed him to make an impression when he arrives in Australia ahead of the 2021 breeding season.

"He's a super-looking horse, with a lot of strength and quality about him and a beautiful head. We are really excited to have a horse of his calibre join the roster this year," he said.

"Lope De Vega has been a fantastic sire and to be able to have a son of Lope De Vega coming to Australia to stand, and a Group 1-winning son of his at that, is fantastic. He’ll be really popular with that bloodline that we have seen do so well down here."

Prince’s price set

The fourth new addition to Yulong Stud's roster is G1 Cantala S. winner Yulong Prince (SAF), who was also successful at the elite level in South Africa. The son of Gimmethegreenlight will stand at $9900 (inc GST).

"He's a very good-looking horse and we have priced him so that breeders have that opportunity to access him," Fairgray said.

"He's a double Group 1 winner and he sits nicely on our roster and gives that extra bit of diversity, which we have across our stallion roster. At $9900, he's worth that on looks alone, let alone adding in his race performance."

Yulong's foundation stallion Grunt (NZ) stands his third season at $13,750 (inc GST), while Alabama Express stands his second season at $24,750 (inc GST).

"Of the six stallions we are standing, we have five Group 1 winners on the track and the other one is Written Tycoon, who has left multiple Group 1 winners himself," Fairgray said.

"They are all stallions that when people go to sell their yearlings in the marketplace, trainers, agents and syndicators will be looking to buy. We are all really excited. We feel it’s going to be a big year and we think we have some really nice horses to present to the breeders."

*All prices inclusive of GST