Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
On the post-and-rail pastures of Burradoo, on the rich property that was once Think Big Stud, Zhongli Thoroughbreds has tucked itself into one of the best thoroughbred nurseries south of the Hunter. It did so in early 2020, taking over the 200 acres that flank the Wingecarribee River in the New South Wales Southern Highlands.
At its helm for China-based owner Gu Tao, stud manager Alex Kingston is preparing the farm’s first-ever yearling draft. It’s a concise collection of five horses for Book 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Alex Kingston | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
It will be the first time Zhongli Thoroughbreds will sell under its own banner and, while Kingston is a very deft hand in the thoroughbred business, there is still a bit of pressure that comes with a debut draft.
“There’s a bit of scrutiny with it being a first draft for a new company, but it’s certainly not the first draft I’ve presented,” Kingston said. “I’m used to the pressure that comes with yearling sales, and these are five very good-quality horses by five very good sires. They’re definitely up to what Magic Millions looks for with this Sale.”
“These are five very good-quality horses by five very good sires. They’re definitely up to what Magic Millions looks for with this Sale.” - Alex Kingston
The five-horse draft has yearlings by Deep Field, Written Tycoon, Pierro and a pair by Trapeze Artist. Each are from mares selected by the Zhongli team in foal at their time of purchase.
“I selected most of these mares for Mr Gu up on the Gold Coast two years ago,” Kingston said. “I tried to pick sires that would be good in two years’ time and I wanted good 2-year-old types, but the mares had to have some type of performance as racehorses.”
Gallery: Sires being represented by Zhongli Thoroughbreds' yearling draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale
The outcome is a draft by largely proven stallions from young and emerging mares, and Kingston said it reflects exactly what Zhongli Thoroughbreds is pitching for with its yearling representations.
Artists in the draft
Among the draft, the farm has two fillies by Widden Stud’s new sire Trapeze Artist, who is having his first progeny head into the sale ring in January.
For Kingston, the Zhongli pair is headed by Lot 816, the fourth foal from the Group 2-winning broodmare Blueberry Hill (Myboycharlie {Ire}).
Lot 816 - Trapeze Artist x Blueberry Hill (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Zhongli Thoroughbreds purchased the mare at the Magic Millions National Sale in 2020 for $220,000. She was sold by Widden Stud in foal to Trapeze Artist.
“This filly is a very precocious 2-year-old type, very well-balanced with great muscle,” Kingston said. “She’s got a fantastic walk, one of the better walks I’ve actually seen on any yearling. She has prepped up beautifully, and she basically prepped herself. She’s one of those horses that, from the day she was born, looked like being a really good filly.”
“She (Lot 816) has prepped up beautifully, and she basically prepped herself. She’s one of those horses that, from the day she was born, looked like being a really good filly.” - Alex Kingston
Blueberry Hill won the G2 BRC Champagne Classic in 2015 and, the following year, she won the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich, which has been a strong race for producing mares over the years.
Kingston said Lot 816 was very professional in everything she did, and she expected the filly to be among the best of the Trapeze Artist yearlings, which number 33 in this Sale.
Blueberry Hill | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Alongside her is Lot 112, also by Trapeze Artist and from the High Chaparral (Ire) mare Highway. This mare was a metro winner and Group-placed during her career before being sold at the Magic Millions National Sale in 2020 by Baystone Farm to Zhongli Thoroughbreds for $300,000.
This Trapeze Artist filly is her first foal, and she’s a different cut to Lot 816.
“This is a very athletic filly,” Kingston said. “She’s grown out very well as a maiden foal, and she’s a lot more feminine than the Blueberry Hill horse.
Lot 112 - Trapeze Artist x Highway (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“They’re two very different types of Trapeze Artists, and I’ve heard that both of these fillies are in the top few of the progeny by this stallion, so it’s a good thing that they’re quite different. One is a very bullish, colt-like filly (Lot 816), and the other is a more elegant type.”
Maiden tactics
The remaining three horses in the Zhongli Thoroughbreds draft are by established stallions, which is important for an emerging farm. Among them is Lot 171, an early colt by Written Tycoon from the Nadeem mare Karavali (NZ).
Karavali was a Group 3 winner, and she’s a full sister to the stakes winner Sir Nate (NZ), who was also placed in a string of important Group 1 races in New Zealand, including the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.
Karavali (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Lot 171 is a punchy yearling for Zhongli Thoroughbreds.
“If you’re going to get your name out there, these horses have to be among the top 10 per cent of the Sale,” Kingston said. “This colt is a very well-balanced and neat sort of yearling, and he represents his sire extremely well. Being a first foal out of Karavali, we are extremely happy with him.”
Lot 171 - Written Tycoon x Karavali (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Equally, Kingston is hopeful that Lot 915, a colt by Pierro from the Snitzel mare Dinnigan, will do well on the Gold Coast.
This is also a first foal, with Dinnigan being an early running mare who was Group 3 placed and third in the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic to Madeenaty (Exceed And Excel) in 2016.
This is also the extended family of Australia’s reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Stay Inside (Extreme Choice).
This (Lot 915) is also the extended family of Australia’s reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Stay Inside (Extreme Choice).
“This is an extremely athletic, well-balanced colt,” Kingston said. “He’s very much like his dam, with a very good walk and good outlook, and he hasn’t put a foot wrong in his prep.”
Kingston said it was a Zhongli tactic two years ago to buy these young, maiden mares with first foals coming through in 2022.
Lot 915 - Pierro x Dinnigan (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Our rationale was to acquire a boutique broodmare band, and to do that we needed very good types of mares that were proven on the racetrack, but also mares that had gone to the right sires,” she said. “We’ve got about 15 broodmares at the moment, but we’re hoping to get up to about 25 or 30 in the next couple of years.”
As a result, the farm is expecting to have a strong buying presence on the broodmare circuit through 2022.
Selling for Asia
Whipping in the draft is Lot 37, who pops up early in the catalogue as a colt by Deep Field from the Snitzel mare Fashion Sniptz.
Zhongli bought Fashion Sniptz in foal to Deep Field at the Magic Millions May Online Sale in 2020. She was consigned by Glenesk Thoroughbreds and sold for $80,000.
Lot 37 - Deep Field x Fashion Sniptz (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Lot 37 is a second foal and half-brother to the 3-year-old gelding Lucky Sun (Maurice {Jpn}). The latter has been consistent for Randwick trainer Mark Newnham in a handful of starts.
“We bought this mare in foal to Deep Field, and that sire has really come on since then,” Kingston said. “This yearling is a very scopey, well-balanced colt with great size about him, and he should suit the Hong Kong market nicely.”
“This yearling (Lot 37) is a very scopey, well-balanced colt with great size about him, and he should suit the Hong Kong market nicely.” - Alex Kingston
The Newgate stallion Deep Field has done exceptionally well as a Hong Kong sire in the last two years. He has had 28 starters all up for 14 winners and 34 wins, and they’re headed recently by Sky Field, who won the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in early December, plus the G3 Premier Cup.
Kingston said Lot 37 looks an obvious choice for the Asian market.
“As well as stallion, it’s the overall type that will suit Hong Kong,” Kingston said. “This colt has both of those things on his side.”
Soaring Ambitions
In a short space of time, Zhongli Thoroughbreds has moved quickly onto the Australian breeding scene. It has been buying since mid-2020, and its debut draft will be hotly watched on the Gold Coast next month.
“I think there will be plenty of eyes on Zhongli, and I’m glad I’m part of the team,” Kingston said. “I’m glad to be able to bring my expertise to the farm to rear and grow these horses out, and to present them as we will be at Magic Millions.”
Zhongli Thoroughbreds has a second excuse for a spirited presence at the Sale in a few weeks’ time.
Soaring Ambition, winner of the 2021 Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Its 2-year-old filly Soaring Ambition (Not A Single Doubt) is fourth on the ballot for the upcoming $2 million R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. The filly won the Wyong equivalent just last week.
“She’s looking very well,” Kingston said. “She galloped this morning (Tuesday) and she pulled up extremely well after her Wyong win last week. She’s precocious enough to do well in January, so it’s looking good for her.”
Soaring Ambition will carry the yellow silks of Zhongli Thoroughbreds and, so early in the farm’s genesis, she’s an important filly for the new operation alongside its debut draft.
