Coolmore Australia has confirmed the son of the Aga Khan's Champion stallion Siyouni will travel to Australia to join the powerhouse roster at Jerrys Plains for the upcoming season.
"We are delighted to offer a horse with such rare qualities as St Mark’s Basilica to Australasian breeders. As a sire prospect, he has everything you could ever hope for and in terms of quality he has attracted an unparalleled first book of mares in Europe,” commented Coolmore Australia Principal, Tom Magnier.
Tom Magnier | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“St Mark’s Basilica was simply brilliant on the track, who just like leading stallions Shamardal and Lope De Vega won the French 2000 Guineas and Prix du Jockey Club double.
“His sire Siyouni is the most expensive stallion to ever stand in France and has been remarkably successful with limited opportunities in Australia. He comes from an impeccable family, being out of a Group-winning 2-year-old by Galileo and half-brother to a Classic winner.
“St Mark’s Basilica was simply brilliant on the track, who just like leading stallions Shamardal and Lope De Vega won the French 2000 Guineas and Prix du Jockey Club double." - Tom Magnier
“To top it all off he’s an absolutely stunning individual, so we look forward to showing him to local breeders later in the year.”
St Mark's Basilica carries a strong connection to Australia through his well-known breeder Bob Scarborough, while the stallion's half-brother, Magna Grecia (Ire), the dual Group 1-winning son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), has shuttled to Coolmore Australia for the past two seasons.
Magna Grecia (Ire) | Standing at Coolmore
Their dam, Cabaret (Galileo {Ire}), has proven a gold mine for former Moonee Valley Racing Club Chairman Scarborough, who purchased her through BBA Ireland’s Adrian Nicoll at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale in 2011 for 600,000 gns (AU$1.12 million).
On the track, she had won a G3 Silver Flash S. and was a half-sister to Group 3 winner Drumfire (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Ho Choi (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).
Aidan O'Brien had trained Cabaret to Group 3 success and Coolmore was keen to secure her progeny for Ballydoyle as well, paying 360,000 gns (AU$627,000) for Magna Grecia through the 2016 Tattersalls December Foal Sale in a deal signed by M.V. Magnier, Mayfair Speculators and Peter and Ross Doyle.
St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) | Standing at Coolmore
After that colt came out and won the G1 Doncaster Futurity S. and he followed that up with a career-defining success in the G1 2000 Guineas, Coolmore returned to purchase his younger half-brother by Siyouni at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
M.V. Magnier had to fight to win out in the battle with David Redvers for the colt, but eventually paid 1.3 million gns (AU$2.43 million) for him from the Norelands Stud consignment.
A superstar at two and three
He was proven to be worth all that and more. Trained by O'Brien for Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor, he won the G1 Dewhurst S. and was third in the G1 National S. as a juvenile. He was crowned as Europe's Champion 2-Year-Old.
St Mark's Basilica returned as a 3-year-old and proved himself the best of his crop. He won the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) at ParisLongchamp in May, before backing that up with a similarly comfortable success in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in June.
St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) | Standing at Coolmore
In the G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown, St Mark's Basilica took on the older horses, including multiple Group 1 winners Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), and proved their superior, winning by a dashing 3.5l.
Making his final racecourse appearance in Leopardstown's in the G1 Irish Champion S., St Mark's Basilica saw off G1 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), as well as G1 2000 Guineas hero Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).
He finished with six wins from nine starts and AU$4.33 million in earnings. He was Champion 3-Year-Old colt of Europe and the top-rated horse in the world in 2021, while he was named Horse of the Year at the Cartier Awards.
He was then sent to Coolmore Ireland where he is standing at €65,000 (AU$96,200), with an enviable first book of mares.
A bumper book
Among those mares already confirmed to have been covered by him are Believe'N'Succeed (Exceel And Excel), the dam of G1 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bounding (Lonhro), Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}): the dam of Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chenchikova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), the dam of G1 Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Others set to be covered by him in his first season in Ireland are Group 1 winners Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Fiesolana (Ire) (Aussie Rules {USA}), Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {USA}), Cursory Glance (Ire) (Distorted Humor {USA}), Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) and Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).
Gallery: Some of the mares already confirmed to be have been covered by St Mark’s Basilica (Ire) in the Northern Hemisphere
Siyouni, who is based at Haras de Bonneval in France, has made an impact with limited numbers of the racetrack in Australia, with seven winners from 13 runners, three of them stakes winners.
Aylmerton is joined by See You In Spring, and recently unbeaten and very promising Western Australian filly Amelia's Jewel, as stakes winners for their sire in Australia.
He also has two additional Australian stakes performers Direct and See You Soon as well as the winners Le Vizir and Persepolis.
Siyouni's only son to stand in Australia to date has been Aylmerton, who has served books of fewer than 10 in three seasons at Woodpark Stud.
