Slow burn Sooboog hitting his straps

As the saying goes, ‘Better late than never’. That’s the line Kitchwin Hills director/stud manager, Mick Malone, and his team are running with regarding Sooboog, one of two stallions they stand on their near-1000-acre property, which is situated in the idyllic surrounds of the Isis Valley in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales.

Sooboog hasn’t hit the heights Mick Malone and the team at Kitchwin Hills had hoped, yet. In 2020/21, he had 32 runners hit the track, with eight individual winners tallying 12 wins and $364,510 in prizemoney. His best performer was Boudica’s Gift, who amassed $51,325. He finished sixth by winners on the Australian First Seasons Sires’ table and 15th by earnings.

This season, Sooboog is currently ninth by winners and 16th by earnings on the Australian Second-Season Sires’ list. From 101 runners, he has had 32 winners combined for 43 wins and $1,574,556. His flag-bearer has been classy filly Boogie Dancer, who has won three of her four starts, amassing $200,800 in earnings.

Sooboog is enjoying a late-season purple patch. He had a winner on July 17 (Sir Boo), followed by three winners on July 18. Goblin’ De Quo, Boogielu, The Silent Sermon, then another treble on Saturday via Boogie Dancer True Crime, Fraction Late to make it seven inside a week.

“It’s great, he’s in a rich vein of form and we’re so bloody happy. I wish it happened six or 12 months ago, but we’ll take it,” Malone told TDN AusNZ.

“We’re humbly happy with where he’s going, what happens from here, I don’t know, but I know there’s plenty of nice ones trialling and there’s plenty going on, so it’s fingers crossed. It’s now up to him.

“He throws an unbelievable type and all his life, his progeny have sold so well. Everyone wants him to make it because he has that lovely type. The best yearlings I’ve got on the farm are by him, on type. Sales companies turn up and say, ‘Gee, it would be just nice if he could get a wriggle on because those types of yearlings could make anything’.

“For a little while there he was a horse that just had to do it and now he’s looking like he might.

“In this game, you’re dead in a heartbeat and you’re alive in a heartbeat.

“I’ve never given up on him; I’m just such a believer in his progeny, they’re just such sorts. It would be a crying shame if he doesn’t end up with some good ones.”

Last season, his son Birdsville (trained by Peter Moody) won on debut at Werribee, before running third in the Listed Talindert S. at Flemington. He was later sold to Hong Kong.

This season, in addition to Boogie Dancer, the Nick Ryan-trained Port Albert placed in the Listed Thoroughbred Club Redoute’s Choice on debut, before placing second at Sandown (Hillside) and the Kim Waugh-trained True Crime boats two wins and second from three starts.

Gallery: Recent winners sired by Sooboog

“It’s a shame we lost Birdsville to Hong Kong because he had good ability and may well have been a banner horse for the stallion,” Malone said.

Boogie Dancer will be aimed towards the G1 Thousand Guineas on October 12.

History repeating?

Malone hopes Sooboog can mirror the career of some of Australia’s top stallions in years gone by.

The ill-fated Not A Single Doubt climbed his way from the lower end of Arrowfield Stud’s roster to sire 16 Group 1 winners and 79 stakes winners. In 2005, his first season at stud, he stood for $13,750 (inc GST), while he commanded a career-high fee of $110,000 (inc GST) in final season in 2019.

And the rise of Shamus Award, another son of Snitzel, has been quite extraordinary. He now has 19 individual stakes (six this season) to his name, and sits fifth on the Leading Australia General Sires for 2021/22. Shamus Award stands at Rosemont Stud for $88,000 (inc GST), which is up from $33,000 (inc GST) in 2021.

Malone, who has been in the industry for 22 years and previously worked at Arrowfield Stud, understands the commercial realities of breeding, but claims there is a temptation to move stallions on prematurely.

“I get it, we’re all commercial breeders and you’ve got to breed where you can see hope,” Malone explained.

“Early days, he held his own against Star Turn for a long time with winners.

“Even if these few horses (his winners of late) hadn’t come up, we had no intention of getting rid of him.

“Sooboog won his races as a later horse, he raced on until he was four. I think we do get a bit carried away thinking they’ve got to be 2-year-olds. I remember when Hellbent went to stud, his biggest knock was that he won his Group 1 when he was a 5-year-old, and I always thought that was odd. It shows his versatility as a racehorse; it means you’re tough, you’ve been able to withstand things that most of those 3-year-olds give up and can’t do. You need strings to your bow in this game; you need as many as you can get.”

Patience is a virtue

Malone said he received an interesting phone call on Saturday. It was from Gerald Ryan, who trained Snitzel during his illustrious career and has enjoyed great success with his progeny, including stakes winners Trapeze Artist, Rubick, Menari and Hot Snitzel. Rubick has already had an impact at stud, while Trapeze Artist’s progeny have attracted plenty of attention at the sales.

“I don’t know whether we expect too much from sons of Snitzel, just to be 2-year-old sires. I know two of them that won on the weekend were 2-year-olds, but they’re late 2-year-olds, so it just shows you that they need time,” Malone said.

“Straight after Boogie Dancer’s win at Caulfield on Saturday, the king of Snitzels, Gerald Ryan, rang me and he said, ‘Mick, Thronum had a winner today…. they just need time’. Everyone wants to rush Snitzels. He said, ‘Generally Snitzels sell better at Easter because he’s had better performers after Christmas’, and I just think progeny by sons of Snitzel are a bit the same, they just need time and we’ve got to give it to them. Maybe that’s the reward you get.”

Sooboog is by multiple Champion Australian Sire Snitzel, from the unraced mare Monte Rosa (Fraar {USA}), making him a brother to Group 1 victress Snitzerland. He was purchased out of the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, with Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum going to $1.5 million to secure him.

He won three of his 17 starts, including the 2016 G3 Aurie’s Star H., and was placed at Group 2 level. Sooboog was retired to stud following an unplaced run in the G3 Irwin S. at Morphettville in April 2017.

Sooboog will stand this season at Kitchwin Hills for a fee of $8800 (inc GST). Kitchwin Hills also stand Graff, a son of Star Witness - for $13,200 (inc GST).