Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Three of Siyouni's progeny lined up in races across the country - Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland - and not only were they all winners, they were impressive; horses who look to have plenty more to offer.
“You've had some very good horses,” trainer Simon Miller told Amelia Park's Peter Walsh, “but you could tie a parachute to Amelia's Jewel's back and she'd still beat all of them!”
Confident from very early on that Amelia's Jewel was something out of the box, Miller has guided that daughter of Siyouni to five wins from her first six starts - her latest success being last Saturday's G2 Western Australian Guineas.
Amelia's Jewel (red cap) | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
She is a daughter of Louis Le Metayer's Astute Bloodstock Tattersalls July Sale purchase Bumbasina (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) who in May this year made her way back to France and is again in foal to Siyouni - who she will visit at least a couple more times.
Direct-ly classy
Earlier on Saturday Siyouni's son, Direct proved too classy for his rivals in the Magic Millions 3YO and 4YO Classic at Ballarat. The Lloyd Kennewell-trained 4-year-old (who was third to Home Affairs in the G2 Silver Slipper S. on debut) is building a good record, this success the fourth of his 15-start career.
Kennewell was confident leading into the race and very happy afterwards, noting that “he was clearly the best horse in the race and he won like it.”
“He (Direct) was clearly the best horse in the race and he won like it.” - Lloyd Kennewell
A $400,000 graduate of the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Direct is out of Upfront (USA) (War Front {USA}) whose dam Up (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a dual Group winner from the family of Dutch Art (GB).
Remaining in Direct's ownership is Dalanna Bloodstock's Jason Abrahams, co-breeder with Foxwood Stables of the up-and-coming gelding.
“The Roth family (Foxwood Stables) asked me if they thought Upfront would be a good fit for Australia and being by War Front from a fast family I thought she was - they offered me half and we brought her to Australia in foal to Siyouni.”
Direct as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He was a cracking foal,” Jason recalled - “he always looked fast, just like his dad. He was not overly tall but everything was in the right spot, he had a great walk and a good attitude - a precocious, Magic Millions type.”
Direct will now head to Queensland, Kennewell is keen to give him experience the other way of going with the Listed Falvelon S. on Christmas Eve pencilled in enroute to Magic Millions Day which presents two possibilities - the Magic Millions Sprint and The Syndicate.
A fast Nugget
The imported 6-year-old gelding Nugget (GB) made up Siyouni's trio of Saturday winners with an easy victory in a BM88 1600-metre contest at Kemba Grange. Doing a good job drawing clear from the 200m, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained bay was having only his second local start.
Fighting on gamely when making his Australian debut with a Flemington second on Melbourne Cup Day, Nugget won four of his 11 starts in the UK. And it was that form that attracted Australian Bloodstock to him with Luke Murrell taking keen note of horses able to run good times.
Which is what Nugget (a son of the Listed winner Gemstone {Ire} by Galileo {Ire}) was doing with the company's Jamie Lovett noting that whilst usually there is some question mark over the ability of European horses to adapt to Australian conditions, the UK's run of hot weather and lack of rain has made their tracks firmer than usual - more like our tracks.
“Nugget was running fast times on fast ground,” he said.
“People want carnival-type horses and he fit the bill,” Lovett continued, buoyed by the stable's confidence in the still lightly raced 6-year-old.
“I asked David Eustace on Melbourne Cup Day where he thought he fit in and he said that he is quite smart, a Group-class miler.”
“I asked David Eustace on Melbourne Cup Day where he (Nugget) thought he fit in and he said that he is quite smart, a Group-class miler.” - Jamie Lovett
And so the G2 Villiers S. to be held at Randwick next month is on the agenda for the horse who Jamie says is “aptly named.”
“He is quite a strong, heavy-set horse, not a typical Northern Hemisphere type.”
With plenty of experience with imported gallopers, Lovett noted that they do tend to be better acclimatised by the time they embark on their second local preparations.
“We don't go too deep into their initial Australian campaigns,” he said, excited that with the improvement usually displayed by talented imports there looks to be plenty in store for Nugget.
Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“If he gets over a mile and a half or if he stays at the mile there are plenty of options for a horse like him.”
Siyouni striking hot
Siyouni has had 24 runners in Australia, nine of whom have won 22 races between them with three of those being stakes winners - Amelia's Jewel as well as the 2018 G2 Todman S. winner Aylmerton who was raced by his breeders Woodpark Stud (where he now stands, serving small books over the last three seasons).
And the $85,000 Inglis Ready2Run graduate See You In Spring - last year's Listed Without Fear S. winner who was conceived in the Northern Hemisphere out of the Shamardal (USA) mare Spring Colours (GB) from the family of Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa {USA}).
One of Europe's finest and fastest 2-year-olds of 2009, Siyouni won four of his six starts including his first three. Group 1 success in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere was a career highlight and whilst he did not manage a win at three he continued to prove competitive in top company.
Siyouni (Fr) | Standing at the Aga Khan Studs
Going from strength to strength in recent years Siyouni, with his 67 stakes winners, has seen his fee steadily rise from €20,000 (AU$30,900) in 2015 to €150,000 (AU$231,800).
He has sired seven Group 1 winners with one of those - the European Horse of the Year St Mark's Basilica (Fr) - shuttling to Coolmore Stud where he commands a fee of $44,000 (inc GST) and who had the 'book full' sign-up very soon after he was announced at stud.
Siyouni (who has 13 broodmare daughters in Australia) is one of the four stakes winners for the Listed Prix Amandine winner Sichilla (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), also dam of the dual Group 1 winner Siyouma (Ire) (Medicean {GB}) and grandam of the G1 Prix Saint Alary winner Siyarafina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}).
Sichilla is one of the nine winners produced by the stakes-placed Slipstream Queen (USA) (Conquistador Cielo {USA}), also dam of the four-time Group 1-winning stallion Slickly (Fr) (sire of 17 stakes winners) and the two times Group winner No Slip (Fr).
The Aussie profile from Europe
So what is it about Siyouni that makes him so successful in this part of the world? Louis Le Metayer was happy to sum it up with just one word - “speed!”
“Pivotal out of a Danehill mare, it doesn't get much faster than that,” he said, describing Siyouni as a superior type. “He is a beautiful, big, powerful beast of an animal - he has length, strength and scope and he can get an Arc winner, a miler or a fast 2-year-old.”
“Pivotal out of a Danehill mare, it doesn't get much faster than that. He (Siyouni) is a beautiful, big, powerful beast of an animal - he has length, strength and scope and he can get an Arc winner, a miler or a fast 2-year-old.” - Louis Le Metayer
A toughness and versatility which makes his progeny ideal for Australia.
Jamie Lovett sees those same qualities in Siyouni's sire Pivotal and two of his own broodmares are by that fast G1 Nunthorpe S. winner, mares he describes as having “plenty of bone and substance.”
Jason Abrahams also thinks much comes down to type, describing Siyouni as “a real Danehill type.”
“He is more Danehill than Pivotal,” Abrahams said, “and I really think he could've done even better standing in Australia than he does in France.”
Pivotal (GB), sire of Siyouni (Fr)
“He has all the attributes of speed - a good, deep girth, a strong shoulder, a great hip and a good mind... he is a very relaxed sort of horse.”
Thoughts reiterated by Segenhoe Stud's Peter O'Brien - “the types he throws are tailor-made for our conditions,” he said. “They are generally strong low-slung types with good bone and most have lovely quality. I think their substance and constitution along with their great minds are telling factors also.”
