No fee increase for Swettenham’s super sire Toronado

Cover image courtesy of Swettenham Stud

Given the run of results Toronado has had, both on the track and in the sales ring, Swettenham Stud could have easily justified a service fee increase for the son of High Chaparral (Ire). That’s not the case, however, with the 13-year-old to remain at $88,000 (inc GST).

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Since first arriving Down Under in 2015 - at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST) - Toronado has continued to improve in leaps and bounds.

He has sired more stakes winners this season than any other Victorian stallion, and just last month his daughter, Mariamia, handed him a fourth Group 1 when she was triumphant in The Galaxy.

Swettenham Stud General Manager, Sam Matthews, said they considered increasing Toronado’s fee, before opting against it.

“He probably warrants a service fee increase, but by the same token, you don’t have to do it just because you can do it, in our opinion,” Matthews told TDN AusNZ.

“I think it’s important that the breeders are looked after and everyone gets a lick of the ice cream along the way.

“If we put him up, we would still be able to fill his book, but why put him up just for the sake of it? It’s important that everyone can make something along the way; the fairest thing to do by everyone would be to keep him where he is, so that’s what we decided to do.”

In August last year, Swettenham Stud announced Toronado would permanently call Australia home, with the decision made for him to not return to Haras de Bouquetot in France.

With that in mind, coupled with the fact he is getting better-quality mares - last spring, Toronado covered Group 1 winners including Commanding Jewel (Commands), Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Risque (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) - Matthews said the world is his oyster.

“It’s great to wake up every morning and see his head pop over the box and give him a pat. We no longer have to wait for him to come back from France,” Matthews commented.

“He’s doing a great job overseas, as well, but certainly his success here, both with colts and fillies being pretty much 50/50, with his 24 stakes winners… it’s exactly what we want to see.

“Wait until you see his weanlings and what else he’s got coming through; they’ve got proper pedigrees, so it just gets better and better from here.”

Toronado has enjoyed another fine sale season, with the highlight being his colt from the Pierro mare Tereka releasing an equal-record amount of $850,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. That came from a modest service fee of $27,500 (inc GST).

He has had 75 yearlings gross $13,058,358 at an average of $174,111 in 2023.

“He’s very versatile. He can have 1000-metre record holders or get them out to an Oaks trip. Fillies, colts, geldings… there’s not much that he can’t do and that is evidenced by his sales results,” said Matthews.

“It’s nice to have a stallion that isn't pigeon-holed into 2-year-old speed or a 3-year-old-plus miler, he can just about do the lot and that’s a rarity.

“I think he’s probably a bit of a blue-chip investment; anyone that’s sent a mare to him, it doesn’t matter what year, they’ve all made very good money.”

He is a genuine global sire sensation, with his progeny in Hong Kong, including horses such as Senor Toba, Sweet Encounter (NZ) and Victor The Winner, making their mark. Toronado currently sits fourth on the Hong Kong list for most wins by a sire this season and he is eighth on the table by earnings.

Rubick on the rise

Swettenham Stud’s Group 2-winning sprinter Rubick has had a career-best season, highlighted by two wins in top company by his crack colt Jacquinot.

Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Jacquinot bested his fellow 3-year-olds in the G1 Golden Rose S. last spring, before defeating the older horses in this year’s G1 CF Orr S.

He now has eight individual stakes winners, with Opal Ridge being his most recent.

On the back of his impressive past 12 months, Rubick’s fee has increased from $22,000 (inc GST) to $27,500 (inc GST) - the same fee he stood for in 2021.

“He’s had a fantastic 12 months, especially the past six months, so he definitely warranted an increase. We ummed and ahhed as to what to put him at… he’s stood for higher before, but we’re conscious not to increase him too much; we want to ensure the breeders are looked after,” Matthews explained.

Gallery: Some of Rubick's top progeny

“He’s still got about 400 unraced progeny to come through for him and they’re off big service fees from when he was at Coolmore Stud.

“He’s got such good books, such quality mares, his 2-year-olds are flying and they’ll train on.

“Jacquinot is obviously the flagbearer, winning a couple of Group 1s.

“He’s got so many bullets in the chamber.

“He covered 46 mares two years ago, then last year he covered 160, so he’s certainly taken a leap up.”

Wooded tipped to wow breeders

Having covered 84 mares during his season in Victoria at more than 95 per cent fertility (and over 85 per cent confirmed in foal after their first over), Wootton Bassett’s (GB) fastest son Wooded (Ire) returns to Swettenham Stud for 2023 and his service fee will remain at $22,000 (inc GST).

A multiple Group performer at two in France, Wooded won the time-honoured G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp as a 3-year-old.

Matthews said: “He’s a good-looking horse, a beautiful physical, and offers an easy-to-mate outcross pedigree.

“He’d be the most fertile horse in the world, I reckon, he’s just an absolute beast. He picked up quite a few mares, last season, that couldn’t get in foal elsewhere.

“He’s already got two crops on the ground, so his yearlings will go through later this year over in France.

“Obviously, Wootton Bassett is doing the job, as is Almanzor, so that sireline works.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a bigger book second year (in Australia) than what he got first year.”

Further staying and speed options

Another Group 2 winner on Swettenham Stud’s roster is Puissance De Lune (Ire), who will stand his ninth season at the Nagambie-based property.

He remains at a fee of $14,300 (inc GST) and Matthews is confident the striking grey is in for his best season yet.

“They take a little bit longer to mature, we’ve always been very open in saying he doesn’t particularly throw 2-year-olds,” he said.

“The bigger books are getting towards their ripe racing age.

“He covered a good book last year; this is probably the year we thought where he would have that success on the track, so those smart people with mares in foal to him are probably going to have an exciting run over the next six months and that should hopefully translate to a few more mares coming to him.

“At that fee, with a pedigree like his and with the progeny he’s thrown, I think he’s great value and breeders can breed to him confidently.”

The young stud on the roster is the Group 3-winning I Am Immortal - a son of Australia’s Champion Sire, I Am Invincible.

He will remain at the fee of $13,750 (inc GST) for his fourth season.

I Am Immortal’s first crop of yearlings have been offered in 2023 and of the 23 offered, 20 have sold. Two of those made $150,000; a filly from the Testa Rossa mare Wings Of Alice and a colt out of the Magnus mare Magnagem.

“The exciting outcross stallion has let down into a magnificent specimen and the breeders continue to flock to him with another book of 100 mares in 2023, giving the precocious speed sire every chance of early success,” Matthews remarked.

“He has had a couple of yearlings make $150,000, which is more than 10 times his service fee.

“I Am Immortal continues to leave incredibly forward types, very much in the mould of his sire.

“We’ve kept his half to Queen Air, she will go to Lindsey Smith.

“He’ll be a sire that comes out of the blocks pretty early on the track, like he did, I reckon.”

Table: Swettenham Stud's stallion fees for 2023, *all prices inclusive of GST