Given the Australasian market’s appetite for 2-year-old speed, it comes as no surprise to many that Farnan’s progeny have been well sought-after.
Bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, who retained a share in him when sold at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales for $550,000, Farnan is out of the G3 Vanity S.-winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Tallow, thus making him a three-quarter brother to dual Listed-winning stallion Sandbar - himself a fast son of Snitzel, who won two Listed races (at 1100 metres and 1200 metres).
Farnan as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Farnan possessed incredible cruising speed and a blistering turn of foot during his short but stellar career, which yielded five wins from eight starts and $2.5 million in earnings.
He destroyed his rivals on debut at Canberra, winning by 4.86l, and at his third start, the son of Not A Single Doubt toyed with his rivals in the G2 Silver Slipper S., posting a 3.3l victory.
After adding the G2 Todman S. to his CV, Farnan posted a brilliant all-the-way win in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
He earned a Timeform rating of 122, making him the most dominant juvenile of the century, and was named Australia’s Champion 2-Year-Old in 2019/20.
Farnan winning the 2020 G1 Golden Slipper S. | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In his first season at Kia Ora Stud, in 2021, he covered 192 mares, then last year, Farnan served 189 mares.
His first weanlings went through the ring at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale earlier this month, and it was a most-promising start, with three selling at an average price of $153,333. His top-seller - Lot 329 - a colt out of the stakes performer Waterloo Sunset (Fastnet Rock) from the Kia Ora Stud draft - made $180,000.
Farnan had eight weanlings consigned on Day 1 of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale and at the close of trade, six had sold at a gross of $825,000 and an average of $137,500 (which is the second-best behind Zoustar for sires that had three or more lots sold).
Farnan | Standing at Kia Ora Stud
“We’re really pleased, the market has been really receptive to them, but the horses are a nice style across the board. They’re athletic, have good actions and are just quality animals,” Kia Ora Stud’s Shane Wright told TDN AusNZ.
“The market is seeing what we’re seeing and we couldn’t ask for a better start.
“When you see him on the board alongside those champion sires that are proven Group 1 stallions, it shows what people think of him and his progeny and makes us very optimistic for the future with him.”
“The market is seeing what we’re seeing and we couldn’t ask for a better start.” - Shane Wright
The hype is real
Lyndhurst Farm’s Mark and Shelley Treweek travelled to the Gold Coast from New Zealand for the sale and one of their objectives was to get their hands on a Farnan weanling.
“We’ve been really impressed with what we’ve seen of his foals, both in Sydney and now here,” Mark Treweek shared with TDN AusNZ.
“We were really quite keen to get a nice one off the back of the talk and the types that he’s thrown.
“We were really quite keen to get a nice one (Farnan weanling) off the back of the talk and the types that he’s thrown.” - Mark Treweek
“Farnan was a lovely horse and very smart.”
Lyndhurst Farm paid $150,000 for Lot 99 - a filly from the winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Chain Of Fools. She was offered by Milburn Creek and her second dam is the Listed scorer Burgeis (Catbird).
“We thought she was a really nice type with a good attitude and a nice pedigree,” Treweek commented.
Lot 99 - Farnan x Chain Of Fools (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She’s a good, strong-moving horse and looks as though she’ll get up and going early.
“A lot of fillies tend to come a little bit sooner than some of the colts.
“We think she is the perfect Karaka Millions filly for back in New Zealand.”
“We think she (Lot 99) is the perfect Karaka Millions filly for back in New Zealand.” - Mark Treweek
Lot 222 - a colt from the US Grade 3 victress Insta Erma (USA) (Pioneerof The Nile {USA}) - was knocked down to Redwall Bloodstock for $175,000. The colt was consigned by Vinery Stud.
“He was a very good type out of a very good race mare,” Redwall Bloodstock’s Hannah Wall explained to TDN AusNZ.
“We’ve been impressed by the stock Farnan has had and we were very keen to get one within the syndicate if we could. We were delighted to secure him.
“We’ve been impressed by the stock Farnan has had and we were very keen to get one within the syndicate if we could. We were delighted to secure him (Lot 222).” - Hannah Wall
“He will go back to Widden Stud and be re-offered next year.
“He will grow out at Widden and then we’ll make a plan towards the end of the year.”
Farnan’s top-seller on Thursday was Lot 60 - a colt from the Waylon J Stud draft - which was bought by Newgate Farm’s Jim Carey for $190,000. He is from the winning I Am Invincible mare Bella Success and his grandam is the Group 2 victress Bridie Belle (NZ) (Al Akbar).
Lot 60 - Farnan x Bella Success (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Carey also went to $145,000 for Lot 160 - a filly from the Newhaven Park draft. She is out of the unraced Reward For Effort mare Enuff Effort and she herself is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and Group 3-producing sire Rich Enuff, as well as the stakes performer Lightenuff (Lago Delight).
More to come
Farnan has a further eight lots catalogued at this sale, including Lot 339 - a three-quarter brother to the Group 2 winner Quackerjack (Not A Single Doubt). He will be offered by Rosari Farm.
Farnan will stand at a fee of $55,000 (inc GST) in 2023.
