Matings mix: ‘he has all the characteristics to be a very successful stallion’

Cover image courtesy of Two Bays Farm

Rob Carlile and the team at Two Bays Farm on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria have scaled back its operation to some degree, opting to focus on quality over quantity. As such, Two Bays Farm will have just 10 mares being covered this spring, with four of the broodmare band having a year off.

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Taking a look through at the list of mares on the farm that will be served and there is no shortage of star power, with the broodmares including a host of stakes winners and black-type producers. They include Nudge (Fastnet Rock), Shrouded In Mist (Exceed And Excel), Alcatraz (Fastnet Rock), Harmony Rose (Glass Harmonium {Ire}), Clear For Take Off (GB) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), News Girl (Magnus) and Xtravagant Star (Xtravagant {NZ}).

“We’ve only got the 10, we’ve really scaled back our numbers,” Carlile said.

“We’re spending more on service fees than we did a few years ago, but we’ve got the better article of mare in the broodmare band now to warrant spending that money on service fees.

“As a farm, we’re going well with our runners to stakes horses ratio, and off small numbers from lower-profile stallions, so now it’s time to see if we can ramp that up with a better quality of stock and still produce more stakes horses, but just with fewer numbers.

“We want buyers to come and see our draft because they’re bred, well-conformed and on the must-have list.”

One stallion Two Bays Farm will utilise this season is Darley Australia’s exciting new sire Anamoe, who won nine Group 1s, including last year’s Cox Plate.

Harmony Rose - a Listed victress and two-time Group 1 placegetter - will be covered by the son of Street Boss (USA).

“She’s got a lot of quality about her and we’re sending her to Anamoe this year, which is exciting,” Carlile explained.

“There’s no guarantees, but given his race record, pedigree and type, it’s hard to envisage him not making it.

“I remember his mum (Anamato) from my time at Darley; she was absolutely gorgeous.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds there - the Street Cry sireline and Redoute’s Choice as well.

“It’s a good female family, he’s a good physical with a great constitution. He has all the characteristics to be a very successful stallion.

“At his price point, he’s going to get some lovely mares and Darley will obviously support him well. His progeny will go to the right stables, so it’s really every studmaster’s dream.

“He was so versatile, he could race at all distances. If he had been set for The Everest, there’s no reason he couldn’t have won a race like that.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what types he throws. There’s some precocity there, especially with Redoute’s, but the older he got the better he got.”

Carlile said Harmony Rose is bigger boned and a much thicker set than most staying mares.

She is currently in foal to Coolmore’s star sire So You Think (NZ).

“We’re eagerly awaiting that mating. His last couple of racing seasons have been amazing,” Carlile commented.

Plenty of love for Zoustar

The lion’s share of Two Bays Farm’s broodmare band this spring, with Clear For Take Off, News Girl and Xtravagant Star all slated to be covered by Widden Stud’s brilliant sire Zoustar, who has produced Group 1 winners in both hemispheres.

“He’s a horse with good numbers coming through and what he’s done so far has been super impressive,” said Carlile.

“That Encosta De Lago line, they’re big, heavy horses, very strong horses, and his progeny have that athleticism you’re looking for.”

Clear For Take Off, who did her racing in Europe and was placed in stakes company on three occasions, is a half-sister to Calyxa (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) - a Group 3 winner who was named Champion Older Female in Italy in 2014.

The Listed scorer Chantra (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) is Clear For Take Off’s dam.

“She just had a lovely Home Affairs filly. It’s a nice bay, good-looking, and a really well-put-together foal,” Carlile said.

“She also has a really nice Blue Point colt.

“She’s not a very heavy-set mare, she’s got those European bloodlines, a bit lighter-framed, so going to Zoustar… he’s a big, strong horse that should suit her. She needs good-sized horses, hence Home Affairs and now Zoustar.”

Two Bays Farm purchased News Girl from an Inglis Digital Online Sale, paying $375,000 for her at the September (Early) Sale in 2021.

News Girls, who is the older sister of Listed Creswick S. scorer Front Page, had her career cut short because of injury, but not before she won five races and was runner-up at Group 3 level on two occasions.

“She is in foal to Zoustar and is due in a month or so,” explained Carlile.

“She will go back to him. It’s a lovely physical and genetic cross.”

At the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, Astute Bloodstock (FBAA)/Widden Stud paid $450,000 for the 2022 R. Listed Inglis Millennium victress Xtravagant Star, who was offered by Newhaven Park.

Two Bays Farm own the mare in partnership with Widden Stud.

Now four, Xtravagant Star hasn’t been retired as yet. She’s still in work and came second in a Warwick Farm trial earlier this month. She will have another race or two.

“Given we own her in partnership with Widden Stud, she will likely go to Zoustar,” said Carlile.

“Genetically and all that, everyone was happy with Zoustar, and we’re looking forward to that.”

Other notable mating plans

Two Bays Farm paid $550,000 for a 50 per cent share in the Group 3 winner and two-time Group 1 placegetter Nudge at the Inglis Digital August (Early) Online Sale in 2022.

She was covered by Zoustar and is due shortly, before a date with Yulong Stud’s Champion Stallion Written Tycoon.

“Her Zoustar foal is highly anticipated,” Carlile said.

“Written Tycoon only has limited numbers, so to get into him is great. We really think she will give us the right style of Written Tycoon (foal) and the Fastnet Rock-Written Tycoon cross works really well.

“She has settled into life on the farm as a broodmare really well. She’s a beautiful mare and looks great.

“We will give her every opportunity and we’re really excited about her future.”

The 2020 G2 Queen of the South S. winner Shrouded In Mist was purchased privately off prominent owner-breeder, the late Peter Katelanis.

She has an I Am Invincible filly on the ground from her first cover and will be served by Wootton Bassett (GB) this spring. Her ‘Vinnie’ filly will head to the sales in 2024.

“She will go to the new kid on the block in Australia, but a sire that’s doing really good things in the UK, Wootton Bassett. It’s a mating that we’re really excited about. What he’s doing in the Northern Hemisphere is most impressive and we believe he will do the same thing here,” he said.

“Speaking to some of the sales companies, they’re saying his yearlings that will head to the sales are really nice, so there’s a lot to look forward to. They’re saying they are a really nice style of horse, so that gives you a lot of confidence with a mare we spent a good amount of money on, and gives her a chance, too.”

Alcatraz, or as Calile calls her, ‘The Queen of the Farm’, has been a brilliant broodmare, producing the stakes winners Kubrick (Shooting To Win) and Bundle Of Fun (Written Tycoon), while Maximum Control (Written Tycoon) was fourth in this year’s SGG2 Singapore Guineas.

He said: “She is late, so depending on how late she goes foaling, she will probably stay in Victoria and pick up a nomination to Toronado. She may have the year off, it just depends on her foaling date.

“She’s had four to the track for two stakes winners and another horse that came fourth in the Singapore Guineas this year at his second start, so she’s done a phenomenal job.”

Gallery: Some of the matings Two Bays Farm's are planning in 2023