Matings mix: Go Bloodstock nailing the formula for juvenile success

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock has developed a reputation for being one of the most successful racing and breeding enterprises in Australasia. In 2022/23, the operation’s significant investment in its breeding empire bore fruit, with Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) one of a host of Go Bloodstock-bred horses to score in stakes company.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Ruthless Dame was triumphant in the G1 Robert Sangster S. at Morphettville in May. Other stakes winners include Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar), Steel City (Merchant Navy), Hip Hip Hurrah (Snitzel) and Red Resistance (Russian Revolution).

“We were really thrilled to see some of the homebreds come out and be really successful,” Go Bloodstock’s Director, Steve O'Connor, told The Thoroughbred Report.

Historic successes include Group 1 wins with homebreds Criterion (NZ) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock).

Such accomplishments don't happen by chance and plenty of hard work has taken place in order to achieve these significant results.

Glenn has invested heavily in the business over a number of years, developing a broodmare band that is the envy of many within the industry. The list of 41 mares features a host of black-type winners and stakes producers, including Ruud Awakening (Bernardini {USA}), Pittsburgh Flyer (Street Cry {Ire}), Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), Highly Discreet (Street Boss {USA}) and Heatherly (Lonhro).

Go Bloodstock is a commercial enterprise and, like most breeders, the aim is to produce quality horses that can be retained and aimed up at the elite races, and by extension, turning these supreme equine athletes into stallions, or have them find their mark at the high-end of the major yearling sales.

“It’s a hybrid model, we run it as a hybrid. We want to give Sir Owen enough representation in the better races and give him a chance to produce a stallion, whether that’s in partnership or with a homebred, and also we try and balance the books by selling enough horses each year so it’s not a financial strain,” O’Connor explained.

“There’s horses we have that we would eventually like to retire back into the breeding program. Say we have 40 mares, if we could retire four good mares a year, so 10 per cent, and keep recycling that way, that’s what we’re aiming to achieve.

“Our main focus is to make ourselves sustainable.”

Go Bloodstock has no shortage of ammunition for the spring, particular amongst the 3-year-olds so continued success in the short term seems highly likely. Horses such as Platinum Jubilee, Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible), Red Resistance, Steel City, Hip Hip Hurrah, Thalassophile (Not A Single Doubt), Amazonian Lass (More Than Ready {USA}) look destined to take some of the spring spoils.

“Sir Owen has identified certain races that he wants to be competitive in and they’re the main races. He wants to have representation in races like the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, as well as stallion-making races like the Coolmore Stud S. and Golden Slipper,” said O’Connor.

“We run the business with a racing and commercial-minded focus - it’s a combination of both.

“We have 41 mares, so if that produces 30 foals in a given year, at the moment our goal is to… Sir Owen has a focus on producing stallions, that’s why we are part of Henry Field’s colts syndicate. Over the past two or three years, we’ve kept some of our higher-rated colts, the likes of Red Resistance, as well as some nice yearling colts this year.”

Tough decisions often need to be made and finding the balance of what to keep and what to sell can prove incredibly challenging. For example, Ruud Awakening’s first foal, You Rang (Sebring), was retained. She won two of her nine starts and $42,000 in prizemoney.

Go Bloodstock also held onto the next foal from the 2013 G1 Auckland Diamond S. heroine, Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution). He has won two races, including last year’s G3 Pago Pago S. Ruud Awakening’s third foal, Kundalini (Am Invincible), was consigned by Newgate Farm at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She was purchased by James Harron Bloodstock for $1.7 million. The 3-year-old filly races for John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds and is a R. Listed placegetter.

“We sold a lovely filly like Kundalini, and she made good money. We can’t keep them all. We will sell one or two nice fillies from a family that we have already,” said O’Connor.

A trio of top mares for Zoustar

Go Bloodstock is a shareholder in 10 stallions, but will always look for the best mating with each of their broodmares.

Widden Stud’s brilliant sire Zoustar will cover several of Go Bloodstock’s mares this spring, including Miss Debutante, Highly Discreet and Mystic Mermaid (Fastnet Rock).

Miss Debutante was purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock for Go Bloodstock at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She made $430,000 when offered by Kia Ora Stud.

A winner of the Listed Denise’s Joy S. in 2017, she has already produced last year’s G3 Gimcrack S. scorer Platinum Jubilee and the three-time Group 3 winner Queen Of The Ball.

“Her first two foals… you couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, with Queen Of The Ball and Platinum Jubilee,” O’Connor said.

Gallery: Miss Debutante's Group-winning progeny, images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

“She’s in foal to I Am Invincible, then she will go back to Zoustar to produce a full sibling to Platinum Jubilee who won the Gimcrack and very nearly won the (R. Listed) Magic Millions (2YO Classic).

“‘Vinnie’ and Zoustar are the golden matings for her, so I think that’s where her future lies.”

Highly Discreet was a two-time winner and Group 3 placegetter, before Go Bloodstock acquired her for $800,000 at the 2022 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.

She is from the Listed winner Very Discreet (Exceed And Excel) and is closely related to a host of stakes winners, including Serenely Discreet (Exceed And Excel), Just Discreet (Exceed And Excel), I’m Discreet (Elusive Quality {USA}) and Forever Discreet (Bernardini {USA}).

“That’s a family that we’ve followed, and we try to give Sir Owen exposure to certain families that we’re not involved in,” he said.

“Interestingly, Widden Stud was the underbidder at the Chairman’s Sale and they said to me they would love her to go to Zoustar, so I always had that in the back of my mind. Given how confident Widden were for her to go to Zoustar, and we understand the mating, so we thought it was the logical play.”

Highly Discreet is currently in foal to Stay Inside.

A homebred, Mystic Mermaid was a two-time winner from the Listed victress Asavant (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), making her a sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and Champion 2YO in NZ in 2017/18 Avantage (Fastnet Rock) and half-sister to the Listed winner Asathought (So You Think {NZ}).

“She’s a big, strong Fastnet mare and it’s well-known that that Fastnet-Zoustar cross has been highly successful; we’ve seen it with Platinum Jubilee and Miss Debutante,” O’Connor remarked.

“It looks a good mating for her.”

Star mare set to be served by Vinnie

After her stellar career on the track, Paul Moroney signed for Ruud Awakening for Go Bloodstock at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale Select Session. The mare realised $675,000 when offered by Attunga Stud.

“She’s a beautiful mare and has done a tremendous job,” said O’Connor.

“Bernardini is a really good broodmare stallion and she is really easy to mate.

“We thought Kundalini was as good a yearling that was presented at the sales in her year and given how well she was received and the fact she is trending in a positive manner on the racetrack… we thought that we would go back to I Am Invincible with her.”

Street Cry mare Excels

The winner of the 2015 G3 GH Mumm S., Pittsburgh Flyer was bought by Go Bloodstock and Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $500,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (Book 1) when offered by Coolmore Stud.

She has done a great job at stud, producing this year’s G3 Magic Night S. scorer Steel City and the two-time Group 1 victress September Run (Exceed And Excel).

In foal to I Am Invincible, Pittsburgh Flyer has an Exceed And Excel 2-year-old colt on the ground that has been retained by Go Bloodstock, and she will return to Darley’s Champion Sire.

“We have a really good opinion of the Exceed And Excel 2-year-old that we retained and given Exceed isn’t getting any younger and that mating has produced September Run, we feel it’s the right thing to do,” O’Connor explained.

A fine Choice for some star performers

The winner of the G2 Rubiton S. in 2016, Heatherly is closely related to stakes performer Tavidance (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and the Group 1 hero Linton (Galileo {Ire}).

Go Bloodstock, in conjunction with Paul Moroney Bloodstock, paid $1.6 million for Heatherly, who was offered in foal to Written Tycoon, by Yarran Thoroughbreds at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (Book 1).

She has already thrown Red Resistance and Miss Glenn (Written Tycoon) and is in foal to Snitzel. Heatherly will go to Extreme Choice.

“She is another beautiful mare,” O’Connor commented.

“Miss Glenn was on a Gimcrack path but got injured.

“Her first two foals have been highly precocious 2-year-old types and that’s what Extreme Choice is in a nutshell. We wanted to give Heatherly that really good 2-year-old mating to an elite 2-year-old stallion.”

Dame Giselle was a four-time Group 2 winner. She is from the dual Group 2 victress Ballet Society (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) - a half-sister to the stakes winners Cent Home (NZ) (Lord Ballina) and Studebaker (NZ) (Lord Ballina). Dame Giselle is closely related to the stakes winners Steal My Kisses (I Am Invincible) and Ulanova (NZ) (Santos).

“She was a very good mare that we raced alongside China Horse Club,” said O’Connor.

“She is living at The Chase and we’re both shareholders in Extreme Choice, us and China Horse Club. She was meant to go to him last year, but he was out of action in the early part of the season. So, it’s a year later than planned, but she was an elite 2-year-old, he’s an elite 2-year-old stallion, and he should suit her physically.”

Snitzel to serve a pair of stakes-producers

In The Vanguard (Encosta De Lago) - a Canterbury maiden winner and Group 2 runner-up, from the Group 2 scorer Sharp (Danzero) - has already produced a Group 1 winner from Arrowfield Stud’s superstar stallion Snitzel, that being Sword Of State, who now stands at Cambridge Stud.

She had a Snitzel colt in the spring of 2022 and wasn’t covered last season.

“We love Snitzel as a stallion, for obvious reasons. We buy colts by him,” he said.

“We like the mating, it has worked before.

“Her yearling colt, we also like, so we thought we would go back to the well.”

In partnership with Coolmore Stud, Go Bloodstock went to $1.7 million for Telaawa (Lonhro) at the Shadwell Stud Australasia Unreserved Dispersal, which was part of the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.

A Ballarat maiden winner, Telaawa has produced the three-time Group 3 scorer Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel).

Telaawa’s dam, Magic Harmony (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Life’s A Bounty (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and Miss Prospect (Rory’s Jester), and has thrown the Group 3 winners Charmed Harmony (Hussonet {USA}) and Suyoof (Magic Albert). Miss Prospect has thrown the elite-level scorer and Group 3-producing sire Reward For Effort and the three-time Listed scorer Consular (Royal Academy {USA}).

“We thought she was the standout in that sale and we were determined to get her. We paid a lot of money for her,” O’Connor said.

“We like her Exceed And Excel colt, who is now a 2-year-old.

“She is another mare that we think can produce a really good 2-year-old and we thought there was none better for her than the Champion 2-Year-Old Stallion.”

Group 1 heroine due a date with Dundeel

The 2015 G1 Australian Oaks victress, Gust Of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who is well-known for being the last horse to beat the great Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), has done a good job in her fledgling career at stud, producing two winners from two to race, including the Tony Gollan-trained 3-year-old Transatlantic (Snitzel) - a Doomben maiden winner in June.

Gust Of Wind is out of Starrystarrynight (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) - a stakes performer and a sister to the Listed winner Starbourne (Ire).

She is in foal to Stay Inside and will be covered by Arrowfield Stud resident Dundeel (NZ).

“We have a share in Transatlantic and he is an exciting prospect. He’s a real staying type. He should come into his own over the next 12 months,” O’Connor commented.

“Dundeel has really gone to another level over the past 12-18 months.

“She’s such a big, strong, imposing mare and suits him physically. We thought it was the right mating for her.”

Proisir’s performance too good to ignore

O’Connor and Glenn have been suitably impressed by New Zealand’s Champion Sire Proisir, and have decided to send the stakes performer and Group 1-producer Ruthless Lady (NZ) (Keeper) to him.

The dam of Ruthless Dame, Ruthless Lady is in foal to Sword Of State.

She is from Lady Dehere (NZ) (Dehere {USA}), who won at Group 2 level and is a half-sister to the Group 1 victress Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) - the dam of the Group 2 scorer Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Group 3 winner and Group 2-producing sire Oratorio and the Listed winner and Group 2-producing sire Discorsi. Lady Dehere has thrown the stakes winners Lady Maroal (Power {GB}) and The Lady (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}).

“He’s not a stallion we have bred to before,” he said.

“Our New Zealand mares are with Gordon Cunningham at Curraghmore and we have a lot of back and forth with him regarding the matings.

“She’s now in that elite status and there’s only a handful of stallions in New Zealand that you can breed to with a mare like her.

“She’s quite a strong Keeper mare and we thought Proisir was the right mating for her, both physically and commercially.”

Imported mare set for Satono Aladdin

Another New Zealand-based stallion that Go Bloodstock will utilise is Rich Hill Stud’s shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin (Jpn).

The Listed placegetter and two-time winner Mourasana (GB) (Shirocco {GB}) will be covered by him. She is closely related to the stakes winners Mouramara (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), Mourayan (Ire), Mourilyan (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}) and Miliana (Ire) (Polar Falcon {USA}), and has produced the 2022 G1 New Zealand Derby hero Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).

Paul Moroney purchased her in foal to Shooting To Win at the 2016 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale Select. She was consigned by Tyreel Stud and made $200,000.

Mourasana is in foal to Tarzino (NZ).

“Satono Aladdin… it’s a lovely bloodline, there’s that Japanese blood,” O’Connor said. “He is trending the right way and we thought it was a really good mating.

“You’re kind of half hoping for a filly with that mating, because she is getting on.”

Supporting their own

Go Bloodstock will send plenty of their mares to Russian Revolution, Stay Inside, Artorius and In The Congo - stallions they are major shareholders in.

Russian Revolution has Miss Glenn and Bound To Win (Sebring) in his book for next season, while Stay Inside’s list of mares includes My Delight (Sebring) and Street Secret (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}). Artorius will cover mares including Look To The Stars (I Am Invincible) and Quench The Thirst (Encosta De Lago), with In The Congo to serve Thunder Lady (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini {USA}), among others.

Table: Some of the matings Go Bloodstock is planning for the 2023 season