New kids on the block: part two

Cover image courtesy of Yulong Stud

With just over two weeks until the January sale extravaganza is in full swing, The Thoroughbred Report is examining all 26 first-season sires represented with yearlings for the first time.

In the second instalment of a four-part series, a number of revered bloodlines from Japan and Ireland feature, alongside some high-class Australian 2-year-old performers.

Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn} x Vasilissa {Jpn} {Heart’s Cry {Jpn}})

2023 service fee: $27,500 (inc GST)

Progeny of Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) are somewhat of a rarity in Australia, so excitement was high when Tagaloa burst onto the scene as a 2-year-old, culminating in a powerful display in the G1 Blue Diamond S. The victory secured him a future as a stallion, which he now realises at Yulong Stud, and his first yearlings will make their way through the ring next month on the Gold Coast.

It didn’t take long for him to turn heads on the racetrack, winning his second start as a pre-Christmas 2-year-old at Moonee Valley, before going on to upset fellow freshman stallion Hanseatic in the Blue Diamond. After his crowning victory, he would go on to place second in the G2 Todman S. behind Farnan, who featured in part one, finishing fourth a fortnight later in the G1 Golden Slipper S.

Despite failing to trouble the scorers in his spring 3-year-old campaign, he bounced back in the Autumn to win the G3 CS Hayes S. and place in the G1 Australian Guineas, looking the winner until a stunning run from Lunar Fox shocked the racing world.

With his Japanese bloodlines and stellar 2-year-old performances, bookings were strong in 2021, with 148 coverings returning 110 live foals at an overall fertility percentage of 81.3 per cent. With his fee dropping from $33,000 (inc GST) to $30,250 (inc GST) in 2022, breeders turned out in force, with 214 coverings for 131 live foals.

Just over 13 per cent of his first-crop will make their way to the Gold Coast next month, with 15 lots entered into the catalogue. Yulong have thrown support behind their freshman stallion with a strong band of mares sent to him, which is reflected by his offerings in the sale.

Winning daughter of No Nay Never (USA), Shines Her Light (Ire), who is a half-sister to the G1 Milano Gran Premio del Jockey Club and the G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner Ventura Storm (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), is one of the good-quality mares to visit him, the pairing producing a colt who goes through the ring as Lot 184.

Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn} x Via Medici {Ire} {Medicean {GB}})

2023 service fee: $22,000 (inc GST)

Another stallion boasting Japanese bloodlines, Admire Mars (Jpn) is a resident of Arrowfield Stud on a shuttling basis, alternating between Australia and the Shadai Stallion Station.

Introduced in 2021 at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST), a figure that remains to this day, Admire Mars was visited by 103 mares in his debut season, with 61 live foals. Those numbers were comparable in 2022, with 90 coverings for 53 live foals, an increase in his fertility percentage from year one to year two.

Of the 61 live foals from his first season, nine will be offered at Magic Millions, including Lot 893, a chestnut colt out of Lucky Helmet (Helmet), a mare that is well-related to stakes performers. She is the three-quarter sister to talented 2-year-old Koala Bear (Exceed And Excel), who won the Listed Cinderella S., and is a half-sister to the three-time Group 3 winner Flying Mascot (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}). The colt is also related to current stallions Xtravagant (NZ) and He’s Remarkable (NZ), with the buyer-in-waiting undoubtedly hoping this colt can join some of his relatives in having a future stud career.

Undefeated as a 2-year-old, which featured a victory in the G1 Futurity S., Admire Mars went on to claim the G1 Mile Cup and the G1 Hong Kong Mile as a 3-year-old, stamping his authority as a star middle-distance performer on a global stage. Behind him in some of his victories were the likes of Gran Algeria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock), placing him firmly amongst the best horses in Asia of the late 2010s.

North Pacific (Brazen Beau x Up In Lights {NZ} {O’Reilly {NZ}})

2023 service fee: $22,000 (inc GST)

Highlighted by trainer Bjorn Baker as the first-season sire that had caught his eye when speaking to The Thoroughbred Report this week, North Pacific has garnered plenty of intrigue for his 33-strong yearling group on offer on the Gold Coast next month.

The $800,000 yearling purchase, who was bought by Orbis Bloodstock at the 2019 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale has received a groundswell of support from breeders in his debut season, covering 202 mares at Newgate Farm, resulting in 125 live foals. The fast son of Brazen Beau is represented by 26.4 per cent of his first crop next month, meaning buyers have ample opportunity to secure a promising yearling against a backdrop of the warm Gold Coast sun.

These high numbers look set to continue in subsequent sales, with the 2022 breeding season resulting in 138 covers for 85 live foals, increasing his fertility percentage.

Newgate themselves have provided quality mares to their freshman stallion, including Sprightly Lass (Snitzel), who won the G3 DC McKay S. when in training. That pairing has produced Lot 237, a colt who is related to the stallion Stratosphere and Listed winner Le Cordon Bleu (Snitzel).

Brilliant as a racehorse, North Pacific was run sparingly, facing the starter just eight times, picking up two victories, frequently running into his stablemate, and fellow freshman stallion Ole Kirk. His crowning win came in the G3 Up And Coming S. at the start of his 3-year-old season, powering through torrid conditions at Randwick to win by 5.3l.

Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB} x Lady Babooshka {GB} {Cape Cross {Ire}})

2023 service fee: $22,000 (inc GST)

Declared to be the ‘King of the Castle’ by racecaller Brett Davis as he triumphed in the 2020 G1 South Australian Derby, Russian Camelot (Ire) enjoyed a brief, but electric career.

Breaking his maiden at Ballarat in his first start, Northern Hemisphere-bred Russian Camelot would rise to win the Derby at just his fifth race start, powering away in the concluding stages of the 2500-metre contest to win by 1.8l. He returned as a 4-year-old, winning the G1 Underwood S. and placing in the G1 Makybe Diva S., the G1 Caulfield S. (now Might And Power S.) and the G1 WS Cox Plate.

Retired to stand at Widden Stud after a brave second in The All-Star Mile behind Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}), Russian Camelot was a strong performer in his first season in the barn, covering 136 mares for 94 live foals and boasting a fertility percentage of 86.1 per cent. Season two was a continuation for the son of Camelot (GB), covering 122 mares for a return of 75 live foals.

His yearling offering on the Gold Coast is a relatively small percentage of his total crop, with just five up for grabs, a representative percentage of under six per cent. There is still quality to be found, with Lot 586 looming as an offering of interest.

Out of the G3 Jansz S. winner Dinkum Diamond (Keep The Faith), this October filly hails from a strong family, Dinkum Diamond herself being a half-sister to Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and a producer of Graff, who is covered in part four of this series.

Hanseatic (Street Boss {USA} x Itameri {Exceed And Excel})

2023 service fee: $17,600 (inc GST)

Raced in the famous royal blue of Godolphin, Hanseatic found a stallion career at Rosemont Stud in Victoria, where he has quickly settled in as a busy member of the stallion roster.

His first offering at Magic Millions cracks double-digits, with 10 yearlings from his debut crop of 135 foals, achieved from 195 covers, an overall representation of seven per cent from his initial crop. Support has remained strong for the precocious son of Street Boss (USA), who backed up a busy 2021 with 175 covers producing 108 live foals. With triple-digits in both his first two breeding seasons, Hanseatic has been one of the most popular of the freshmen stallions, and a number of quality mares have featured in his initial books.

Among his offerings to be sold on the Gold Coast is Lot 402, a colt out of Group 3 winning Savabeel mare Adorabeel (NZ), who won six races when in training, highlighted by the G3 Aspiration H. Savabeel has produced 25 stakes winners as a broodmare sire, including the talented daughter of Sacred Falls (NZ), Icebath (NZ). The family of this colt includes the G1 Del Mar Oaks winner Arravale (USA) (Arch {Fr}).

Brilliant as an early season 2-year-old, Hanseatic burst onto the scene in the Listed Merson Cooper S., winning strongly in one of the key pre-Christmas juvenile contests. From there, he would go on to dominate the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (c&g) and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings), only being denied a clean sweep and the G1 Blue Diamond S. by Tagaloa, who denied him in a thrilling finish.

Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire} x Duntle {Ire} {Danehill Dancer {Ire}})

2023 service fee: NZ$17,500 (plus GST)

Prolific Group 1 winner Circus Maximus (Ire), who dominated the 1600-metre course at Royal Ascot, is set to have his first yearlings offered in Australasia at Magic Millions, with the Windsor Park-based stallion represented by two lots next month.

The son of Galileo (Ire), who has previously shuttled between Windsor Park in New Zealand and Coolmore Ireland, has already had some of his Northern Hemisphere progeny sell, including a colt out of Shuffle (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), who was knocked down for 60,000gns (AU$119,000).

Brilliant on the racetrack, Circus Maximus was victorious as a 2-year-old in Ireland, before picking up his first black-type success in the Listed Dee S. at Chester Racecourse. From there, he would progress to take out the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot as a 3-year-old, alongside glory in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in France. He was consistently amongst the elite-level performers in his 4-year-old season, winning the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot under Ryan Moore, and finishing his career with a narrow defeat to stablemate Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.

It didn’t take long for breeders in New Zealand to get behind him, with 161 coverings in his first Southern Hemisphere season. Of those, 110 live foals resulted, with two heading to the Gold Coast.

While his quantity pales in comparison to some of the other stallions featured in this part, he punches above his weight in terms of quality mares, having produced Lot 546 with the Listed Otago Breeders’ S. winner Cora Lynn (NZ) (Golan {Ire}). The filly, who is a September foal, hails from a strong family, with Cora Lynn herself having already produced sharp sprinter Weona Smartone (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), who won nine races and placed in the G3 Sydney S.