Having examined 13 stallions in the first two parts of this series, we have ticked over the halfway mark of a deep dive into all the new freshman stallions offering their first Southern Hemisphere yearlings at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
In part three, the trend of strong overseas bloodlines continue, with dual-hemisphere victors and star 2-year-olds featuring amongst the sextet profiled by The Thoroughbred Report.
Anders (Not A Single Doubt x Madame Andree {War Emblem {USA}})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
One of the fastest competitors of his year, Anders enjoyed a brief, but electric career on the track, before finding his new home at Widden Stud. With the need for speed still very much a factor in the Australian racing industry, owing to such enticing prizemoney being offered, there will undoubtedly be interest across his 26-strong offering at Magic Millions next month.
Anders | Standing at Widden Stud
Himself a graduate of this sale, being sold to Aquis and Ciaron Maher Racing for $670,000 out of the Arrowfield Stud draft in 2019, Anders turned heads early doors, with an 8l barrier trial win in October of his 2-year-old season. Things didn’t quite work out for the son of Not A Single Doubt in his first preparation, but he hit back strongly in his second, claiming successive juvenile victories, including his maiden at Wyong by 6.64l.
It was to be his early season 3-year-old deeds that shot him to prominence, winning the Listed The Rosebud S. by 4.8l from fellow freshman stallion Ole Kirk, before going on to win the G3 San Domenico S. by 3.3l, defeating two more of his first-season counterparts in Peltzer and Doubtland.
Despite not capturing elite-level success, there has been plenty of support thrust upon Anders, who in his first season covered 184 mares, with a total live foal count of 122. Those numbers remained steady into season number two, 169 covers for 104 live foals, with an uptick in fertility percentage from 79 per cent to 82.1 per cent.
With such strong numbers, breeders have been able to take a cavalcade of his progeny north to the Gold Coast, with 21 per cent of his initial crop scheduled to go through the ring across the super-sale.
Amongst the yearlings to make their way through the ring is Lot 141, a colt out of the 2-year-old winner Sayahailmary (Keep The Faith), who also placed in the G2 Angus Armanasco S. when in training. She has gone on to carve out a strong career in the barn, producing seven foals to race for as many winners, including the G2 Johannesburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge winner Mella Maria (Star Witness).
Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel x Cool ‘N’ Sassy {Testa Rossa})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
Crowned the New Zealand Champion 2-Year-Old in 2019/20, the dynamic Cool Aza Beel (NZ) now calls Australia home, residing at Newhaven Park, with his fee of $16,500 (inc GST) attracting triple-digit numbers in his first two breeding seasons.
Seeing 114 mares in his first season, the result was 83 live foals, of which 19 will be offered on the Gold Coast next month, a representation of 23 per cent. Interest increased for his second season in 2022, with 121 covers for 82 live foals, with both seasons yielding a fertility percentage above 80.
Cool Aza Beel (NZ) | Standing at Newhaven Park
One yearling that is sure to generate some interest at Magic Millions is Lot 846, a colt out of Group 3 placegetter Lady Of Crebilly (Choisir). Herself a four-time victress over sprinting trips, she is related to the G1 Grand Critérium (now Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère) winner Jade Robbery (USA), who went on to sire 737 individual winners as a stallion.
The rise of Cool Aza Beel on a racecourse was rapid, putting his best hoof forward on debut in a September maiden at Wanganui in his 2-year-old season for the now Hong Kong-based trainer Jamie Richards, winning by 0.2l on a Heavy track. He would go on to take out the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO by 1.5l, along with the G1 Diamond S., in what would be his final start on a racetrack.
Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal {USA} x Winters Moon {New Approach {Ire}})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
Another brilliant juvenile, this time in the form of Earthlight (Ire), who was declared France Champion 2-Year-Old in 2019, who has commenced a shuttle stallion career between Darley’s bases in Australia and Europe, will have his first Southern Hemisphere yearlings offered at Magic Millions in January.
Earthlight (Ire) | Standing at Darley
Interest in his initial Northern Hemisphere crop has been high, with Nina’s Earth (Ger) fetching 310,000gns (AU$613,900) as a yearling in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale earlier this year. With her dam, Nina Celebre (Ire) (Peintre Celebre {USA}) having previously produced the legendary Pakistan Star - Nina’s Shadow (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}), it goes to show the level of belief in the freshman stallion on a global scale.
That support has followed Earthlight to Australia, who stood in his first two seasons for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST), covering 109 mares in his debut season of 2021, with the end result being 63 live foals. Of those, five make their way north to the Gold Coast, meaning just eight per cent of his first crop will be offered through the ring.
Telemon Thoroughbreds have one of the quintet on offer, Lot 1130, an October filly out of the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) placegetter Dream First (Dream Ahead {USA}). Well-related across a sprinting family, with Majestic Music (Al Maher), Reldas (Testa Rossa) and Guard Of Honour (Northern Meteor) all winning stakes races at 1200 metres or below, she also features the G1 Kenilworth Cape Flying Championship winner Run Fox Run (Foxwedge) and the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Serious Speed (Royal Academy {USA}) on her page.
Lot 1130 - Earthlight (Ire) x Dream First (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Earthlight was a formidable 2-year-old, winning all five of his starts as a juvenile, including the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville and the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket, both run over 1200 metres. He was able to train on as a 3-year-old, striking success in the Listed Prix Kistena and the G3 Prix du Pin, both in France, before a narrow second in the G1 Prix de la Foret saw him bow out with seven wins from nine starts.
Fierce Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} x Keiai Gerbera {Jpn} {Smarty Jones {USA}})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
Prolific Group 1 winner, and son of the legendary Deep Impact (Jpn), Fierce Impact (Jpn) enjoyed one of the longest careers of any stallion to feature across this series, competing as a 2-year-old in the United Kingdom, before finishing up as a 6-year-old in Australia.
Featuring just once in his juvenile year, Fierce Impact claimed success in a 2-year-old maiden at Yarmouth, his sole victory in the Northern Hemisphere. Relocating to Australia for his 4-year-old season, he found himself in the care of Matthew Smith after being purchased for 120,000gns (AU$237,600), it didn’t take long for things to turn around, winning at Warwick Farm in a BM77 H. at his second start in his new environment.
Fierce Impact (Jpn) | Standing at Leneva Park
He would claim his first black-type success in the G3 Summer Cup at Royal Randwick under Corey Brown, it would be another 10 months before he won again, but the wait was worth it, stringing together successive victories in the G1 Toorak H. and the G1 Cantala S. (now Champions Mile) in the spring of 2019. One more victory would follow, a success in the G1 Makybe Diva S. in the spring of 2020, giving the entire three Group 1-level victories on his way to stud.
Offered by Leneva Park at an introductory fee of $16,500 (inc GST), a price that has not changed through his first three seasons, Fierce Impact has been consistently supported and exceptionally fertile, recording 86.6 per cent fertility in his first season and 88.8 per cent in his second season. His debut year of 2021 saw him cover 144 mares, for 112 live foals, while in 2022 his coverings increased to 150, with 97 live foals resulting.
Just the one yearling is set to go through the ring at Magic Millions next month, with Newhaven Park offering Lot 287, a colt out of the Listed Anzac H. winner Testa Secret (Testa Rossa), who has produced two foals to race for as many winners, both over sprinting trips. An early foal, being born in August, he is related to the G1 South Australian Derby winner Esacdo (Casino Prince) and the G2 Edward Manifold S. victress Se Sauver (Bel Esprit).
Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire} x Queen Of Carthage {USA} {Cape Cross {Ire}})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
The exceptionally well-related Lucky Vega (Ire), who was an elite performer on the racetrack himself, has been well supported by his owner Yulong Stud as he commences a stallion career, with the powerful breeding operation offering six of his first-season progeny on the Gold Coast next month.
Lucky Vega (Ire) | Standing at Yulong
Related to stallions-in-waiting Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), Lucky Vega spends the Northern Hemisphere breeding season at the Irish National Stud, where his progeny have already commanded interest, with his best result to date being an 82,000gns (AU$162,400) purchase at the 2023 Tattersalls December Foal Sale earlier this month.
Initially offered at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST) in 2021, Lucky Vega covered 119 mares, with 82 live foals resulting. Dropping the fee for 2022 to $19,250 (inc GST) attracted a significant uptick in support, with 148 coverings returning 93 live foals for his second season, which also saw a boost in fertility percentage from 78.8 per cent to 84.5 per cent.
Just seven per cent of his maiden crop go through the sales ring on the Gold Coast next month, which includes Lot 1078, a colt out of Bel Esprit mare Cardannic. To date, she has produced five foals to race, all of whom have won, including six-time winner Peninsula Links (Magnus), who also achieved a placing in the Listed Laelia S. Cardannic is a half-sister to the G3 HDF McNeil S. winner Cahuita (Encosta De Lago), and is also related to the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (now Guineas) winner Tereschenko (Testa Rossa), a result the future owners of this colt would undoubtedly like to replicate.
Another brilliant 2-year-old to feature in this part, Lucky Vega was victorious in the G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh having also won on debut at Naas two months prior. He would run in three consecutive Group 1 races as a 3-year-old, finishing no worse than fourth, running into Poetic Flare (Ire) (who now stands in Japan) in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot to finish his career.
Peltzer (So You Think {NZ} x Miss Otto {Elusive Quality {USA})
2023 service fee: $16,500 (inc GST)
Another member of the bumper class that has produced the likes of Ole Kirk, North Pacific, Hanseatic, Tagaloa and Anders as stallions, Peltzer has begun life at Twin Hills Stud with an exemplary fertility percentage, along with strong support from his owners.
One of the fastest sons of So You Think (NZ), Peltzer showed plenty of toe from the word go, stringing together three consecutive wins to tie up an undefeated 2-year-old season. He began his 3-year-old campaign with a placing in the G3 San Domenico S., stringing together a number of consistent performances until finally breaking through in the G2 Stan Fox S. He would then go on to win The Bondi, a $1 million now-defunct race, before returning for an autumn campaign a winner in the G3 Eskimo Prince S. After finishing down the track in the G1 All Aged S., he was pointed towards stud duty.
Peltzer | Standing at Twin Hills Stud
Visited by 83 mares in his first season, Peltzer sired 65 live foals at his first time of asking, of which seven will be available for purchase on the Gold Coast, a representative percentage of 10. Interest remained steady for his sophomore crop, with 84 covers resulting in 56 live foals, and an exceptionally high 88.2 per cent fertility percentage.
Among the seven yearlings on offer next month is Lot 547, a filly out of 2-year-old winner Cosmic Powers (Not A Single Doubt). She has produced the one foal to race, Lord Cosmos - Golden Cosmos (Pierro), who took out the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre S. in New Zealand before relocating to Macau. The filly is also related to the G2 Prince Of Wales S. winner Faithful Son (USA) (Zilzal {USA}), who went on to run fourth in the G1 Caulfield Cup and seventh in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
