Cover image courtesy of Tyreel Stud
As Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun) stormed to success in the G1 South Australian Derby, she was cheered on by the hard-working team at Tyreel Stud, managed by Linda and Laurence Monds.
The picturesque Hawkesbury River-based property is no stranger to Group 1 success, having produced the likes of Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}), Behemoth (All Too Hard), and Tiger Of Malay, among others.
The Monds’ Tyreel Stud consistently punches above its weight, with its results on the racetrack outweighing its small size, with Coco Sun just the latest of those stars.
Mare and foal at Tyreel Stud | Image courtesy of Tyreel Stud
Prospective buyers will have their opportunity to secure the next Montefilia or Behemoth when Tyreel Stud presents nine weanlings at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale set to kick-off on Monday.
On the eve before selling begins at Riverside stables, The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Linda Monds to learn more about the latest star graduate and the weanlings on offer.
Gorgeous and talented
Coco Sun was sold at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, presented by Tyreel Stud. There, she caught the attention of McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA), who ultimately paid $250,000 for the daughter of The Autumn Sun and Tyreel Stud’s Miss Hufflepuff (Encosta De Lago).
Reflecting on Coco Sun's victory and her time at Tyreel Stud as a yearling, Monds expressed, “I can’t even put into words how much her success means to our family, farm, and business. To have results like Coco Sun winning the G1 South Australian Derby is fantastic because we’re such a small farm."
“Tyreel Stud produces such a small portion of the Australian thoroughbred population racing, but year in, year out, we have produced black-type performers, Group 1 winners and performers, and just horses that perform on the track."
Coco Sun as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Full credit to Tony and Calvin McEvoy; they’ve managed Coco Sun so beautifully. She was a tough but beautiful easy-going filly. You could do anything with her; she was a very willing filly and always wanted to please."
“Additionally, she was a strong type; nothing ruffled her feathers. I think that’s been a contributor to her success because she’s a very trainable horse that knows her job and enjoys it. Coco Sun is the type of horse Tyreel Stud loves to produce and present at sales.”
Understandably, with Coco Sun’s success, Monds deliberated over whether to sell the filly's dam, Miss Hufflepuff, at the 2024 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale. Having been served by The Autumn Sun, the daughter of Encosta De Lago would undoubtedly have been popular. However, Monds ultimately decided against selling her, stating, “To sell or not to sell Miss Hufflepuff has been the subject around the dinner table every night for probably the last eight nights."
Coco Sun | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We have been reducing our broodmare numbers for some time due to the simple fact that we’ve fallen into the trap of keeping some of them for too long. Tyreel Stud is only on 100 acres, so I can’t have a back paddock of pets."
“We’ll try to get our numbers down from 30 to 16. But Miss Hufflepuff is such a gem; I told Inglis she would be withdrawn from the sale, and they understand. She will probably be offered at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale next year."
“Miss Hufflepuff has the most beautiful nature and is such a good breeder. I don’t need to sell her, so I won’t.”
Proven source of racetrack success
Throughout the week, Monds has been reminded of Tyreel Stud’s efficiency in producing star racehorses, whether they are offered as weanlings or yearlings.
Tyreel Stud’s multiple Group 1 winners, Montefillia and Behemoth, were both sold as weanlings, with Montefillia selling to Baystone Farm for $62,000 and Behemoth for $120,000 to Heritage Bloodstock.
“It has been interesting being at Riverside Stables for the last few days parading weanlings. We reflected on the success our horses have had on the track from our farm, and I was reminded by quite a number of people today (Sunday) that we have sold Group 1-winning weanlings.
Linda Monds | Image courtesy of Tyreel Stud
“We sold Behemoth as a weanling and Montefillia. So, it doesn’t matter whether they’re a weanling or yearling; any one of them can come out and be successful.
“Our statistics show that Tyreel Stud consistently produces racehorses. Of course, we want to produce the perfect physical and we love to explore the mix and nicks between stallions and the mares, but at the end of the day, you have to get the results on the track.
“That’s the name of our game.”
“We sold Behemoth as a weanling and Montefillia. So, it doesn’t matter whether they’re a weanling or yearling; any one of them can come out and be successful.”
Tyreel Stud will present nine weanlings with stallions such as Zoustar, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), Wild Ruler, and So You Think (NZ) represented. Monds has been beyond pleased with each horse and feels there’s an opportunity for a broad section of buyers in her draft.
“We’ve got nine beautiful weanlings. I’m very proud of all of them. They’ve all come along beautifully in prep, and they’ve all been incredibly busy.
“It’s been a couple of incredibly busy days for all of us. However, the horses and my team have handled it like utter professionals. I’m so proud of what our stud manager Alex Barlow and the farm team have done.
Stud manager, Alex Barlow | Image courtesy of Tyreel Stud
“The horses have a lot of confidence and are handling it so well; they are a credit to my team. It’s lovely to see there’s not just pinhookers present at the sale but end-users as well. There’s a lot of people here looking to buy a racehorse, and there’s plenty of trainers looking as well.
“I do love the variety of buyers this sale does bring.”
Son of Snitty Kitty, a real racehorse
Although Monds doesn’t like to pick favourites and feels each weanling has its own attributes that will appeal to buyers, she believes Lot 209, a colt by Zoustar from the Group 2 winner Snitty Kitty (Snitzel), is a real racehorse.
“I don’t like to have favourites because I think each and every one of them can fulfil someone’s dream. I think we’ve got a couple in our draft that will be the pinhookers' dream.
“Some are not going to go for a lot of money, but they’re all really nice horses, and I think they’ll develop into lovely yearlings. There are a few I look at and think they have the potential to be our next star graduates.
Lot 209 - Zoustar x Snitty Kitty (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I absolutely love my Zoustar colt (Lot 209), and I’m clearly not going to be giving him away. He’s the racehorse of the draft; he really is. He’s going to be that early 2-year-old and hit the track running. Lot 209’s dam, Snitty Kitty, did, and I think he’s got every bit of his mom in him.”
“I really love him. I’ve also got a beautiful Trapeze Artist (Lot 295) colt. He’s a half-brother to a Smart Missile that I sold for $200,000 at the Inglis Highway Session last year, and this colt is every bit of the quality he was, so that’s exciting.
“The Capitalist colt (Lot 393) has been well-received as well.”
Speaking about the fillies, Monds was keen to highlight Lot 234, a daughter of Coolmore’s Champion 3-Year-Old St Mark’s Basilica from the three-time winner Tender (All American).
Lot 234 - St Mark's Basilica (Fr) x Tender (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Tender is from the family of the multiple Group 2 winner Solicit (Street Cry {Ire}) and the brilliant juvenile Karavas (Alabama Express).
“The St Mark’s Basilica is very professional. She just comes out, knows her job, and is no fuss at all. She’s loving the limelight, and I think she is going to be the workhorse. She hasn’t jacked up once and has been one of my most popular.
“She’s a stunning filly. I’ve got a little Anders filly (Lot 112), who is owned by a client, and they actually bred her and own the first fillies from her dam (Novena).
Lot 112 - Anders x Novena (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I’m Divine is with Matt Smith Racing and Amanecer is with Scott Singleton. I’ve had the good return of watching both of those fillies grow and develop from weanling to yearling, and they finish off absolutely stunning.
“I just think this Anders filly is a real racy type and a real little bullet. I think she’ll develop into a really nice filly for somebody, and she’ll be great for somebody that wants to race or a trainer, as she’s a real trainer's horse, I think.
“Overall, I’ve got one for everybody. They’re all different, but they all have quality and potential. We’ll find out tomorrow and the next day how well they were really received.”
