Aquis welcomes Officiating as Kobayashi heads roster at $15,000

Cover image courtesy of Aquis

On Tuesday, the Queensland-based Aquis released its 2024 eight-strong stallion lineup and fees. The Canungra operation is set to welcome Officiating (USA), a son of Blame (USA) to the fold this season standing at an introductory fee of $12,500 (inc GST).

Heading the Aquis roster is the consistent winner-getter Kobayashi, who will stand at an increased fee of $15,000 (inc GST) from $8800 (inc GST) in 2023.

Aquis Director of Sales Jonathan Davies explained to TTR AusNZ the approach to its fees this season, “Holistically I think our roster presents value for breeders and that’s what Aquis is all about.

“We’re very excited to partner and offer breeders this season equity in our new stallion, Officiating, we feel that equity represents tremendous value in the market.”

Son of Blame, an Australian first!

Officiating (USA) marks the first son of Blame (USA) to stand on Australian shores. Blame, an exceptional racehorse, denied the Champion mare Zenyatta (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) an unblemished farewell in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Blame's talent has seamlessly transitioned to the stallion barn, boasting an impressive record of siring 47 stakes winners worldwide, including the G1 Prix de Diane victress Senga (USA). The son of Arch (USA) is also leaving a mark in Australia as a broodmare sire. From only four runners, his daughters have produced two winners of four races, including this season’s outstanding 2-year-old, Switzerland (Snitzel), victor of the G2 Todman S.

Officiating is among Blame’s roster of 47 stakes winners, clinching the G3 Tom Fool H. at Aqueduct and the G3 Gulfstream Park Mr. Prospector S. Moreover, Officiating secured victories in the G3 Cornhusker H. and the Listed Bear’s Den S.

The son of Blame also boasted placings in the G3 Fred W Hooper S. and the G3 Belmont Runhappy S. Officiating demonstrated his class with a neck fourth-place finish behind Art Collector (USA) in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.

Officiating comes from a classy family; his dam, Come A Callin (USA) (Dixie Union {USA}), won as a juvenile and is a half-sister to the brilliant juvenile Citizen Advocate (USA) (Proud Citizen {USA}), a multiple Listed winner. She is also the dam of the Royal Ascot G2 Queen Mary S. winner, Crimson Advocate (USA) (Nyquist {USA}).

In addition to Officiating, Come A Callin is also the dam of Caledonia Road (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in North America, with success in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Furthermore, G2 Wood Memorial S. victor Lord Miles (USA) (Curlin {USA}), Data Link (USA), winner of the G1 Keeneland’s Maker’s 46 Mile S., and One Of A Kind (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}), a Listed winner, are close relatives of Officiating.

Officiating will stand for a debut fee of $12,500 (inc GST), a value that Davies feels is fantastic given his pedigree and performance. “We went looking for a new stallion, particularly one that would suit the Queensland pool of broodmares, so a horse that would gel with mares by Spirit Of Boom, Better Than Ready, Spills The Beans, and Kobayashi, etc.

“Officiating met all our requirements, and through discussions with a number of different pedigree analysts, he was the ideal horse and type for us. He’s a smashing type and the first stallion by Blame to stand in Australia, so we’re very happy to secure him.”

Speaking on the upside of stallions and daughters by Blame, Davies added, “He’s well-placed to be a sire of sires, with his brilliant son Nadal standing at Shadai Stallion Station, and I believe his first runners will soon be hitting the track.

“From a small number of daughters in Australia, Blame has done a fantastic job. He’s sired a top-class juvenile in Switzerland, a Group 2 winner, and also a couple of promising horses to come, including one in training with John O’Shea.

“So, it gives plenty of confidence and indication from our research on the bloodline will suit the Australian broodmare population. At $12,500 (inc GST), Officiating will prove to be of tremendous value, and we’ve thought long and hard about our whole roster this season, as we do every season, and we have priced all our horses very competitively.”

Kobayashi, a brilliantly consistent source of speed

Headlining Aquis’ stallion roster this year is Kobayashi, a son of Australia’s reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible. Kobayashi will serve for a career-high fee of $15,000 (inc GST).

From 147 foals bred off fees of $4400 (inc GST) and $3300 (inc GST), eighty-two have raced, resulting in 46 individual winners of 100 races. Kobayashi achieved a significant milestone by siring his first stakes winner, talented filly Mishani Lily, who scored in the Listed Dalrello S.

Meanwhile, his daughter Midnight In Tokyo, a victress of four races, was placed in the G3 Ken Russell Memorial S. Additionally, this season alone, Kobayashi, from a crop of 30, has been represented by 11 runners, of which six individual winners have won a total of 11 races.

Kobayashi's success has the whole team at Aquis beyond proud given his starting base. “He’s a stallion that we’re all very proud of. He kicked off at a very modest service fee of $4400 (inc GST) and he served some books of very modestly performed mares.

“He’s done a terrific job from those books, and he’s proven himself as one of the best 2-year-old stallions in the country for the last two seasons. It’s great to see Kobayashi sire a stakes winner (Mishani Lily), and the feeling is that there’s more to come.”

Describing Kobayashi’s progeny, Davies said, “They’re just tough, they’re early, and they race on. With the QTIS Bonus in Queensland, they’re racking up a lot of prize money for his supporters on their way.”

Group 1-producing sire Invader fee decreased, as Jonker and Stronger excite

This season, breeders will be able to access the Group 1-producing sire Invader for $8800 (inc GST). The Group 1-winning son of the four-time Champion Sire Snitzel is the sire of the hugely talented Sunshine In Paris, who claimed the G1 Surround S. as a 3-year-old and the G2 Sheraco S. this season.

From 118 runners, Invader has sired 65 individual winners of 114 races. Davies commented, “Invader is a proven Group 1-producing stallion from his first crop and will be available for $8800 (inc GST) this season.

“I think he’ll prove to be of tremendous value in the current market, and his first Queensland-bred 2-year-olds will be hitting the track later this year. We’re excited by that and feel Invader is poised to have his best juvenile season this year by far.”

Also, joining Invader at a reduced fee is Jonker, standing for $12,500 (inc GST). The son of Queensland’s outstanding stallion, Spirit Of Boom, won the G1 Manikato S. and the Listed Keith Noud H.

Jonker showcased his longevity and toughness, he was a talented juvenile winning the early Max Lees 2YO Classic at Newcastle and won the R. Listed Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic before he trained on to win the G1 Manikato S. as a 6-year-old and placed in the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup and the G1 The Galaxy.

The son of Spirit Boom was represented by his weanlings at the recent Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, where a filly was secured for $60,000 by Lime Country Thoroughbreds.

Davies has been thrilled by the reception to Jonker and expects next season’s yearlings to be well-received and that to translate into early runners, “We’ve seen the vast majority of Jonker’s weanlings, and we’ve been incredibly impressed by them. The first one, a filly to go through the ring, recently sold for $60,000. She was purchased by the great judges Greg and Jo Griffin of Lime Country Thoroughbreds.

“She’ll have an exceptional chance and be placed in a good sale in the future. Overall, the Jonkers look very sharp and precocious; we’d expect him to get a good amount of 2-year-old runners and winners.

“We’ve been thrilled by the reception to Jonker from breeders, The Australian Stud Book will show he covered 52 mares. However, he actually was on track to cover a bigger book than his debut season (116) but we hit an setback throughout the season that put a stop to that.

“I’d say this season Jonker will cover a book bigger than his first year.”

Davies and the Aquis team are also excited to see the arrival of Stronger’s first foals. The Group 1-winning son of Not A Single Doubt will also be available at a reduced fee of $9900 (inc GST) after covering 138 mares in his debut season.

“We’re eagerly awaiting Stronger’s first foals. He covered 138 mares last year and we can’t wait to see them on the ground.”

Lean Mean continues to impress, as Glen and Misson round out the roster

Zoustar’s Group 1-placed son, Lean Mean Machine, who also won twice in Group 2 company, will remain at $13,200 (inc GST).

Lean Mean Machine has sired 21 winners and recently produced his first stakes winner, Material Dreams, who triumphed in the Listed HC Nitschke S. Furthermore, his daughter Jemoma Alpilage finished fourth in the G3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic last Saturday.

Additionally, Lean Mean Machine’s progressive son, Title Fighter, secured a recent victory at Caulfield, while Ala Moana was third in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks.

Glenfiddich, a Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed son of the recently pensioned Champion Sire Fastnet Rock, will stand for a reduced fee of $5500 (inc GST), while The Mission, the sire of the Group 3 winner and G1 Stradbroke H. aspirant Yellow Brick, has also been reduced to $4400 (inc GST).

Table: 2024 stallion roster for Aquis