It was just this week that spring plans for Rosemont Stud’s sizeable broodmare band were finalized, the Gnarwarre property’s Anthony Mithen and Ryan McEvoy beginning the process of who goes where back in April.
“It is a process of many steps,” Anthony explained. “We start with which stallions we would like to use and then bracket our mares by their value.”
Anthony Mithen | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Then we start our way at the top with the most expensive mares and work our way down with a view to supporting our stallions along the way.”
“It is all a big jigsaw puzzle,” Anthony said having completed plenty of work with between 120 and 130 meetings this season.
Rosemont mares set to be served this spring
“First and foremost we want to breed a type so we look at that and we think about which stallions are going to have traction and appeal come sales time.”
“First and foremost we want to breed a type so we look at that and we think about which stallions are going to have traction and appeal come sales time.” - Anthony Mithen
“We also race a lot of horses so we are conscious of using proven stallions and Rosemont history shows that we have tended to concentrate on those sort of horses.”
Six mares to Too Darn Hot
This year is a bit different however, Anthony excited by the prospects of several younger stallions with the first coming to mind being Too Darn Hot (GB) who just earned the title of Australian Champion First Season Sire.
Of course that Darley stallion is not shuttling this year, remaining at his Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket base where he will serve a select group of mares to southern hemisphere time.
Amongst that harem will be six Rosemont mares with Anthony and Ryan both excited by that prospect.
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Darley
“We are actually sending more mares to him than we would’ve had he shuttled,” they said.
Three of those mares are already in Europe whilst another three are making their way north. The first group, who are all currently in foal to Haras de Bonneval’s Siyouni (Fr), will return to Australia once in foal to Too Darn Hot whilst the second group will remain in the northern hemisphere for another season.
The trio already in Europe, currently domiciled in France with Tweenhills to be their UK base, are Aryaaf (Epaulette), Khulaasa (Epaulette) and Sneaky Five (Fastnet Rock) with the others due to make the trip are Salateen (I Am Invincible), Joyous Legend (Snitzel) and Skidamarink (I Am Invincible).
Siyouni (Fr) | Standing at Haras de Bonneval
An $800,000 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale purchase from the Shadwell dispersal in 2021, the G3 Ottawa S. winning Aryaaf is a half-sister to Rosemont’s G2 Caulfield Sprint winning first season sire Doull out of the Listed Merson Cooper S. winner Bulbula (Shamardal {USA}).
Purchased at the same sale for $1.35 million, the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. winner Khulaasa hails from the same family with her dual Listed winning dam Taameer (NZ) (General Nediym) being Bulbula’s dam.
Secured as a yearling for $305,000 by Rosemont at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier, Sneaky Five won five of her 15 starts in their colours; the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. and the Listed Bribie H. amongst that tally. She is a daughter of the G1 Australasian Oaks heroine Small Minds (Canny Lad) who also produced the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic winner Beautiful Mind (So You Think {NZ}).
Well related mares
Salateen is another well related mare purchased by Rosemont in 2021; for $300,000 at the Gold Coast. The Listed Nudgee H. winner is a half-sister to the G2 Stan Fox S. winner Hilal (Fastnet Rock) and the South African based Listed winner Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch {Ire}) from the prolific Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}) family.
Purchased online in 2021 for $1.025 million was Joyous Legend (Snitzel), daughter of the multiple Group 1 winner More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}). Skidamarink meanwhile was raced to a Doomben win by Rosemont who paid $1.2 million for the Inglis Easter graduate, a half-sister to Rosemont’s G3 Blue Sapphire S. winning stallion Extreme Warrior and their Listed winner Thrillster (Starspangledbanner).
Joyous Legend | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
“It was a bit of a happy coincidence that the three mares already in Europe all match up very well with Too Darn Hot,” Anthony said, also very happy with the pedigrees of the other three.
“He has done well with a Fastnet Rock mare, Simmering (GB) winning the G3 Princess Margaret S. at Royal Ascot and his best Australian runner Broadsiding is out of a mare whose dam is by Redoute’s Choice.”
Anthony is also happy to note that I Am Invincible’s sire Invincible Spirit (Ire) is also performing well with Too Darn Hot whose G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Fallen Angel (GB) is out of a daughter of his son Lawman (Fr).
“It was a bit of a happy coincidence that the three mares already in Europe all match up very well with Too Darn Hot.” - Anthony Mithen
“So there is some science in our matings to Too Darn Hot,” Anthony said, adding that Rosemont have been supporters of that stallion from his arrival in Australia.
“It has been good to build up a relationship with Darley and we are very pleased and excited that they have accepted our six mares into Too Darn Hot’s book.”
Two high class locals
Two local high class stallions are also in Rosemont’s sights with I Am Invincible and Zoustar both being well supported this spring.
Due to visit the former, the Yarraman Park based horse who recently claimed his third successive Australian Champion Sire title are “four young, stakes winning mares.”
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
The popular Rosemont home-bred chestnut Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) is having a second visit to I Am Invincible having missed this spring whilst the G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Bella Vella (Commands); who Rosemont purchased for $1.9 million at the Gold Coast in 2021, is also hoping for more luck having slipped to Zoustar.
Bred and raced by Rosemont to victory in the G3 James HB Carr S., All Hallows' Eve (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) also visits I Am Invincible, currently carrying a Bivouac pregnancy. As does the triple Group 3 winner Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel) who is in foal to Zoustar.
A couple of very nice mares are also due to visit Zoustar; the Listed Alinghi S. winning $800,000 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale purchase From Within (Not A Single Doubt) and the G3 Chairman’s S. winner Mildred (Hinchinbrook); an $850,000 Chairman’s Sale buy in 2021.
Lovely mares for Anamoe
Rosemont are breeding right holders in Darley’s Anamoe; supporting that nine time Group 1 winner with five very well related mares.
The dam of the $525,000 Frankel (GB) filly Rosemont sold at this year’s Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, the imported Group 3 winner Abby Hatcher (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) is one of those as is Harannda (Ire) (Invincible Spirit) whose G3 Silver Flash S. winning dam Harasiya (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) is grandam of last year’s European Champion Miler Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Anamoe | Standing at Darley
Another member of the Dancing Show family in the Rosemont broodmare band is Heavenly Curlin (USA) (Curlin {USA}), the G3 Maple Leaf S. winner who also has a date with Anamoe. Currently in foal to Exceed And Excel, she foaled her second Frankel colt last spring.
Also a well related import on the list for Anamoe is La Dragontea (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Currently in foal to Too Darn Hot, she is a Group 1 placed, Group 2 winner out of a 3/4 sister to Montjeu (Ire).
“Lope de Vega is an emerging broodmare sire influence,” Anthony noted, also excited to be sending to Anamoe the Rosemont home-bred Ethekwini (Savabeel); a half-sister to the G2 Furious S. winner North Star Lass (Zoustar) who is also in foal to Too Darn Hot.
Lope de Vega (Ire) | Standing at Ballylinch Stud
“We are really looking forward to seeing Anamoe’s first foals arrive this spring,” Anthony said, “we cannot imagine that they will be anything but quality.”
Upside for Shamus Award
Rosemont are also keen supporters of their own stallions and are confident that Shamus Award, who has already been represented by 25 stakes winners including six Group 1 winners, has plenty more to offer.
“He has been serving really nice books of mares in his four years with us,” Ryan said, “and we really think that he is ready to rock and roll!”
Shamus Award | Standing at Rosemont Stud
“He has a 6.3% stakes winner ratio and his Group 1 winners were all bred when he was standing for less than $30,000; he is a real upgrader.”
“It feels like he has been a while but at 14 he is still pretty young and he still has plenty of upside.”
Amongst the Rosemont mares visiting that G1 W.S Cox Plate and G1 Australian Guineas winning son of Snitzel are Special Favour (General Nediym); dam of Shamus Award’s dual Group 1 winner Mr Quickie and his Listed winner Quickster, Special Favour’s daughter Little Quickie (Sacred Falls {NZ}), She’s A Sweetheart (Show A Heart); dam of the dual Listed winner Ballistic Lover (Smart Missile), the Listed winner More Radiant (More Than Ready) and Faayza (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), a half-sister to the G1 Vinery Stud S. winner Hiyaam (NZ) (High Chaparral {ire}).
Starspangledbanner supported
“We are also strong in our support of Starspangledbanner who we are in partnership with Coolmore,” Anthony said.
“We have a bunch of good mares going to him, headed by Small Minds (Canny Lad), Brooklyn Heat (NZ) (Nostradamus), Crack The Code (I Am Invincible) and Furnival (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}).”
Currently in foal to Extreme Warrior, Small Minds is dam of the Too Darn Hot bound Group 3 mare Sneaky Five and the Listed winner Beautiful Mind (So You Think {NZ}) whilst Brooklyn Heat is a half-sister to Starspangledbanner’s excellent daughter Brooklyn Hustle.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
The G3 Kevin Hayes S. winner Crack The Code is a half-sister to the G1 Railway S. winner Covertly (Metal Storm {Fr}) whilst Furnival has already produced a very smart Starspangledbanner filly in the shape of this year’s Listed Dequetteville S. winner Lincolnshire.
Also due to send “15 plus” mares to Rosemont residents Doull, Hanseatic and Extreme Warrior, Anthony noted that they are “flexible” with those horses, keen to fit in with the needs of their clients.
He is particularly excited about the prospects of the Group 3 and two times Listed winner Hanseatic who “has more 2-year-olds than any other first season sire.”
“He (Anthony Mithen) is particularly excited about the prospects of the Group 3 and two times Listed winner Hanseatic who “has more 2-year-olds than any other first season sire.'”
“We have been buoyed by recent reports on his progeny, so much so that I have a little knot in my stomach thinking that maybe we should be sending even more mares to him.”
Happy customers
“I am getting a tap on my shoulder on a weekly basis from people telling me that their Hanseatics are rockets, we have a lot of very happy customers!”
A handful of Rosemont mares will visit another two stallions that Anthony and Ryan are fans of; Exceedance and Home Affairs.
Hanseatic | Standing at Rosemont
“We’ve already had success with Exceedance and we have an unraced one in work with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman who is showing stakes class ability,” Anthony said.
“And the Home Affairs foals are such lovely types and you have to take note with how well the market has been responding to him.”
