Cover image courtesy of Bombora Downs
Bombora Downs, situated in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, have announced their stallion fees for 2025 with Group 1 winner Cape Of Good Hope (Ire) heading into his third season at an unchanged fee. Cliff’s Edge gets a well-deserved raise after a strong start with his 3-year-olds this season.
The philosophy at Bombora Downs is to provide quality horses at affordable prices to smaller breeders, and their roster certainly has a good mix of pedigrees, as well as sprinters and stayers to suit a variety of goals for broodmare owners.
Cape Of Good Hope has Australian connections
Leading the charge is superbly well-bred Cape Of Good Hope, a son of Galileo (Ire), who will stand his third season in 2025 at an unchanged $8250 inc GST. A winner at two in Ireland and twice Group 2-placed, he won the Listed Epsom Blue Riband Trial, placing in the Saratoga Derby and was fourth in the G1 Chantilly Prix du Jockey Club before being sent to Australia where he won the G1 Caulfield Stakes against the older horses.
Cape Of Good Hope (Ire) will stand for $8250 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Bombora Downs
“His foals on the ground are strong, compact types with a lovely nature that look the goods for future success as 3-year-olds,” said Bombora Downs manager Christoph Bruechert.
“He’s by a breed-shaping sire in Galileo and out of the Australian-bred blue hen mare Hveger, a sister to Elvstroem.”
Cliff’s Edge's exciting start
Cliff’s Edge was one of the surprises of the spring with his first 3-year-olds coming out and winning more often than expected for a horse coming off his level of service fee. In 2025, he goes up to $6600 from $3300. From only 23 foals in his first crop, 10 have raced, and already six of them have won putting together 10 victories, led by G2 Tobin Bronze Stakes-placed Winnasedge.
Cliff's Edge will stand for $6600 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Bombora Downs
“His oldest are 3-year-olds and he’s produced a multiple stakes placegetter from his first crop plus running at 66 per cent winners to runners from his first crop. He is upgrading his mares producing sprint and middle distant runners that can compete at the highest level. He is a strong, willing worker with a great nature which he is passing onto his progeny.”
Cliff’s Edge was a winner at two who trained on to win the G2 Alistair Clark Stakes at three and the G2 Crystal Mile at four.
New in 2025 is Group 1 winner Ellsberg
Transferred from Murrulla Stud in the Hunter Valley, Group 1 winner Ellsberg joins Bombora Downs in 2025 for a $7700 inc GST fee. “He is a great addition to the roster being a tough campaigner, a Group 1 winner and a precocious type that trained on. His first weanlings are being offered at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.”
Ellsberg covered books of 47 mares in his first season, then 39 in his second at Murrulla Stud.
“Ellsberg was an early season 3-year-old sprint winner on debut, and the Group-placed at just his third start. He has a great pedigree, being by a son of Snitzel with first three dam sires having speed influence - General Nediym, Zoffany and Biscay.”
Ellsberg will stand for $7700 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Bombora Downs
Winner of nine of his 24 starts and over $3.3 million, Ellsberg was a durable racehorse who won the G1 Epsom Handicap and G1 All-Aged Stakes at five. He is a son of Spill The Beans, a son of Snitzel, who died prematurely after only four crops at stud.
Ka Ying Master's first foals
Raced by the same connections as Hong Kong star sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), young sire Ka Ying Master’s first crop are foals. In 2025, Ka Ying Master will stand for $5500.
“He was a bold front-running type that ran his competition off their feet in the competitive Hong Kong environment, where he won seven times. He’s a strong, well-balanced type that has produced strong, well put together weanlings, have great natures and confidence in spades.”
Ka Ying Master will stand for $5500 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Bombora Downs
A winner at three, four, five, and six in Hong Kong, Ka Ying Master is a son of Snitzel who was a NZ$525,000 yearling purchase who won over HK$9 million (AU$1.8 million). Snitzel is having a wonderful season with G1 Golden Slipper winner Marhoona.
| Cape Of Good Hope (Ire) | Galileo {Ire} | $8,250 | $8,250 |
| Cliff's Edge | Canford Cliffs (Ire) | $6,600 | $3,300 |
| De Gaulle | Exceed And Excel | $4,400 | $5,500 |
| Ellsberg | Spill The Beans | $7,700 | FOA |
| Frankel My Dear | Frankel (GB) | $5,500 | $5,500 |
| Ka Ying Master | Snitzel | $5,500 | $5,500 |
| Soul Patch | Shamus Award | $5,500 | $6,600 |
Table: Bombora Downs' stallion fees for the 2025 season
