Move To Strike new to Lovatsville at $16,500

Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)

Victorian breeders will gain access to a Group 1-winning juvenile winning son of Champion Sire I Am Invincible in 2025 with the announcement of Move To Strike who will stand at $16,500. An expensive yearling purchase by renowned syndicator David Ellis, Move To Strike has many of the qualities that excite breeders looking for a commercial return in the ring and a precocious talent on the track.

Move To Strike joins Lovatsville’s roster of Royal Meeting (Ire), Fierce Impact (Jpn), Generation, and Gold Trip (Fr). “All our other stallions remain at the same fee (as last year). We want to be known as a farm who does good business, and we encourage people to ring us and see what deals we can do for them,” said Lovatsville CEO Sam White.

“We are conscious that times are tough and we need to support each other. Small breeders are the backbone of the game, and our attitude towards business is reflective of that understanding. We want everyone to win.”

Move To Strike – a first for Vinnie

I Am Invincible had done it all in his career, up to the 2023/24 season, except one thing. Sire a Group 1-winning juvenile. Then along came Move To Strike, whose victory in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes of 2024 ticked off that all important box in the Champion Sire’s resume. This season, I Am Invincible added another with Vinrock in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, showing that good stallions can achieve something once, but great stallions can repeat it over and again.

“The stats are extremely well known around Vinnie, who is a sire I have a lot of admiration for, but he only has two Group 1-winning 2-year-olds. Vinrock this year, but first it was Move To Strike,” said White.

“For breeders to be able to access a horse of the times, with the pedigree, profile and physique of Move To Strike, and at a price point where people can make money, we think is terribly exciting. He’s big, strong, and sexy. He’s everything people should be looking at.”

Move To Strike was impressive from early on. Sold by Baramul Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $525,000 to David Ellis, whose syndication business, Te Akau Racing, has a long record to finding high class horses.

“From the moment I set eyes on Move To Strike at the Magic Millions' sale, I knew he was something truly special. He had that unmistakable quality - a colt with real presence, athleticism, and a powerful physique, but also an intelligent and kind eye. He’s a magnificent individual, strong and imposing yet with an absolutely superb temperament,” David Ellis said.

Incredibly precocious, Move To Strike won one of the very first juvenile trials of the season, then debuted before Christmas with a victory. The form around his next couple of starts is very strong, as he ran second in the G2 Eclipse Stakes on New Year’s Day to stablemate Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) who won the G2 Schillaci Stakes this season in Australia and was second to Switzerland in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Third in the Eclipse was Velocious (Written Tycoon), who won the G1 Sistema Stakes at her next start.

Move To Strike then ran fifth in the G3 Matamata Slipper Stakes won by Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel), who went on to win the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas at three and place in the G1 Australian Guineas. Move To Strike’s next start was the Group 1 victory over 1400 metres and in third behind him was Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) who won the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas at three.

“Our team is excited that Move to Strike will be standing in Victoria this season. The Lovatsville pitch was compelling, leveraging the opportunity to have Move To Strike’s stock become VOBIS qualified which has become an important part of our Victorian-based Cranbourne operation,” said Ellis.

I Am Invincible, a three-time Australian Champion Stallion, has sired 117 stakes winners with 17 Group 1 winners, most recently last weekend’s G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Charm Stone, as well as the likes of Home Affairs, Te Akau Racing’s Imperatriz, and brilliant mare In Secret. It’s early days for him as a damsire with Asfoora (Flying Artie) and Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) both leading the charge in that realm for him.

His sire sons include proven Group 1 sires Brazen Beau and Hellbent, as well as emerging young sires like Home Affairs, whose first yearlings sold so well this year, King’s Gambit, and Hawaii Five Oh. Brazen Beau’s son Tassort already has a Group 1 winner under his belt too.

Move To Strike is out of G2 Let’s Elope Stakes winner No Evidence Needed (Shamardal {USA}), who also placed in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes and G1 Australasian Oaks. She is also the dam of G2 Shannon Stakes-placed winner of five races Discharged (Snitzel) and four other winners. Her dam, Generosa (NZ) (Generous {Ire}) placed in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes and she is out of an unraced Danehill (USA) mare who is a daughter of G3 Gimcrack Stakes winner Kincay (Marscay).

“Move To Strike will be at the Great Southern Sale parading with the other first season sires. We are very appreciate of Inglis’ support of this initiative as it provides breeders with an easy access point to view him. He’ll also be available for private inspection prior to that,” said White.

More than Hayasugi for Royal Meeting

Royal Meeting had a lift in fee from $11,000 to $22,000 in 2024 thanks to siring ill-fated G1 Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi in his first crop, and he remains at $22,000 in 2025. He served 129 mares in 2024, his biggest book to date. Hayasugi returned at three to place in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes when resuming, but sustained an injury to a hind foot shortly afterwards and despite best efforts by veterinarians, she couldn’t be saved. Royal Meeting has several other promising types among his 13 winners from 32 runners to date.

“Royal Meeting has got good numbers coming through with a promising 2-year-old crop who’ll come into their own leading into the spring. His fee remains the same because he’s had a 2-year-old Group 1 winner in his first crop which is difficult to achieve. Like all our horses, we are open to doing deals with clients on assist in the economic climate,” said White.

“Have a look at the list of stallions who have sired a Blue Diamond winner. It’s impressive company to be in.” Extreme Choice sired this year’s G1 Blue Diamond winner Devil Night, while other stallions on the winner’s list include Per Incanto (USA), Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), Lonhro, Written Tycoon, Fastnet Rock, Not A Single Doubt and Street Cry (Ire).

Encouraging start by Fierce Impact

A son of Deep Impact (Jpn) who won at two in Ireland and came to Australia at four to win three Group 1 races as an older horse, Fierce Impact wasn’t expected to be on the list of sires with winners at this point with his first crop. But then Zelia won a trial in New Zealand by 12l in September, and from there she won twice in the autumn and recently placed in the Listed Welcome Stakes. He’s always been popular, covering over 100 mares in each of his four season, and covered 128 mares at $13,750 in 2024 and remains at that fee for 2025.

“Fierce Impact is a horse we have a lot of faith in. No one expected them to be early 2-year-old sorts, but from 4 runners, he’s had Zelia, Fine Star who was fourth on debut in a Listed race, and Matt Smith’s Fierceness ran fourth on debut at Canterbury and that race has some strong form around it,” said White.

Fine Star ran fourth in the Listed Supremacy Stakes in WA for trainer Simon Miller. “Simon’s opinion on her and the breed was vindicated when he bought another by the sire this year.”

“From only handful of runners, he’s made a big impression. We are fielding a lot of calls on him, due to the organic interest in him. He’s well priced and the market expects him to come into his own with his spring 3-year-olds, so there’s more to come. If anyone is looking for their punt horse, they should be looking at him this season.”

Once in a Generation horse

Generation could easily be seen as one of many – a sprinting son of Snitzel who was competitive in Group 1 races – and he was well regarded by the market in his first season in 2024, covering 64 mares at a fee of $11,000 and he stays at the same price point for his second season.

“He is as good a looking horse as you’ll see. He has an enormous hip and is a great colour. If he produces horses that look like himself, we’ll see much more support. I think it’s very important that Ciaron Maher has retained a significant share of the horse,” said White.

“These fast horses, with the way he looks, and how he performed, he could be the next Written Tycoon or Vinnie, that’s why we do this, it’s the dream. He’s got such a great pedigree, it’s quite a dominant physical pedigree. We’ve had some of the old Blue Gum people say that they can see traits in him back to the third generation of his family and hopefully that’s a mark of what he can produce. We are keen to get numbers to him and will do business to ensure this happens.”

Purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing and Dermot Farrington Bloodstock from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $575,000, Generation was unbeaten in two starts at two. Generation returned at three to win the G3 Red Anchor Stakes and G3 Manfred Stakes and run fourth in the G1 William Reid Stakes behind September Run (Exceed And Excel), who had also won the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. He trained on at four and five to place in several Group races and was fourth in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes to Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) and Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).

A son of triple stakes winning juvenile Fontiton (Turffontein) whose three stakes wins include the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f), Generation is a half-brother to Group 3-placed juvenile winner Pinkham (Written Tycoon). His second dam, Listed winner Personal Ensign (Rubiton) also produced G3 Red Anchor Stakes winner Sartorial Splendor (Brazen Beau).

Gold Trip is all class

Best known for winning the G1 Melbourne Cup, Gold Trip was a Group winner at three in France, and ran third in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and fourth in the time-honoured G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. At four, he placed in the G1 Prix Ganay. Sent to Australia he won the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Turnbull Stakes and placed in two successive G1 Caulfield Cups. He stood his first season in 2024 at a fee of $8800 and covered 65 mares and will remain at the same fee for 2025.

“I love this horse. He’s a king. He’s got the looks, the attitude, and as a 3-year-old he ran an amazing fourth in the Arc, where he looked like the winner in the straight. Can you think of any Aussie 3-year-old who could do that? He was also a weight-for-age Turnbull winner beating Romantic Warrior by three lengths,” said White.

“He covered a good quality book and found favour with trainers and their clients who recognised his ability. He will be accessible to breeders this season. We’ve heard that the sales companies see a commercial angle with him now that trainers are sending their client’s mares to him, and this means they’ll also be the people putting up their hands for his stock.”

Table: Lovatsville stallion servie fees for 2025, fees include GST