Geisel Park’s love of Westspeed bonuses, Aysar popular at stud

Cover image courtesy of Geisel Park

With three stallions standing at Geisel Park in West Australia this season, and a strong draft of seven yearlings for this Sunday’s Magic Millions Perth Winter Sale, it is the Westspeed bonus system that has stud manager Conor Dunlop most excited.

Home Affairs’ half-brother Aysar

Leading the roster at Geisel Park is exciting young sire Aysar, a son of Deep Field who is a stakes winning half-brother to Home Affairs. Second in the G1 Caulfield Guineas behind Ole Kirk who has started his stud career so well, Aysar has plenty to recommend him. Aysar covered 89 mares in his first season in 2023, and a further 72 last year. He will stand at an unchanged fee of $8800 including GST.

“He’s a very important prospect, especially looking at the quality of his first foals. We are getting compliments from around the state about them, and we’ve even had someone who knew Home Affairs as a foal say his Aysar foal is like a clone to Home Affairs at the same age,” said Conor Dunlop.

“Home Affairs has gotten off on the right foot with trainers far and wide buying them, and we are hoping that Aysar will be received the same. Trainers should find a lot of appeal with his stock. He covered good quality mares in his first couple of years, with stakes winners, and stakes producing mares. We are very excited about his future, and looking at the horse flesh he’s leaving, we hope he’s destined for success.”

Aysar was a winner at two who trained on at three to add another win, and place in the strongest company with a second behind Ole Kirk in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, as well as three Group 3-placings against the likes of Mo’Unga, Tagaloa, and Portland Sky. As an older horse he won the Listed Chautauqua Stakes and placed in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Deep Field has been a big loss to the industry, with infertility ending his career, and his young sons like Cosmic Force are flying his flag with others such as Portland Sky still coming through. Aysar’s dam, the Flying Spur mare Miss Interiors, has also produced G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Home Affairs whose yearlings lit up the sales ring this year, and she’s a half-sister to proven sire Russian Revolution.

Two proven options suit the Westspeed system

Geisel Park stand proven sires Manhattan Rain and Winning Rupert. Manhattan Rain has had a good season with Group 1-winning 3-year-old filly Benagil. “The old boy is progressing well, with Benagil winning the Oaks this season. He still has that Group 1 quality about him, and his first crop from being here will be racing age soon. They look like the types who can hit the Westspeed bonuses hard.”

Manhattan Rain drops to $5500 including GST for 2025, despite siring a new Group 1 winner this season, and the fee reflects his age as he heads into his 19th year. Winner of the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and a half-brother to Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain has sired 19 stakes winners from 12 crops of racing age, led by G1 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, G1 Australasian Oaks winner Benagil, and South African Group 1 winner Whiskey Baron.

Winning Rupert transferred to Geisel Park last year. “He came here last year and had his career best season at the same time with Iownamerc and Semana winning over $1 million. He should suit West Australia in terms of leaving early running types who will suit the Westspeed bonuses. If he can throw a few of those types over here, they can be lucrative for those trainers who get their hands on them.”

Winning Rupert drops to $6600 including GST for 2025, and the son of Written Tycoon is the sire of five stakes winners including $1 million plus earners Iowna Merc and Semana.

Geisel Park has been owned by Eddie and Kylie Rigg since 2007, with the farm previously known as Myalup Farm. It was owned by the Manning family for nearly a century.

Geisel Park’s draft for the Winter Sale

With seven yearlings and two weanlings in their Magic Millions Perth Winter Sale draft, Geisel Park’s Dunlop spoke candidly about the state of the industry in Perth.

“This sale has always had a stigma about it, but I’ve been here for thirteen years now and I’ve seen how much breeders have been improving their stock. The quality at this sale has improved over time, and recently it has thrown a few good eggs,” said Dunlop.

“It is certainly possible to buy good horses out of this sale.” Last year’s sale has already seen stakes-placed juvenile Perfectly Proper (Pierata), while other recent stakes winners include Listed winners Big Shots (Sizzling), Russian To The Bar (Russian Revolution), Mood Swings (War Chant {USA}), and group winner Buster Bash (Trade Fair).

“Our seven are nice horses who suit this time of year. I just hope the buyers are there on the ground. The incentives are there, and syndication is growing over here too. We are getting larger numbers of owners into a horse with the Westspeed bonuses being a huge appeal. On a Saturday, with the bonus, you are racing for an excess of $80,000.

“They are all really nice horses, and it’s hard to pick one. I personally like the Blue Point. He’s a very forward horse compared to what the mare has thrown before, and she just had a pedigree upgrade with one of her winning a Saturday race recently.”

Lot 27, the Blue Point (Ire) gelding is a half-brother to Bayhara (Almanzor {Fr}) who added his seventh win in Perth two starts ago. His dam, Spurt (Flying Spur) is a half-sister to G2 Wellington Cup winner Maygrove (Authorized {Ire}).

“The Manhattan Rain from American Choice looks like an early running type of filly. She could earn $100,000 in bonuses before Christmas for you.”

American Choice (All American) was a speedy precocious mare, winning at two in Perth and placing in the Listed Supremacy Stakes, and this filly is her second foal.

“Physically, I couldn’t fault the whole draft. The two by Maschino should be popular. The stallion is hot now with Jokers Grin winning The Quokka and Machine Gun Gracie too. They are two nice types.”

The gelding, Lot 5, is out of winning mare Miss Matilda (Domesday) who is a half-sister to two Listed winners in Deja Blue (Denman) and Triple Gold (Teofilo {Ire}), while the filly Lot 21 is the third foal of winning mare She’s Readytoreign (More Than Ready {USA}), a daughter of Listed winner Very Sydney (Danehill {USA}) who is also the granddam of this season’s Listed Port Adelaide Guineas winner Snoopy Now (Sir Prancealot {Ire}).

Table: Geisel Park stallion fees 2025