Cover image courtesy of Yulong Investments
Yulong Investments have spent the better part of a decade building an empire of mares; with their stallion roster growing to 11 in 2025, Yuesheng Zhang and his team have yet again been major players on the buying bench at this year’s mare sales, and three of those purchases will start for the bottle green and white colours in this Saturday’s G1 Tattersall’s Tiara.
Semana (Winning Rupert), Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun), and Grinzinger Belle (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) were three of Yulong’s eight purchases at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale this year, totalling a $4.2 million spend between them.
Remaining with their original trainers - Ciaron Maher, Tony and Calvin McEvoy, and Danny O’Brien respectively - the trio were chosen with the final Group 1 of the season in mind, all under Yulong’s primary aim of amassing a truly elite broodmare band.
Eyes on the crown
General Manager Jun Zhang confirmed that purchasing mares with the potential to improve their record before they head to stud is a key tenet of the operation.
“It is one of our purposes when we buy them,” he told The Thoroughbred Report. “They can be potential runners for us for another season. They also have a very strong pedigree and a very good race record already.”
Yulong already owns several Tiara performers; in addition to Semana, who ran second last year to Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai), their broodmare band features the 2021 winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), fourth-placed in 2023 Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), 2022 performers Snapdancer (Choisir) and Away Game (Snitzel), and 2017 placegetter In Her Time (Time Thief). Recent Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale purchase Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) ran fourth in 2022.
Gallery: Yulong Investmentss Tattersall's Tiara performers
At last count, the herd contains over 60 Group 1 winners or Group 1-producing mares.
“This race is definitely a milestone in a mare’s record,” Zhang said. “These kinds of races can really increase a mare’s value, so it’s important to factor into the racing plan how to turn a race filly into a high value broodmare (prospect).
“This race (Tattersall's Tiara) is definitely a milestone in a mare’s record.” - Jun Zhang
“This is the last big race of the season, so it’s important for us to target.”
The Tiara field reads as a who’s who of some of Australia’s best 1400-metre mares at the moment; Chris Waller will send the imposing trio of Konasana (Dundeel {NZ}), Olentia (Zoustar), and G2 Dane Ripper Stakes runner-up Fire Storm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) in an attempt to win his third crown, and Tony Gollan's Floozie (Zoustar) is looking to collect her fifth win in a row.
“It’s the perfect time to get people’s eyes back on these top mares,” Zhang said.
Supporting the stallions
As the breeding season looms over the horizon, several new purchases - both in foal and straight from the track - will be settling into life at Yulong’s expansive Victorian operation. Yulong made 11 purchases at the Magic Millions sale for a total spend of $13.54 million, with $8.625 million spent at Inglis Chairman’s for eight mares. Several mares, such as G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}), have been acquired privately.
Kimochi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“To be honest, we don’t have specific pedigree (features) in mind when buying mares,” Zhang said. “The stallions at Yulong has a lot of international blood - we have stallions from Japan, and More Than Looks brings an American pedigree (to Victoria). We will go to Europe and Japan to buy mares with good pedigrees and good racetrack performances to breed in Australia.”
“We will go to Europe and Japan to buy mares with good pedigrees and good racetrack performances to breed in Australia.” - Jun Zhang
High quality pregnancies, as well as high quality performances, have been a target; Call Di (Frankel {GB}), purchased for $2.1 million, was one of three mares acquired by Yulong on the Gold Coast in foal to Newgate Farm’s statistical freak Extreme Choice, and $1.25 million was spent in the same ring on her half-sister Miss Enfield (I Am Invincible), in foal to Coolmore’s Wootton Bassett (GB).
In 2024, it was announced that Yulong would begin to thin its broodmare band; when the top end of quality continues to grow, there comes a time to refine what lies beneath. The thinning has happened in earnest this year, with Yulong utilising online auction platforms to offer drafts of mares, many in foal to resident stallions.
Jun Zhang | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Zhang also revealed the need to garner support for their stallions in the early stages of their careers - with Alabama Express, Pierata, and Grunt (NZ) continuing to kick goals, the focus shifts to the newest recruits and how to set them up for success.
“In the first couple of years, we had a strategy to increase our numbers, because finding those high quality mares all in one year to support a stallion is hard,” Zhang said. “It can be hard to get local support for some of our international stallions, so we have to have the mares to support them ourselves. The only way we can protect the stallion and our business is to get their numbers up as much as possible at first, then after a couple of years, we can reduce our numbers.
“Finding those high quality mares all in one year to support a stallion is hard.” - Jun Zhang
“We have been buying the top mares across the country in the last five to seven years, so now we have enough quality mares to give the right support (without needing to keep lesser mares).”
The new recruits
G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile winner More Than Looks (USA) is the freshest shuttler to the Yulong roster, where he will be joined by locals Growing Empire and First Settler. The Growing Empire Syndicate signed the docket for three of Yulong’s Chairman’s purchases, including G1 Allan Robertson Championship victress Under Your Spell (SAf) (Capetown Noir {SAf}), who carries a positive pregnancy to I Am Invincible.
“We have a lot of confidence in all three, especially Growing Empire,” Zhang said. “He’s a local runner and he did very well on the track. First Settler doesn’t have as good a racetrack performance, but physically he is a very good looking stallion. I feel they will both be very popular.”
Growing Empire | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The More Than Ready (USA) sireline was one that the Yulong team were keen to secure; More Than Looks will be his only son standing in Victoria, and Zhang believes he has the kind of attractive performance record that will appeal to Australian breeders.
“You see a lot of good horses in Australia descending from More Than Ready,” he said. “And he (More Than Looks) has the racing performance over the right distances (for Australian breeders). He suits the racing well, as a more Classic type of horse.”
"You see a lot of good horses in Australia descending from More Than Ready." - Jun Zhang
More Than Looks’ Breeders’ Cup victory came when beating G1 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and dual Group 1 winner Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong {USA}), who was one of the international raiders on Australia this autumn. All of More Than Looks' best performances have been over the mile, including placing twice at Group 1 level behind new Ciaron Maher recruit Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
“He’s a beautiful horse as well. You see most of the horses by More Than Ready, they’re lovely looking animals.”
More Than Looks (USA) | Image courtesy of Yulong Investments
More Than Looks is one of three stallions currently being considered for Kimochi, whose retirement was announced last week after suffering a tendon injury during trackwork.
“American lines over Japanese lines are very successful, I think this is a very good way to breed a superstar. Another option is Panthalassa, the bloodline is perfectly suited. We have also been looking at physical matches, and we are thinking Kimochi might need a smaller stallion, so Diatonic is another option. This might not suit her as well, as he’s a sprinting sire, but we haven’t made a final decision yet.”
“American lines over Japanese lines are very successful, I think this is a very good way to breed a superstar.” - Jun Zhang
There is the potential for all three Tiara-bound mares to race on, if they show they are ready for it come the spring. The same fate awaits G1 South Australian Derby winner Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}), who Yulong purchased at the Gold Coast for $1.5 million.
“We will put her back into work before the breeding season, and see if there is any positive feedback from the stable. If not, we may just retire her.”
