Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield

The champion stallion is a difficult animal to produce to begin with, requiring many things to fall into place, but even purchasing stallion prospects has become increasingly difficult at the top end. It has become an ever tighter competition to secure a shrinking pool of colts that meet the right criteria.

But you still have to buy a prospective champion in the first place.

“The moment you drop your sights, you breed a lesser horse,” Waikato Stud’s Garry Chittick said. “It’s a pretty difficult equation to beat.”

Stiff competition

“It's gotten terribly hard to find stallions in this country especially,” Yarraman Park Stud’s Arthur Mitchell said, citing high competition for the country’s best colts. Much as the Yarraman park team are keen to invest in their next star, the market has grown narrower than ever.

“There’s certainly horses that have come to be sold for a lot of money in the last five years. They’re becoming very expensive. We’d love another stallion, but we don’t want to go into a bidding war with four other studs for a Group 2 winner.”

Chittick shared that Waikato Stud, whose roster includes a rising star in Super Seth, have been on the hunt for a new stallion for the last 12 months, but the right horse has yet to come along.

“There are 8000 colts born a year between New Zealand and Australia, and by the end of any 3-year-old year, there's probably a maximum of six that everybody wants,” Chittick said. “Now, it's not to say that some of those that are just outside that top group of six are not going to make it. Obviously, they do make it if you give them an opportunity, but they're a lot harder to make.”

“I think people just get into them (promising colts) a lot quicker than what they used 15 to 20 years ago,” Vinery Stud’s General Manager Adam White said. “(Back then) you could, to a certain extent, almost wait for them to win a Group 1 and then pick them up, but now it's a smaller pool, so to speak, and you've got to maybe take a bit more of a punt than you normally would.”

This year alone, a number of high profile horses have changed hands - or, at the very least, been bought into - by entities seeking stallion prospects. Yulong have made bold moves in the past 12 months to expand the future of their roster, adding Carl Spackler (Ire), Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}), Vinrock (I Am Invincible), and shares in the unbeaten Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) to their portfolio with the intention of racing on at least another season before retiring to stud.

Gallery: New additions to the Coolmore roster

The stiff competition for horses still racing means many must turn to acquiring horses as yearlings and hoping to develop a star. Coolmore Stud have long cornered this market, purchasing new roster additions Private Life and Switzerland as yearlings, and regularly spending millions to acquire prospective colts at the sales. Tom Magnier purchased a further 13 yearling colts this sale season, including the full brother to Switzerland.

Syndicates that specifically target colts with the express purpose of developing a stallion prospect are key features on the buyers’ lists at all major Australasian sales; TFI and Kia Ora Stud have developed a partnership targeting colts, and the China Horse Club-led colts’ syndicate signed the docket on 18 colts this sale season.

“I think we've got to keep a very open mind with our approach (to new stallions),” White said. Vinery Stud moved in on Ole Kirk after his back-to-back Group 1 wins, but there is the ever-present risk that someone else might move in faster next time. “We've been lucky where we bought Exceedance and Headwater as yearlings with some good partners, and they raced well, had good pedigrees, and basically gave themselves a chance at stud.”

A strict checklist

The narrow aperture of what they seek is due largely to what best suits both Waikato Stud’s mares and the broader New Zealand industry.

“The first thing you have to remember is that we run a lot of mares of our own, so it's always in our mind that we want to breed a type of horse, we just don't want to sell a service,” Chittick said. “It’s not an easy thing to do. We basically don't look at 1200-metre horses. There's nothing wrong with them, but it's just not our go. I’m not saying you wouldn’t stand one, but they don’t really suit our mares.

“So when you take those horses out of the picture, the spread of stallions you can pick from is much smaller.”

The softer market and lower benchmark for fees in New Zealand puts Kiwi studs at a disadvantage when they cross the Tasman in search of new stallion prospects.

“The dearer a colt is, the harder it is for us to make it work,” Chittick said. “If you go back 30, 40 years, all of our stallions were predominantly European blood, and not necessarily top performers. Then when we switched to ‘colonial-breds’ and obviously we've had a lot of success with it.

“But the problem is, of course, the more success we have, the more success there was that everybody could copy. That means that the horses that we do like, all of a sudden, they start looking at. We were able to go across Australia 15 to 20 years ago and get the Pins of this world, the Danasingas at a pretty reasonable price, which now we can't. They're very expensive, if you're trying to get something that's raced at the top level.”

The 2024/25 season in particular hasn’t turned out many Classic-type prospects that suit the New Zealand model; every Derby was won by either a filly or a gelding this season, and all three colts to win a Guineas - Private Life, Broadsiding, and Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) - are already tied up with studs. With Australian racing's emphasis on speed, the pool of stallions that both appeal and are available to the Kiwis shrinks even further.

The next great prospect may be hiding much closer to home, as it has in the past for Chittick.

“We had a remarkable amount of success with O’Reilly, and of course, we only had him because he was failed by the vet (at the sales),” he said. “He’s left 100 stakes winners, and he’s been a very good broodmare sire as well. My point being was that, with the best will in the world and all the knowledge in the world, we were happy to sell him and would have sold him.”

And the success story could have been someone else’s.

International blood

The net has to be cast farther afield - both Mitchell and Chittick have explored prospects in Europe, although Mitchell acknowledged that, even in Europe, the competition for stallion prospects not already tied to a leading operation has grown fiercer. The recent success of Dark Angel (Ire), claiming a Champion Sire title in Britain and Ireland last year, and his son Harry Angel (Ire) has contributed to this.

“The way it (the Dark Angel sireline) has started its own dynasty is really incredible,” said Mitchell. He noted that previous members of the line to shuttle, such as Royal Applause (GB) and Waajib (Ire), had been poorly received down under, but the tide had turned now.

“It makes it very hard to buy (stallions) in Europe now. It’s very hard for us to go there, because the Irish and English studs have gotten hold of the fast ones, whereas years ago, they didn’t want the 2-year-old stallions, but they’ve jumped on them now. It’s made it a lot more expensive.”

“We are now looking back at Europe because we have just found it difficult to find anything in Australia,” Chittick said.

Farms in both Australia and New Zealand have continued to form reciprocal relationships with European studs, and the 2025 cohort of new stallions is perhaps one of the strongest to date; through relationships with Coolmore, multiple Group 1 winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) will shuttle to Windsor Park Stud alongside Paddington (GB), and Group 1-winning juvenile Henry Longfellow (Ire) heads to Rosemont Stud.

There are even newcomers to the European stallion game, with Riverstone Lodge set to stand their first stallion when Breeders’ Cup-winning juvenile Starlust (GB), a son of Zoustar, arrives in the Hunter Valley.

Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson has turned his attention to the United States in search of his next star. Part of the attraction with Widden’s new recruit Cogburn (USA) was the new strains of Northern Dancer (Can) he will contribute to the gene pool; his sire Not This Time (USA) comes from the Storm Cat (USA) branch of Northern Dancer blood that has also provided us with Justify (USA).

Not This Time has already produced seven Group 1 winners from six crops to the track, just one behind Justify’s record from four Northern Hemisphere crops.

“I was initially interested in getting Not This Time to shuttle to Australia,” Thompson said. “It came clear pretty quickly that wasn’t likely to happen, so I looked at his sons and Cogburn was the obvious choice. While you’re always looking for new sirelines, you are also looking out for proven, successful sirelines, if you think the stallion will suit the mare population.”

Having experienced so much success with More Than Ready (USA), White isn’t opposed to sourcing another shuttle stallion.

“Given how difficult it is to get those new prospects for us, you've got to look at every avenue, really, and we're starting to keep a bit of an eye on some horses overseas,” he said. “In the early Vinery days, we had probably two of the best shuttle horses in More Than Ready and Red Ransom, they were two stallions that we recognised would cross quite well with the amount of Danehill mares that we had at that time in Australia.

“We've just been just keeping an open mind and having a look at what's overseas that might bring a bit of a diverse pedigree and have that race record that would give them an opportunity here.”

Local investment

If a stud sees something they like, they can’t wait to pounce. Newgate Farm’s Ozzmosis is one such example; the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes-winning son of Zoustar was quick to attract the attention of Newgate and partners, who bought into the colt after he won a Randwick juvenile handicap in the June of his 2-year-old season.

“The shuttle horse has certainly got a valuable place in the gene pool, and very good ones can really move the needle," said Henry Field, who shares globetrotting Group 1 winner State Of Rest (Ire) with Rathbarry Stud in Ireland. “But the majority of them have a far smaller strike rate at becoming important long-term stallions.”

In contrast to his peers, Field hasn’t felt it quite so difficult to secure the kind of horse that fits his stud model. Heavy investment by the colts syndicate at the yearling sales and early identification of potential on the track has set him in good stead.

Similar to Ozzmosis, Newgate's partnership bought into Profiteer a month before his R. Listed Inglis Millennium victory, and they also purchased and raced a number of the current roster after a Group 1 victory - including Artorius, Extreme Choice, and State Of Rest.

James Harron’s colts partnership has been another source of talent; G1 Golden Slipper Stakes-winning Newgate sire Capitalist ran in Harron’s green and gold colours, and beyond the Newgate roster, the partnership has procured and raced future stallions King’s Legacy, Bodyguard, and Pariah.

Field may have a young roster, but the abundance of local talent is what gives him faith going forward.

“We've got two very exciting second season stallions in Ozzmosis and King’s Gambit that we think have great credentials, and among our third season stallions we have a Cox Plate winner, a Golden Rose winner, and a Blue Diamond winner,” he said. “We're very loaded up with high quality, Australian Group 1-winning horses. I think we’re really set up for the future.

“We’re always on the lookout (for another), but you’ve got to find horses that you believe in.”

A lasting legacy

Cambridge Stud’s Sir Tristram (Ire) and Zabeel (NZ) have the distinct honours of being the only multiple Australian Champion Sires to have been based in New Zealand. They are both the result of careful pedigree research by Sir Patrick Hogan, matched with the support of the stud’s mares. Over the years, Hogan forged close relationships with the descendants of Nureyev (USA), both a topline stallion and considered one of the best broodmare sires of his time.

“He (Hogan) really liked to study the pedigree, he did like Special (Nureyev’s dam), who has been very successful on the female side of a lot of the good families in New Zealand,” Marcus Corban said. “That was one of the reasons he really liked Stravinsky, and Zabeel was another that he really liked, being out of a Nureyev mare.

“We had a lot of good, solid old families (at Cambridge Stud), so he did a whole lot of work with pedigree, and if he liked a horse, he would look at his broodmare band and study the pedigrees to see what would work between them.”

The impact of Nureyev is still quietly active in Australia and New Zealand; he stars in Dundeel’s (NZ) female pedigree as Zabeel’s damsire - and thus appears in Savabeel’s pedigree as well - and his male line grandson Thorn Park has three sire sons who have produced stakes winners, with Ocean Park (NZ) firmly ensconced on the Waikato Stud roster.

Hogan’s long-term association with Coolmore led to Nureyev’s son Stravinsky (USA) shuttling to New Zealand for 10 seasons, where he not only produced dozens of stakes winners, but also his daughters have become an important part of the fabric of the Kiwi broodmare population. Corban outlined that Hogan recognised the importance of having a Champion Sire’s genetics circulating in the gene pool.

“We went to Redoute’s Choice at the height of his career, as well as Encosta De Lago,” Corban said. “Patrick would take five or six mares over to Encosta De Lago at his most expensive (service fee). He went to those top stallions to get daughters, which would enhance his broodmare band.”

Champions beget champions. The cross of Encosta De Lago and Redoute’s Choice has forged this season’s Champion Sire Zoustar, and Danehill (USA) drives the damsire pedigree for both of Zoustar’s sons retiring to stud this season.

I Am Invincible and Written Tycoon have built their own legacies as champions, but the blood of champions flows through them both, perhaps just in less obvious places - for instance, Sir Ivor (USA), the sire of Sir Tristram, rears his head in I Am Invincible’s paternal side. Perhaps the next champion requires a little bit more of a punt.

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

Debut Delight as Express Class flies home

In what shaped as a strong midweek 2-year-old race, one that could easily have passed for a Saturday quality field. It was the Gerard Moloney-trained Express Class (Exceedance) who upset the more fancied runners with a booming finish down the outside to score stylishly by half a length.

The son of Exceedance was making his debut after showing plenty of ability at the jump outs and was ridden quietly by Patrick Moloney. No Limitation (Exceedance) took up the lead, with Street Artist (NZ) (Super Seth) sitting outside the leader. Two of the well-supported runners, Ferivia (Flying Artie) and Conscience (Snitzel), settled just behind, with Conscience caught a little wide in fourth.

No Limitation gave a strong kick turning for home, and it looked as though Street Artist had the race in his keeping. Ferivia darted back to the inside and surged, but it was Express Class who exploded late down the outside from worse of midfield at the turn, powering over the top to win impressively from the favourite Ferivia, with the game Street Artist in third.

Jockey Patrick Moloney was understandably thrilled to notch the win on a horse trained by his father, Gerard.

“Dad's been around the game for a long, long time, and he's a real horseman and he's pretty reserved most of the time,” said Moloney. “But you can't beat winning when you're riding a winner for Dad.

“We came here with very low expectations, if you heard my Dad's pre-video at the stables of this horse.

“He pretty much put a massive wet blanket on the horse, because the race came up so strong and he's a pretty raw canvas at the moment. Geez he shocked me the way he let rip and did it with authority too, a lot of arrogance and soft wins, so Dad might have found one.

“You know, there was no races in the calendar. I was around at Dad's Saturday night for a feed, and he said, well, you pick out a race for this horse. I said, no, not Sandown, midweek.

“There was no other options for him for this one, and then we'd probably go out for a break. He might have to stay in the stable for a little bit longer. I don't ride horses fast enough like this one. So, yeah, it's really, really, really rewarding for Dad especially.”

Express Class is the third foal out of Miss Belief (Snitzel), a 1350 metre winner in her own right. Since producing Express Class, she has delivered a weanling colt by Shalaa (Ire) and is due to foal to Bivouac in early September.

He hails from a strong family. His grandam Divine Rebel (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) was a six-time winner, including the G2 Chairman’s Handicap and the Listed Epona Stakes; she was also twice placed in the G1 Sydney Cup. His third dam, It’s My Sin (Success Express {USA}), was a Group 1 winner of the Otaki-Maori WFA Stakes and as a broodmare produced twelve winners, including Divine Rebel and four other stakes-placed performers.

Express Class was purchased by Moloney Racing for $60,000 at the 2024 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from the Bucklee Farm draft. Based on his debut performance, he already looks to be a sharp investment with a promising future.

Tambeloa, a promising son of Tagaloa, ticks off his maiden

The Kristen Buchanan-trained Tambeloa (Tagaloa) proved too tough in gloomy conditions at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, showing grit and maturity to outstay his older rivals and break through for his maiden win over the mile.

Rach (Written Tycoon) led the field and had to work early to cross and find the rail, with So Precise (Nicconi) charging up to sit outside the leader. Tambeloa (Tagaloa) enjoyed a soft run on the inside, while the well-backed Victorian favourite Rasp (Street Boss {USA}) settled well back in the field.

Rach kept the pressure on, stringing the field out mid-race, but when Tambeloa peeled off heels behind the leading pair, he let down strongly. It was a well-judged ride by Jay Ford, and the gelding had enough in reserve to hold off the fast-finishing Rasp by three-quarters of a length. Dollars (Written Tycoon) boxed on gamely to finish third.

Tambeloa had shown solid form at his two previous starts, running third at both Newcastle and Hawkesbury, and he looked to relish both the rise to 1600 metres and the give in the ground. Being already proven over a strong mile should stand him in good stead heading into his 3-year-old season.

Jay Ford was taken by the gelding’s performance and believes he has the potential to develop into a serious horse.

“I really like him. I had my first go on him the other day and said to Kristen ‘he doesn’t know what he's doing, but he's gonna make a horse’ and he'll stay that's an obvious,” said Ford.

Trainer Kristen Buchanan was equally pleased with the result and is already daring to dream. It's really exciting. He's a big baby. He's only two, just about to turn three,” said Buchanan.

“He’s been showing a lot of promise. It's a big deal to come here and win. I'm very happy with him. My partner selected him, and my owners have supported me in buying these better horses, so I'm super grateful, and it's great to deliver.

“Dreams are free so maybe there is a Derby in his picture down the track.”

The beautifully bred Tambeloa is the tenth foal, and seventh winner, for Gamble Me (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). A talented and speedy filly during her racing days, Gamble Me won six races including the G3 Birthday Card Stakes, G3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes, Listed Red Roses Stakes, and the Listed Moomba Plate.

Among her seven winners are the stakes-placed duo Major Conquest (More Than Ready {USA}) and Kinagat (Street Cry {Ire}), while another daughter, Sent From Above (Lonhro), is the dam of the smart juvenile Shangri La Express (Alabama Express), who was placed in the G2 Todman Stakes.

Unfortunately, Gamble Me has not produced a live foal since Tambeloa, having missed the last three breeding seasons.

Tambeloa was purchased by Tiverton Bloodstock for $60,000 from the Yulong draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Anders’ Style lives up to his name, delivering a seventh winner for his sire

The Peter Robl-trained Anders’ Style (Anders) made a statement on debut at Doomben on Wednesday, cruising to a dominant win by just over one and a half lengths. The result came as no surprise, with the gelding, by Widden Stud’s first season sire Anders, having impressed in both his lead-up trials at Beaudesert and the Gold Coast.

Showing natural speed, Anders’ Style was ridden positively by Jag Guthmann-Chester from barrier one to take up the early lead. He then settled in the box seat behind race favourite Quickzou (Zoustar). At the 600-metre mark, he angled off the fence and took the race to the favourite. After a strong duel, he asserted his class late. Quickzou was brave in defeat also on debut, while Pearls In June (Jungle Cat {Ire}) caught the eye with a fast-finishing third at long odds.

“He’s above average that horse, he basically won on raw ability today. He has always been unassuming at home.

“He’s never worked like a good horse, he never really gets out of second gear to do anything at home,” said Robl.

“He’s pretty laid back. His first trial was a little bit better than what I anticipated from him. I thought he would take a couple of trials before he worked out what he was doing. His second trial, we took a sit on him and educated him, and he went well.

“The only real query I had today was his race sense, he’s a big dumb sort of bugger. Barrier one, if he was in the gates for a bit, he might step slowly and we may have been in a bit of trouble.

“I told Jag to make sure he was positive that first 50 metres out of the gate, but he pinged the lids and raced professionally, even though he was very new down the straight. But there is a lot of upside to him.”

When asked about what’s next, Robl hinted at a potential career overseas:

“I haven’t spoken to the owners yet, but I suspect he may head to Hong Kong. I think he would get to Class 3 in Hong Kong, no dramas at all.”

Anders’ Style became the seventh winner for his sire Anders, and is the eighth live foal from the talented Femina Fashion (Shamardal {USA}). A six-time winner on the track, Femina Fashion claimed victory in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet and has since become a consistent producer at stud, leaving seven winners including the Group-placed Amica (Rubick).

Since producing Anders’ Style, Femina Fashion has delivered a yearling filly named Fashion Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}), a weanling colt by Admire Mars (Jpn), and she has now been retired from breeding.

The family is steeped in black-type performers. Femina Fashion is a half-sister to Happy Archer (Dubawi {Ire}), a dual Group 1 winner in South Africa. Further back in the pedigree are the Group winner and Group 1 placed Lolita Star (Jeune {GB}), and Berezny (Bellotto {USA}), the winner of the G3 Adelaide Guineas.

Anders’ Style was initially purchased by Paul Willetts Bloodstock for $60,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. He was later re-offered at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Rory Willock secured him for $80,000 from the draft of Goodwood Farm.

Cover image courtesy of Newhaven park

An exciting opportunity awaits breeders in the upcoming Magic Millions Virtual Sale, taking place next Tuesday on August 5, to buy into Cool Aza Beel (NZ), one of this season’s breakout stars among the first season sires. Two individual stallion shares will be on offer in the sale for the Newhaven Park-based sire of G1 JJ Atkins Plate winner Cool Archie, R. Listed Inglis Nursery runner-up Cobra Club, and four-time winner Cool Aza Rene.

The best is yet to come

An electric juvenile himself who won the G1 Diamond Stakes for Te Akau Racing en route to claiming the New Zealand Champion 2-year-old title, Cool Aza Beel is one of the best sons of Waikato Stud’s soon-to-be 10-time New Zealand Champion Sire Savabeel out of a daughter of Testa Rossa. A Danehill (USA) free pedigree with very little Northern Dancer (Can) present makes him an excellent outcross to the Australian mare population.

“Cool Aza Beel’s pedigree and the types he threw in his first year all point to his first crop only getting better as 3-year-olds,” said Magic Millions Bloodstock Manager Dane Robinson.

“Cool Archie is the North Star, but the sire’s momentum looks to be timely heading into spring, and when you consider the modest fee he stands for, especially compared to his peers with similar first season results, it only reinforces that his value is set to rise from here.”

Each share on offer includes a bonus nomination for the 2025 breeding season, and under the Cool Aza Beel Stallion Syndicate Deed, each shareholder is entitled to either use or sell that nomination (with written notice to Newhaven Park) while still taking advantage of standard live foal and free return terms. This additional nomination offers immediate commercial utility to shareholders, who will have multiple ways to cash in on their purchase.

Knockout first season

Newhaven Park’s John Kelly has been delighted with Cool Aza Beel’s first season at stud, where he has produced five individual winners to date and secured fourth spot on the first season sires’ premiership.

“He’s arguably got the Champion 2-year-old in Cool Archie, I would have thought,” Kelly told TTR. “He’s won two Group 2s and a Group 1, and shown so much improvement from his spring to his autumn, which is what you are hoping to see. Since he was such a good juvenile himself, we were hopeful he would get a good one - he got a really good one.

“He’s had a lot of horses that have been racing in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as Queensland’s strongest jurisdiction, and he’s had Cool Aza Rene in New Zealand, who has won four out of five starts. We think he’s had a very encouraging start.”

Gallery: Cool Aza Beel's exciting first juveniles

The expectation is that Cool Aza Beel’s stock will follow in the footsteps of Savabeel’s progeny, who improved leaps and bounds into their 3-year-old season and beyond. Aside from the aforementioned, his progressive juveniles being aimed at black-type races next season include speedy Doomben winner Kahlua Girl and Ipswich winner Don’t Tellyafather, and metropolitan placegetters Sequel and Cool Moon.

“There are a lot of trainers who have Cool Aza Beels who have given them a little extra time,” Kelly said. “There are some horses who have had only the one start so far, and they've got some fairly lofty aspirations for them for next season.”

“There’s genuine momentum building here, when you’ve got a Group 1 juvenile, potentially Champion 2-year-old of the season, with strong sale results, and a wave of 3-year-olds returning with black-type targets,” Robinson added. “In a changing landscape of Australian sires, Cool Aza Beel looks like a young, commercial stallion that represents great potential upside at his current fee.”

Breeding in the right direction

“They’ve got speed, and I think he’s going to get horses who can get over a bit of ground. He’s going to get sprinter-milers, and I think they will probably get out to the Classic distances, so we are really encouraged with what he’s been doing.”

Cool Aza Beel’s versatility in his progeny extends to the types of mares that suit him, with Kelly indicating that the stallion suited and was visited by a wide range of types.

“He’s a very easy horse to mate to, because he’s very solid, he’s got plenty of substance, but he’s neither a big horse nor a small horse. He’s beautifully sized at just a touch over 16.1 hands. Being free of Danehill as well, those were the main reasons that we were so keen to acquire him in the beginning.”

Cool Aza Beel’s fee has remained unchanged in four seasons at stud; he stands for $16,500 (inc GST) in 2025 and his books have already been filled; this may well be the last opportunity to get mares into him for this breeding season.

He will also stand for the lowest fee from the top five first season sires, and is the only one who will not incur a fee rise this season, with Newhaven Park opting to reward breeders with the opportunity to produce good results on both the track and in the ring.

Buyers are keen to reinvest

“We put him at a fee where we thought that he would build a following, and where the breeders could do well,” Kelly said. “Because we want everyone to have a good opportunity to get their mares covered and in foal, he’s capped at 140 mares.”

In his first crop, Cool Aza Beel yearlings sold for up to $240,000 (colts) and $280,000 (fillies) in the ring, with an average price of $56,428, which is over 3.7 times his service fee (minus GST). His second crop of yearlings were also well received this year, selling for up to $140,000 and seeing many repeat buyers, including North Bloodstock’s Mick Malone, who secured Cool Archie for clients the year before, Darby Racing, Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ), and Race With Lizzie.

“(The stallion syndicate) is very encouraged by how he’s performing,” Kelly said. “The people who went in him are all genuine breeders, so they're all very excited at the moment.”

The Magic Millions Virtual Sale will kick off at 2pm next Tuesday, and will be conducted in a similar manner to Magic Millions’ in-person auctions, with one lot going under the hammer at a time.

The catalogue also features a breeding right in Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, a share in Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard, and sprinting talent Olentia (Zoustar).

Europe

Scandinavia too tough for his elders in the G1 Goodwood Cup

By Tom Frary, TDN Europe

In a renewal of the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup marred by a fatal injury sustained by the veteran stayer Trueshan (Planteur), Ballydoyle finished on top with the one-two led home by the 3-year-old Scandinavia (Justify). While the race heralded the arrival of a new staying star, it was the loss of the 2021 winner of this prize, Trueshan, who suffered a fractured pastern six out that echoes out of this sad renewal.

In terms of the end result, the illustrious homebred Scandinavia who had burst onto the scene with an 8 1/2-length success in Newmarket's G3 Bahrain Trophy earlier this month had the advantage of the weight-for-age allowance gained from stablemate and 7-4 favourite Illinois (Galileo) to edge it in the last half furlong for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict under Wayne Lordan.

“He's a typical Justify–they will not lie down, no matter where they are or how tired they get and that big open stride keeps going and their heads keep down. That pure genuineness that Galileo had is there, but they have that little more class,” Aidan O'Brien said.

“The lads backed him for the Derby a long time ago, so he's probably very classy and always has been. He looks Leger-made, he's very straightforward and he handled an ease in the ground today.”

Scandinavia, who took part in the Frankel/Motivator Newmarket maiden in August of his 2-year-old campaign, will renew rivalry with his Queen's Vase conqueror Carmers (Wootton Bassett) at Doncaster in September having made great strides since his close-up fifth in that Royal Ascot contest. Whether the half-brother to American Pharoah's G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Above The Curve supplants the yard's dual Derby winner Lambourn (Australia) in that Classic remains to be seen, but high-class problems continue to abound in this stable and here is another.

O'Brien sees Illinois as holding potential still, despite two misses now in the Gold Cup and here. “We went to the Gold Cup with Illinois without a preparation and I know we haven't seen the best of him,” he added. “The Gold Cup was a little bit hard on him, so there is more to come from him next year–he's not finished yet but I'd say the winner is just very classy. Illinois could go to the Irish Leger with Jan Brueghel.”

Pedigree Notes: Scandinavia is the sixth foal out of the unraced Fabulous (Galileo), a daughter of the renowned Mariah's Storm (Rahy) who needs no introduction as the dam of the stable's Iron Horse Giant's Causeway. His full-sister You'resothrilling (Galileo) also scored at Newmarket's July meeting in the G2 Cherry Hinton Stakes before going on to establish herself as one of Coolmore's leading broodmares.

Producing top-class progeny of Galileo year upon year, she was responsible for the Classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Joan Of Arc, as well as the fellow Group 1 performers Happily, Taj Mahal, Coolmore and Toy. Another of Mariah's Storm's daughters, another Galileo in Butterflies, is responsible for War Front's G2 Balanchine Stakes runner-up Yet who is the dam of the yard's juvenile sensation Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett).

Also connected to Galileo's Irish Champion-winning sire Decorated Knight, Fabulous who along with the aforementioned Above The Curve is also responsible for another smart daughter of American Pharoah in the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You has a yearling colt by No Nay Never to come.

Zavateri brave and tough in the Vintage Stakes

By Tom Frary, TDN Europe

Insulted at 8-1, Zavateri (Without Parole) stepped up again as he had at Newmarket to make light of a three-pound penalty in Tuesday's G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. Impressive in the G2 July Stakes, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's great-grandson of Zarkava (Zamindar) was again forced to race wide without cover but once more produced that emphatic turn of acceleration for Charles Bishop to swamp the leaders a furlong out and hold Morris Dancer (Palace Pier) by a short head. Do Or Do Not (Space Blues) was in the frame for the third time in a Group race, 1 3/4 lengths away in third.

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton was impressed. “He had to win his race twice, he amazes me, what a dude he is,” she said. “He is so straightforward at home, through the race and is not a hard ride so touch wood long may it last. We had to go somewhere with a Group Two penalty and I thought if he was beaten here it would be because of that, but it didn't beat him. He cut through the pack like a knife through butter and was going again at the end.”

All roads lead to the Dewhurst now in October and an attempt to follow Fulke Johnson Houghton's example in 2002. “Dad trained Tout Seul when I was around and he was brilliant, but this one would be better, I think,” the trainer added. “I had it in my mind he would have a nice break until the Dewhurst, so we'll have to wait for that.”

John Gosden said of Morris Dancer, “We are thrilled with him–he had a little niggle and cough after winning at Haydock and has come here off the minimum work and run a great race. The winner is by an old friend of ours in Without Parole and Morris Dancer is by Palace Pier, so it is nice to see your old pals in Group Two races like this. William (Buick) said don't be frightened to step up to a mile with him and we will do that somewhere.”

Ed Walker quipped of the third, “Do Or Do Not doesn't! I am probably more frustrated than I have been the other times when he was placed because, watching it, I actually thought he was going to come and win his race and he still didn't quite. He is a really solid horse and we are throwing the kitchen sink at him. He keeps answering. We might just try to find a slightly lower race–not a maiden because there isn't any point–to give him some confidence.”

Pedigree Notes: The Aga Khan Studs may be ruing letting go of the unraced Zeroua (Siyouni), a granddaughter of the mighty unbeaten champion Zarkava whose six top-level victories include the pinnacle Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and both the domestic fillies' Classics. Bought by Mark McStay's Avenue Bloodstock for €90,000 at the 2021 Arqana December Sale, this already-valuable juvenile machine is only her first offering.

Her dam was the similarly unraced Zerkaza (Dalakhani), who produced one Stakes performer in Sea The Stars' dual Australian Group 3 winner Zeyrek and who is a half to Dubawi's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning sire Zarak and the G1 Prix Vermeille-placed Zarkamiya by Without Parole's sire Frankel. The latter is in turn the dam of this year's promoted Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner and Coronation Stakes runner-up Zarigana by Zeroua's sire Siyouni. Zeroua's second foal is a yearling filly by Ghaiyyath and a colt foal by Baaeed.

Witness Stand causes upset in a dramatic Lennox at Goodwood

By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe

Former Tom Clover trainee and dual Listed winner Witness Stand (Expert Eye), now representing the training partnership of Jamie Insole and Richard Newland, was let go at 25-1 for Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and made a mockery of his extended odds with a stunning victory in a dramatic renewal of the seven-furlong contest. The well-supported dual winner Kinross (Kingman) was withdrawn at the start after receiving a kick from eventual third Audience (Iffraaj).

“I have been involved in a lot of big winners and to actually train one myself is pretty special,” said Jamie Insole after overseeing a first Group success for the stable. “My grandad was a jockey and a trainer, and my uncle Will Kennedy was a National Hunt jockey, so racing is in the blood and I did them all proud today.

“We bought Witness Stand for 100,000gns at the horses-in-training sales. He went under the radar and we immediately had offers of more money for him. I already had this race in mind and he ran a great race at Chester last time, when they broke the track record. The bit of ease in the ground helped him and he looked pretty good. I wouldn't have run him if we didn't think he had a good chance. The Chester run gave us confidence to come here and it's lucky that I put him in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret this morning.

“That is looking like a pretty good idea now. He is in the G2 Hungerford Stakes, but will have to carry a penalty in that now, so we will see. We have had an amazing season and that is 27 winners now. We have a really good team and, hopefully, we can keep going and keep getting these big winners.”

The outsider broke in second and was positioned third behind Quinault (Oasis Dream) and Audience after the initial exchanges as the leading trio stole a march and raced clear of the rest of the field. Easing to the fore soon after passing the quarter-mile pole, Witness Stand was not for catching thereafter and came under a Hollie Doyle drive to comfortably hold the late flourish of Golden Eagle victor Lake Forest (No Nay Never) by 2 3/4 lengths for a career high. Audience, who raced down the centre of the track in the straight, kept on well to finish 2 1/4 lengths back in third.

Pedigree Notes Witness Stand is the sixth of eight foals and one of four scorers out of a full-sister to G1 King's Stand Stakes hero Prohibit (Oasis Dream). The January-foaled bay's dam Respondez (Oasis Dream), who also produced the once-raced 2-year-old colt Clipstone (Ardad), is also kin to Listed Prix Amandine-winning G3 Prix du Pin and G3 Prix de Lieurey placegetter Emergency (Dr Fong) and Listed Prix Montenica and Listed Prix Sigy victor Prior Warning (Barathea).