Matings Mix: Coolmore concentrate high quality mares on home roster

Cover image courtesy of Coolmore

Coolmore Stud will stand a 15-strong roster of stallions at Jerry’s Plains this year, with four new stallions standing their first season at stud this spring. Marketing and Nominations Tom Moore breaks down who’s going where, including a number of high profile purchases and several mares going back to where they have experienced the most success.

Only the best for Wootton Bassett

Wootton Bassett (GB) returns to Australia’s shores with much fanfare given the continued exploits of his Northern Hemisphere crops. His eldest Southern Hemisphere crop have just turned three, and he will be well backed again this season with a number of Coolmore’s finest mares.

“Wootton Bassett continues to go from strength to strength and we will have a strong focus on him with some of our better mares this season,” Moore said. “We are just incredibly lucky to have access to a stallion like him. He’s got five Group 1 winners from his current Northern hemisphere 3-year-old crop and some of the most exciting juveniles in Europe, as well as some of the most highly anticipated 3-year-olds in Australia with lofty targets in the spring.

“We bought a number of nice mares with him in mind this year, and we’ve also learned plenty about the types of mares that suit him over the last four seasons, so we will breed to him accordingly.”

Zougotcha (Zoustar) is the first cab off the rank visiting Wootton Bassett this season, after being purchased for $5.25 million by Tom Magnier at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale earlier this year.

“Zougotcha is an example of a mare purchased this year with the specific intent to breed her to Wootton Bassett,” said Moore. She’s by Zoustar out of a Fastnet Rock mare, both of which are stallions that have already nicked well with Wootton Bassett, highlighted by Central Coast and Agarwood. She’s a beautiful mare and one of the most talented of her generation, so we’re looking forward to seeing what sort of Wootton Basset she can produce.”

She joins an elite group in Wootton Bassett’s book, with her name beside Sunlight (Zoustar), Paulownia (Fastnet Rock), the dam of unbeaten filly Agarwood (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and $2.5 million broodmare purchase Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice), whose first foal State Visit (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was second in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes by a short neck in the autumn.

“Celebrity Queen is another mare that just has to go back to Wootton Bassett,” Moore said. “This mare produces outstanding animals every year, with her Pierro colt making $1.1 million at Easter this year and a Justify colt who will be a standout at any sale next year. State Visit is on a Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas path in the spring for Ciaron Maher, and the stable is pretty bullish about him.”

Aside from producing Agarwood, Paulownia is the dam of G3 James Carr Stakes winner Lilac (Justify {USA}), who was fourth in her first crack at the top level in the G1 Surround Stakes. Annabel and Rob Archibald, who train Lilac, purchased her yearling by Home Affairs at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this year for $180,000, and Paulownia was one of a handful of mares who made the trek overseas in 2024 to visit Justify (USA) on Southern Hemisphere time.

“This is a family that continues to go from strength to strength,” Moore said. “Once she produces her full sister to Lilac later this month, she can go back to Wootton Bassett and produce a full to Agarwood, who is currently in the market for the Flight Stakes in the spring. You can’t have enough Fastnet Rock mares and they work particularly well with these imported outcross stallions.”

Sending Sunlight, whose daughter Lia La La (Home Affairs) topped the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year when selling to Mitsu Nakauchida for a sale record of $3.2 million, back to Wootton Bassett “just makes sense”. Her son Central Coast (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was a winner at Canterbury in June, beating subsequent Flemington winner Crossbow (Better Than Ready).

Quality and quantity for Shinzo

G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Shinzo’s first foals arrive in 2025, with the first foal welcomed at Torryburn Stud late in July. The son of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}) covered 218 mares in his first season at stud.

“Shinzo is a stallion that we are insistent on supporting with both quantity and quality this season,” Moore said. “It’s something that we did two years ago with Home Affairs and we think we’re extremely well positioned, with a significant number of Home Affairs yearlings to go to the sales with again next year.

“Shinzo was the most popular first crop sire in Australia last season and was supported by the who’s who of breeders throughout Australia and New Zealand. He’s a stallion with impeccable credentials as a Golden Slipper winner, by a Champion sire, out of a Champion sprinter, and is a full brother to a Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner.

“He’s a magnificent looking stallion, and reports already from Torryburn and Lime Country about their Shinzo foals are positive, so we’ve identified some high end mares to send his way this year.”

Fashion Faux Pas (USA) (Flatter {USA}) will be among Shinzo’s book this year, after being purchased by Coolmore’s stud manager Justin Carey for $1.15 million from Newgate Farm in the Inglis Digital sale this January. This move came after Coolmore secured her yearling son by Snitzel at the Gold Coast for $1.7 million.

“We bought the Snitzel colt from this mare off Newgate at the Magic Millions,” Moore shared. “He broke in really well and looks forward, so we thought she would be an ideal candidate for Snitzel’s only Golden Slipper winning son.”

A Listed winner and Group-placed in the States, Fashion Faux Pas is from the extended family of American dual Group 1 winner Elate (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}), and is due to foal to Snitzel in early October.

Another mare picked out for Shinzo is G2 Percy Sykes Stakes winner Paris Dior (Pierro), who visited Wootton Bassett last year after foaling a filly by Snitzel as her first foal.

“Paris Dior is another that we have identified for Shinzo as she has a highly-rated Snitzel filly to go to the sales next year,” Moore said. “She’s been given a great start to her stud career with two proven horses, but we’re confident in this mating. Pierro is quickly developing into an elite broodmare sire and has a well known affinity with the Redoute’s Choice sire line, so we’re hopeful that this Percy Sykes Stakes winning daughter can breed a good 2-year-old with Shinzo."

Justifying the travel

Superstar juvenile Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) will also visit Wootton Bassett, while her dam Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) was sent north in May to visit Justify to produce another full relation. Her yearling filly bound for the 2026 sales is also a full sister, bred from Justify’s last crop born on Australian shores.

“She’s equally as good a physical as her sister,” Moore said of Ennis Hill’s yearling. “If you had to paint what you wanted a yearling to look like, you would paint a picture of Learning To Fly. She’s a queen, and she had the ability to match.”

City Of Troy (USA), Justify’s Cartier Horse Of The Year son, is his father’s much anticipated replacement, and as such, his book has been full since soon after announcement. Moore shared that a number of high quality mares will get the four-time Group 1 winner off to a sharp start at stud, including four-time Group winner Formality (Fastnet Rock), who was covered last season by So You Think (NZ).

“Formality looks tailor-made for City Of Troy on pedigree, just as most Fastnet Rock mares do,” Moore said. “Being by Justify and out of a Galileo mare, City Of Troy’s pedigree contains the two stallions that Fastnet Rock combines best with. Learning To Fly, Storm Boy, Lilac, and Arcora are all by Justify out of Fastnet Rock mares, and the affinity that Galileo and Fastnet Rock have is well known.

“Formality is already the dam of a Group winner in Hong Kong by Justify, so it makes sense to breed her to Justify’s best son in City Of Troy, who arrived at the farm last night and looks incredible. We really look forward to showcasing him to breeders in advance of the season.”

Formality’s son Pray For Mir (Justify {USA}) captured the G3 Lion Rock Trophy en route to amassing more than HK$9.6 million ($1.89 million) in prizemoney.

Momentum continues behind Home Affairs

Both Home Affairs and St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) had phenomenal results from their first yearling crops to market, with Home Affairs producing multiple million dollar lots on top of his Magic Millions record-breaker and St Mark’s Basilica attracting up to $700,000 for his stock. Moore is intent on keeping the ball rolling and ensuring that both have continued access to high quality mares to build their profiles.

“We’ve been big supporters of Home Affairs from the outset and, given the way his first crop yearlings were received by the buying bench, we’re intent on supporting him with quality mares once again,” he said.

“Fontein Ruby has had a few foals now, but it looks like her 3-year-old called Biologics might be quite smart for Graeme Begg and Jonathan Munz. She’s won her only start to date, and we’ve heard glowing reports about the Home Affairs 2-year-old from the breakers and also the Hayes brothers at Lindsay Park, so it makes sense to send her back.”

Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock secured the I Am Invincible daughter of G2 Edward Manifold Stakes winner Fontein Ruby (Turffontein) on behalf of Munz’s Pinecliff Racing for $700,000 at Inglis Easter in 2024, and her Home Affairs filly headed to the same venue this year where she sold for $200,000 to Flash Conroy.

“Lindsay Park have 10 Home Affairs 2-year-olds in the stable and they seem extremely bullish about them in general. We own this mare in partnership with Robert and Barbara McClure, who are also partners in Home Affairs with us, so we’re keen to show the faith.”

Fontein Ruby missed to Home Affairs in 2024, and returned to him last spring with an early September due date.

Joining her this spring is O’Marilyn (O’Reilly {NZ}), the Group 1-winning dam of Group 2 winner O’President (Fastnet Rock). She will have a Home Affairs filly go through the ring in 2024, after which she missed to Shinzo.

“Her Home Affairs yearling makes it pretty hard to look elsewhere when coming up with a mating for this year, she’s an outstanding filly and we’re keen to go back again,” Moore said.

More exposure key for St Mark's Basilica

St Mark’s Basilica’s promising first Northern Hemisphere juveniles has Moore “adamant” they keep the quality flowing into his book this spring.

“Knowing the quality of the stock we have coming through the system, he’s a stallion we’re adamant about having exposure to this season, so we’ve identified some mares that have already worked with him to go back again,” he said.

Bewitchingly (I Am Invincible), a full sister to dual Group 3 winner Catch Me, delivered a $650,000 result in the sales ring with her filly by St Mark’s Basilica this sales season, when selling to Dominic Sutton and Emirates Park, so the Coolmore team are keen to return to the well for another round. She has a Wootton Bassett foal on board at the moment, due in October.

“She (St Mark’s Basilica, ex Bewitchingly) was just about the best physical we offered at the sales anywhere this year and sold accordingly, so we’re pretty keen to send the mare back to him,” Moore said. “He seems to work extremely well with I Am Invincible mares in general, as one of our best physicals for next year is a colt out of another I Am Invincible mare called Night Move.”

Another mare earmarked for the son of Siyouni (Fr) is Piccadillies (Uncle Mo {USA}), a half-sister to Fastnet Rock. She delivered a promising St Mark’s Basilica colt in 2024, before visiting Wootton Bassett.

“We think her St Mark’s Basilica colt to sell next year is the best the mare has had, and given we’re keen to have exposure to him, why not go back when you know it works?”

The colts syndicate dream

Perhaps the best credentialled Australian horse of the roster’s newest arrivals, G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland has had a generous amount of top shelf mares handpicked for his first book this season.

“A $1.5 million yearling purchase who won the Todman at two and trained on to win the Coolmore dominantly at three, Add to that he’s by Snitzel out of a high-class Blame mare, identifying a horse like Switzerland is what colts syndicates dream about,” Moore said.

Switzerland’s dam Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}) produced another dream result for breeders Arrowfield Stud this sales season when Coolmore returned to the well at Easter and purchased a full brother to Switzerland for $2.7 million. The 3-year-old full brother Decorum, a $500,000 purchase for TFI in 2024, has yet to make a start for trainer Michael Freedman.

“Nakeeta Jane was a high class Group 1 winner by So You Think, but she just needs to be tidied up a bit and we think Switzerland will be an ideal physical mating for her,” said Moore, “Switzerland measures 16 hands, but is very much in the mould of Snitzel himself, with a short back, strong hip and hindquarter, and powerful forearms and gaskins. He’s all speed, which should suit this mare.”

G1 Surround Stakes winner Nakeeta Jane (So You Think {NZ}) has only had the one foal to race in Gatekeeper (Justify {USA}), who has won at his only start. After missing to Justify in 2024, she was part of the contingent sent to visit him Stateside last spring on Southern Hemisphere time and is due to foal within the fortnight.

Joining her in visiting Switzerland will be Tangier (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}), a half-sister to Godolphin’s star mare Alizee (Sepoy) and Astern.

“Tangier is from one of Godolphin’s best families, which is all speed,” Moore said. “It’s a family that has already worked well with the Snitzel line, as evidenced by Willinga Beast and Amur, and we’re confident that Switzerland has the appropriate physical attributes to complement Tangier.”

Table: Matings schedule for some of Coolmore Stud's broodmare band