Matings Mix: Cornerstone Stud sees value in 2025 first season sires

Cover image courtesy of Cornerstone Stud

Cornerstone Stud in the Barossa Valley of South Australia began life as Lindsay Park Stud under Colin Hayes in 1956. It stayed in the family until 2023 when purchased by John Frankhuisen, and is run by Sam Pritchard-Gordon.

“We’ve morphed away from standing stallions and have transitioned into developing a broodmare band that is hopefully capable of high-end interstate racecourse success and with luck, some sales-ring victories along the way,” Pritchard-Gordon said.

“Cornerstone owns the equivalent to 20 mares outright, whilst we have made approximately 40 odd bookings to stallions for clients and partners alike. With the less commercial or late foaling mares remaining to foal at Cornerstone, we now have a host of mares in the Hunter, Nagambie and New Zealand with foals on the ground. I am beginning to get a feel on how our mares and last season stallion choices are faring.”

A fan of Frankel

Unraced mare Lustrale (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was covered by Frankel (GB) before heading down under, where she foaled a filly and the now 2-year-old has been named Purify.

“As an unabashed fan of Frankel, I am delighted to have landed a colt by his son Chaldean out of the mare Lustrale, whose first foal is now named Purify and is in the Ciaron Maher stable.”

Purify was purchased by Ciaron Maher for $400,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from Cornerstone Farm’s draft. Lustrale was exported to New Zealand in 2024 in foal to Toronado (Ire). Sadly, that foal died, but she has recently foaled a colt by Chaldean (GB).

Lustrale is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Skia (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), dam of G1 Nakayama Satsuki Sho winner Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and G2 Tokyo Fuji Stakes and Group 1-placed Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

“She returns to Chaldean, and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of Cambridge Stud's exemplary stallion management and support of their joint venture with Juddmonte. Restricted books and thoughtful matings will give a stallion a much better chance of success, and I think it’s prudent to try and be a part of something managed in that fashion.”

Cornerstone’s favourite mare

Whether they admit it or not, every farm has a favourite, and Cornerstone Stud adores Group 3-placed Le Societe (Anabaa {USA}). “The farm's favourite is the old arthritic mare with the bung knee and rotten stifle. Le Societe. A stoic matriarch, she rules her paddock with an iron fist and a fierce Anabaa stare with ears flatback!”

Frankhuisin purchased her in 2020 at the Inglis Digital June Sale for $32,000 in foal to Puissance De Lune (Ire). “The resultant sale of that foal for $120,000 gave John Frankhuisin, our now current owner of Cornerstone Stud, the confidence to carry on the Star CS legacy when he took on the business from Sam Hayes in 2023.”

When she was purchased, she had a yearling colt by Pierro, and since then, he’s been named Grand Pierro and is the winner of two Listed races and over $580,000.

Her current 3-year-old Molesworth (The Autumn Sun) was purchased by Paul Moroney for $200,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, and she has a Bivouac yearling colt. Her pedigree has had a further upgrade with her half-sister Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) winning two Group 1 races in New Zealand.

“It goes without saying that when Le Societe lay down in the midday sun and foaled an outstanding son of Toronado four weeks ago, my girls were quick to tag that foal Bubba John Junior. With luck her yearling colt by Bivouac, who is nicknamed Baby John, is well received next year and goes onto further stakes glory. The Le Societe legacy becomes more than just the mare that wooed John's heart to save Cornerstone.”

Taking risks to upgrade the broodmare band

Cornerstone Stud’s strategy of using stallions in their third and fourth seasons to upgrade their broodmare band has paid off with some clever choices. “Over the last few years, I have been trying to deliver extraordinary returns with lesser mares to assist in clearing some legacy debt of the former business,” said Pritchard-Gordon.

“As such, I have been corralled to try and land on the right stallion in his third and fourth season. With thanks to the racing gods, we have had some great results with the likes of Wootton Bassett, Ole Kirk, Too Darn Hot, and Frankel. However, continually getting it right in this roulette sphere of the game is high risk and foolhardy.”

In 2025, Cornerstone Stud will bank on Hitotsu in his third season with their mare Wild Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). “I am particularly drawn to what I've seen in Hitotsu's stock and have some belief that the Redoute's Choice factor of his maternal page is going to shine through, much like it has with Super Seth.”

Wild Impact was purchased at the 2025 Inglis Digital June Sale for $5000 as an empty mare, and her only foal to date is a 2-year-old filly by Grunt (NZ). Wild Impact won twice at a mile and 2000 metres and is a daughter of Listed winner Siren’s Song (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) from the family of Panthalassa (Jpn).

“I expect Maurice to continue his commercial rise through the ranks and consider there to be some value in his $55,000 advertised fee, I just hope the buying bench learn how to adjust their conformation spectacles, as his stock are not the obvious in type. But they have a depth of ability that the whizbang-set 2-year-old sires don’t impart.”

Cornerstone Stud will be sending their mare Pitch Blue (Fr) (Muhaarar {GB}) back to Maurice (Jpn) in 2025. They purchased her through the April 2025 Inglis Digital Sale for $80,000 in foal to Maurice. The unraced Pitch Blue has a 3-year-old filly Blue Poles (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) and a yearling colt by Cracksman (GB). Pitch Blue’s Group 3-placed dam Peinture Abstraite (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and sire Peintre Celebre (USA).

“Our most recent purchase Zelta, will be visiting Dundeel this year. I expect Dundeel to be a future Champion Sire in the making, and we also have Lively visiting his son Super Seth this year.”

Zelta (Snitzel) was purchased at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale this year for $170,000, and she recently foaled a colt by Pierata. Fourth on debut in the Listed Cinderella Stakes, Zelta won two of her four starts and she is a daughter of stakes placed Gibraltar Girl (Manhattan Rain).

Lively (Pierro) will have her first season at stud in 2025, and she comes off the track with two wins from six starts for the Ciaron Maher stable. She was purchased by Sunbridge Nominees for $40,000 at the 2025 April Inglis Digital Sale and is a half-sister to Listed-placed Perceptive (Written Tycoon) out of Listed winner Japhils (Choisir).

Taking a punt on first season sires

“For the first time since 2022, I think we have a large number of first season sires that are almost attractively priced. Having seen Henry Longfellow, his incredible pedigree is bolstered by a great physique, and I will double down on that Too Darn Hot sireline with a couple of mares.”

Cornerstone Stud will send Super Intelligent (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and Invite (Exosphere) to Rosemont Stud’s Henry Longfellow (Ire) in his first season.

Super Intelligent has recently foaled a filly by Lofty Strike and is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and sire Valentia. Invite has a yearling colt by Astern and recently foaled a colt by Acrobat. She is an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Cohesion (Lonhro) out of Listed winner Come Hither (Redoute’s Choice).

“I also am awestruck by what Not This Time has achieved in America and although the narrative will be tricky to translate into selling his stock as yearlings, I think Cogburn is a sire that ought to be acknowledged.”

Oh Yoko (Pariah) is booked to Cogburn, and she is a winning mare whose first covering was to Cylinder in 2024. She is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Superare (Exceed And Excel) and is a daughter of Listed winner Strawberry Field (Encosta De Lago) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Pellizotti (Stratum).