The dam of this impressive Anamoe colt is Chianti, a daughter of I Am Invincible. She was a dual winner on the track, and has already made her mark as a broodmare leaving the winner and Group 2-placed Gallo Nero as her first first foal.
The mare comes from strong family being a half sister to the Group placed Sweet Rockette (Fastnet Rock), and out of the talented globe-trotting sprinter Sweet Sanette (Saf) (Jallad {USA}), who was a Group 3 winner in South Africa, a Listed winner in Hong Kong, and was Group 1 placed at Royal Ascot.
The story behind Chianti: A mare with momentum
When Toole set out to find a quality broodmare alongside some of his most trusted clients, his search soon led him to a standout prospect.
“I was looking for a mare along some of my good clients, and it came to my attention that Coolmore Stud had a nice I Am Invincible mare that may be for sale.”
The mare in question had plenty to like on paper - strong pedigree, solid enough racetrack performance, and international black-type depth.
Chianti | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“I was really keen on her pedigree, she was out of a good stakes-winning and Group 1 performed international mare, and she wasn’t a bad racehorse.”
Toole reached out to Coolmore with a few initial offers, but the numbers didn’t meet expectations.
“I rang up Coolmore and made a few offers, and they said not enough each time, before they named a figure, and I thought I'd better get up to the Hunter Valley and have a look at the mare.”
“I was pleased with what I saw and I ended up getting her in foal to Wootton Bassett for $400,000 which I thought was an okay price.”
David Toole | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Gallo Nero emerges
That Wootton Bassett (GB) foal grew into a sharp-looking colt, eventually going through the ring at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale under the Glenbeigh Farm draft. Hawkes Racing stepped in to secure him for $370,000.
Now named Gallo Nero, the colt quickly made his mark. He broke his maiden at Randwick in December, beating none other than eventual Group 1 winner Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice). As a 2-year-old, Gallo Nero went on to place in both the Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast, and the G2 Champagne Classic at Doomben. He resumed as a 3-year-old earlier this month with a seventh placing in the G2 Roman Consul Stakes.
Gallo Nero as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
When asked to recall the Wootton Bassett colt, Toole explained:
“She ended up foaling a lovely Wootton Bassett colt. He was always a nice foal and grew into a lovely yearling. He ended up making good money and has gone on to become a lovely racehorse named Gallo Nero.
“He performed well as a 2-year-old and may run this weekend in the Coolmore Stud Stakes which is very exciting. He always looked like he would make a nice 3-year-old, so here’s hoping.”
Setbacks and successes at stud
Despite the bright start, Chianti’s next pregnancy sadly didn’t go to plan.
“She then slipped to Snitzel which was devastating, and then had a beautiful filly by Anamoe," Toole said.
“She was going to go to Too Darn Hot last year but he obviously he didn't end up shuttling, so on the back of the Anamoe filly that she had previously had, we went back to Anamoe, and she has produced a lovely colt, and I am delighted with the result.”
A chip off the old block
Toole clearly had confidence in the Anamoe cross, and early signs from the colt suggest it was a smart move.
“The Anamoe colt was born in August at Widden Stud. I haven’t actually seen him in the flesh, but my good mate at Widden Stud, Ben Walsh, sends me plenty of videos, and I have been impressed.
“All the experts at Widden describe him as an Anamoe colt that is the spitting image of his old man, so that can only be a good thing.
"But reports are he is strong, has a good presence about him, and is an attractive type of colt.”
Gallery: Anamoe x Chianti colt, images courtesy of Widden Stud
When asked about the filly from that first Anamoe mating?
“She is going to head to the Melbourne Premier Sale. I am a very proud Adelaide person, but last year’s sale was a very tough sale, so I am actually going to take nine nice horses to Melbourne and present them under the Kambula Stud banner," Toole said.
“She should be a standout lot, and I am excited to be able to present her so let’s see how we go.”
What's next for Chianti?
Chianti’s breeding career continues to gain momentum, with another exciting stallion choice for the current season.
Harry Angel | Standing at Darley
“She is actually in foal to Harry Angel now, which is exciting. The stallion is in great form, he had the likes of Angel Capital and War Machine in The Everest, and also Private Harry, before he had to pull out. I like the mating, and it’s always good to go to a stallion in form. Harry Angel sure is.”
