Coolmore’s Tom Moore told TTR, “it doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to send her back to him,” based on the quality of colt produced by Kings Iris (Exceed And Excel) this season. The decision to send her to Shinzo was based on the family’s excellent record with Shinzo’s grandsire Redoute’s Choice.
“Undoubtedly it’s the best foal the mare has produced, with plenty of resemblance to the stallion Shinzo. Just a nice well proportioned, well balance foal, with a big hip and hindquarter. Everything about him suggests that he’ll present well at a sale and the biggest compliment is that we’ve bred the mare back to Shinzo on the strength of what we see in him,” Moore said.
Shinzo x Kings Iris colt | Born at Coolmore
Paying for pedigree
Kings Iris won her maiden at Kilmore at her second race day start as a spring 3-year-old. But she was impressive prior to that, lighting up the sale ring when Moody Racing purchased her from Bhima Thoroughbreds for $1 million at the 2017 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
A $1 million price tag usually comes with a big pedigree, and Kings Iris is a half-sister to G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly Of The Year King’s Rose (Redoute’s Choice) and G2 Alistair Clarke Stakes and G1 Australian Derby-placed Hardham (Redoute’s Choice).
Kings Iris | Image courtesy of Inglis
King’s Rose went to stud in Japan where she’s produced G3 Tokyo Epsom Cup winner Satono Arthur (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). This is also the family of New Zealand Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Anabandana (Anabaa {USA}) and recent Listed winner Snow In May (The Autumn Sun) who ran third in the G2 Hot Danish Stakes two weeks ago.
“We paid a bit of money for her a few years ago. Her Home Affairs 2-year-old is with Te Akau, and it’s the family of Snow In May who is running well for O’Shea,” said Moore.
At the end of her five start racing career, Kings Iris was sold at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale to Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) for $475,000. Her first foal, 4-year-old entire Mubsher (Justify {USA}) is currently in Dubai with Michael Costa. Her second foal is the 2-year-old filly Flower Of Passion (Home Affairs) who was purchased by David Ellis for $170,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Tom Moore | Image courtesy of Coolmore Stud
The yearling filly by Home Affairs from Kings Iris is Lot 423 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and will be presented by Riverstone Lodge (as agent).
Family works well with Redoute’s Choice
Snow In May is a granddaughter of Redoute’s Choice via his son The Autumn Sun, while Shinzo is a grandson via his sire Snitzel. “It’s a family that has worked well with the Redoute’s Choice line time and time again, hence why we bred her to Shinzo. She’s a strong mare but not overly big and Shinzo’s thrown plenty of size and leg into the foal. It’s exactly what we were hoping for.
The late Redoute’s Choice | Image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
“It didn’t take a whole lot of imagination to send her back.”
Snow In May is a daughter of See You Soon (Siyouni {Fr}) who is out of G3 Prix d’Aumale winner Soneva (USA) (Cherokee Run {USA}). Soneva’s dam is a half-sister to stakes placed Nureyev’s Girl (Nureyev {USA}) who is the dam of Kings Iris, King’s Rose, and Hardham.
Shinzo covered 218 mares in 2024 for his first crop and already has 137 live foals on the ground to date. As well as winning the Golden Slipper, he also ran third in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at three. His dam, Samaready (More Than Ready), won the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and G1 AJ Moir Stakes, and also produced R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates who is also by Snitzel.
Snow In May as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The best testament to the quality of foals is that breeders who supported him last year are going again. We couldn’t be happier with the response we’ve had since his foals have hit the ground. He’s a particularly good looking horse himself, so it’s not a surprise,” said Moore.
