Which mares visited who in 2025?

Cover image courtesy of Coolmore

The final breeding statistics for the 2025 breeding season won’t be confirmed by the Australian Stud Book until the beginning of March, but most commercial stallions across the country have their coverings available for perusal already.

Wootton Bassett’s last book full of stars

Ahead of the 2025 breeding season, Wootton Bassett (GB) had received a fee rise of $385,00 (inc GST) and an elite book of mares was expected to line up to visit the stallion in his fifth shuttle season down under. Tragically, the industry lost him on September 23, barely three weeks into the covering season, and only 39 mares have been recorded as visiting him before his passing.

Western Australian champion Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) was one that managed to visit the stallion in her first season at stud after selling to Tom Magnier for $3.8 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale last year. At the same sale, Magnier paid $2.8 million for dual Group 2 winner Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible), who also made Wootton Bassett’s final book.

Group 3 winner Clean Energy (Zoustar), a full sister to champion mare Sunlight, also visited the stallion in her first season at stud, as did Sunlight herself, having missed to the late Snitzel the season before. Another in her maiden year at stud to make the cut was Sunshine In Paris (Invader), whose retirement was announced in late August, days before covering began.

After missing to Snitzel last year, Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) visited Wootton Bassett in 2025, alongside fellow blueblood Coolmore mares Global Glamour (Star Witness) and Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt).

Zougotcha (Zoustar), Estriella (I Am Invincible), G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock), Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt), nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock), and Fife (Starcraft {NZ}), dam of Wootton Bassett’s first Southern Hemisphere-bred stakes winner West Of Swindon, also visited the stallion, but all are recorded as additionally visiting other stallions after his passing.

Quality still turns up for So You Think

Standing for $44,000 (inc GST) in 2025, So You Think (NZ) attracted an impressive book of stakes winners and close relations of them before the industry suffered another blow on October 20 with his passing. At the time of writing, 75 mares have been reported as visiting the 10-time Group 1 winner in his final season, with highlights among his book including blue hen Hips Don't Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and Heat Of The Fire (Strategic), dam of stakes winners Furnaces and Volcanic Rock (Hinchinbrook).

Breeders who have had success with So You Think before were keen to return, so he also covered Estijaam (Exceed And Excel), dam of Listed-winning Do You Just (So You Think {NZ}), Liberty Lover (Rebel Raider), dam of last year’s G2 Avondale Guineas winner Thedoctoroflove (So You Think {NZ}), and Miss Otto (Elusive Quality {USA}), dam of his sire son Peltzer.

He also was visited by Quicksilver Lass (Testa Rossa), a half-sister to another sire son in D’Argento, and Glint (Zoustar), a half-sister to 10-time winner and dual Listed victor Right You Are (So You Think {NZ}). The owners of Fly Lightly (More Than Ready {USA}) took the opportunity to replicate the mating that produced her half-sister G1 Vinery Stud Stakes winner Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}).

Streama (Stratum), who won four Group 1s over four consecutive years, visited So You Think for the first time, as did maiden mares Sleepover (Bivouac), a half-sister to Smart Missile, and Ending Sweet (Lonhro), a half-sister to Star Witness and Nostradamus. Miss Foxwood (Fastnet Rock), dam of Jenni The Fox (Too Darn Hot {GB}), and G3 SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner The Grey Flash (Not A Single Doubt) also patronised the stallion, as did Whitney (More Than Ready {USA}), a half to the stallions Tickets, Duporth, and Excites.

Top producers fill Extreme book

With his fee rising to $330,000 (inc GST) in 2025, the pool of mares visiting Extreme Choice only became stronger in 2025. Of note in his book was a number of dams of talented performers, including Mischief Night (Shamardal {USA}), dam of last year’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night (Extreme Choice). Kingstar Farm offered her Stay Inside colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this month, where he did not make his reserve.

Vellor (Sepoy) and Notation (Fastnet Rock), dams of last season’s boom juveniles O’ Ole (Ole Kirk) and Memo (Capitalist), also visited Extreme Choice in 2025, as did Speedboat (Commands), dam of Kia Ora Stud stallion Captivant, and Heatherly (Lonhro), dam of Telemon Thoroughbreds resident Red Resistance. An emerging star this past spring was Esha (Extreme Choice), and her dam I Am A Star (NZ) (I Am Invincible) returned to replicate the mating in 2025.

Catalina De Lago (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), dam of Group 1 winner Lady Laguna (Overshare), and Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), whose daughter Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) is bound for Royal Ascot this year, also visited the stallion, as did G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel), whose son Lofty Strike welcomed his first crop of 80 foals in 2025.

Amongst the rest of his highly curated 100 mares were the likes of Nettoyer (Sebring), Lighthouse (USA) (MIzzen Mast {USA}), and G1 One Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}).

Too Darn Hot receives royal welcome on return

The Champion First and Second Season Sire of his peer group, Too Darn Hot (GB) returned to Australia in 2025 for a $275,000 (inc GST) fee, and his book capped due to his popularity in the Northern Hemisphere. At the time of writing, the son of Dubawi (Ire) was visited by 110 mares in 2025, and his list was loaded with some of Darley’s most blueblood broodmares.

High on his list were triple Group 1 winner Alizee (Sepoy), G1 VRC Oaks winner Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}), and Deity (Exceed And Excel), the dam of boom 3-year-old Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) who delivered an Anamoe filly in September. The Blue Point (Ire) half-sister to Tentyris has been named Parcae and is in training with Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}), who also produced a Group 1 winner in the spring with G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica (Lonhro), was another featured in Too Darn Hot’s book.

Dual Group 1 winner In Secret (I Am Invincible) produced her first foal in 2025, a colt by Champion Sire Zoustar in early August, and was sent to visit Too Darn Hot in October. Solar Charged (Charge Forward), dam of Sunlight (Zoustar), deviated from visiting Zoustar after eight consecutive seasons with the stallion to visit the Darley roster star.

Other highlights from outside the Darley broodmare band were three-time Group 1 victress Arcadia Queen (Pierro), G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Mossfun (Mossman), G1 Canterbury Stakes winner Lady Laguna, and Lady Of Camelot’s four-time Group 3-winning half-sister Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible), who delivered her first foal - a colt by Extreme Choice - in August.

Too Darn Hot didn’t shuttle in 2024, but 37 mares travelled to visit him on Southern Hemisphere time before returning to Australia to foal down in the spring. The cohort has produced 34 live foals, including colts out of dual Group 3 winner Parisal (Astern) and Listed-winning Va Via (Astern), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}), and a filly out of Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel), the dam of Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

Breeders trust I Am Invincible for results

Yarraman Park Stud’s roster figurehead stood for a reduced fee on $220,000 (inc GST) in 2025 as a reward for breeders’ commitment to him, and he was duly rewarded with a book as big and rich as the previous season.

Among the mares to visit I Am invincible in the spring were Gypsy Robin (USA) (Daaher {Can}), whose son Wild Ruler has his first juveniles on this track this season, Cappadocia (Northern Meteor), dam of G1 Randwick Guineas winner Communist (Russian Revolution), and triple Group 1 winner Shoals (Fastnet Rock), whose Group 3-winning daughter Isthmus (I Am Invincible) went to Wootton Bassett. He was also patronised by Prompt (Exceed And Excel), the dam of Prompt Response (Beneteau), in her first visit to the champion.

Further to Gypsy Robin, Kia Ora Stud sent Key (Exceed And Excel), dam of I’m Ya Huckleberry (Home Affairs) and a $1.2 million I Am Invincible filly at the recent Gold Coast sale, and multiple stakes winner Mileva (Headwater).

A number of young mares aimed to get their careers off to a strong start by visiting the stallion, including G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar), G1 Goodwood Handicap victress Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy), and Zougotcha after visiting Wootton Bassett. Group winners Floozie (Zoustar) and Eneeza (Exceed And Excel) also earned a spot in his book.

A Champion book for a Champion sire

Fresh receiving from his Champion Sire title, Zoustar served his second season at a fee of $275,000 (inc GST), and he too was patronised by some of the country’s best mares. Summer Sham (Not A Single Doubt) and Miles Of Krishan (Snitzel) returned to Zoustar to replicate the matings that have produced new sires Schwarz and Growing Empire, as did Diddums (Snitzel), dam of dual Listed winner Stardom, and Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom {USA}), who produced newly minted G3 Manfred Stakes winner Space Rider.

Also visiting Zoustar in 2025 was Keysbrook (So Secret) and Mull Over (So You Think {NZ}), whose daughters She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) and Fireburn (Rebel Dane) clashed so spectacularly in their juvenile season.

They were joined by Via Africa (SAf) (Var {USA}), the dam of the unbeaten Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and In The Congo, Wahng Wah (Casino Prince), dam of You Wahng (So You Think {NZ}), and Summer Fun (I Am Invincible), the dam of Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}), whose Farnan colt was bought at the Gold Coast by Laurel Oak Bloodstock for $200,000.

Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) is the highlight of the maiden mares who visited him in 2025, but is far from the only high profile winner, as he also covered G1 Tattersalls Tiara victress Tashi (Sebring), dual Group 1 winner Tropical Squall (Prized Icon) who missed to him the year before when entering stud, and Group winners Autumn Ballet (The Autumn Sun) and Makarena (Snitzel).

New kids on the block get breeders excited

A fleet of new stallions covered their first books in 2025, and Coolmore Stud’s Switzerland served a book packed with some of the country’s most elite broodmares, including Booker (Written Tycoon), whose first two yearlings sold for $2.5 million and $3 million respectively, Invincibella (I Am Invincible), Chateau Griffo (Sebring), dam of G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Griff, and In The Vanguard (Encosta De Lago), whose son Sword Of State has been a dominant first season sire on both sides of the Tasman.

Arrowfield Stud’s shuttler Vandeek (GB) has been well supported both by in-house mares and breeders, with his first book including G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile), multiple Group winner Catkins (Dubawi {Ire}), Forreel (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu {NZ}) - a half-sister to Dundeel (NZ) - and Pierrocity (Pierro), the last foal of Dane Ripper (Danehill {USA}).

He also was patronised with five descendants of Arrowfield matriarch Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice) in Miss Helsinki (Hussonet {USA}), Julkkis (Dundeel {NZ}), Tuusula (Street Cry {Ire}), Inari (Dundeel {NZ}), and Tuudelu (Dundeel {NZ}).

Down at Yulong, Growing Empire attracted a strong book, topped off with blue hen Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}) and Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands). He was also patronised by Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}), whose first foal by Alabama Express will be offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 446, dual Group 3-winning juvenile Catch Me (I Am Invincible), and G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes victress Foxplay (Foxwedge).

Another intriguing member of his book is Let’s Misbehave (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to High Chaparral (Ire) whose now 4-year-old Leffard (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in 2025.

The newest leading attraction on the Darley roster, Broadsiding attracted as good a book of mares as his sire, with Godolphin patronising him with the likes of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel), four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel), also the dam of Encryption, and Leopard (Animal Kingdom {USA}), a stakes-producing half to Alizee. He was also visited by the likes of G1 VRC Oaks victress Lasqueti Spirit (Beneteau) and Festivity (Nicconi), dam of $1.5 million earner Semana (Winning Rupert).