Cover image courtesy of Waikato Stud
The losses of Wootton Bassett (GB) and So You Think (NZ) have weighed heavy on the roster of Coolmore Stud, and on Friday, it was announced that they had settled on the right horse to fill the gap in their roster; Waikato Stud’s Group 1-producing sire Super Seth will make the leap across the Tasman to join Coolmore in a deal believed to be worth $70 million.
The 9-year-old G1 Caulfield Guineas-winning son of Dundeel (NZ), regarded by many as the natural heir to Waikato Stud stalwart Savabeel, is set to relocate to Jerrys Plains within the coming days after rapid negotiations were finalised this week.
A record too strong to ignore
Super Seth’s rise has been swift and emphatic; the sire of four individual Group 1 winners from his first two crops to race, he has quickly established himself as one of New Zealand’s most influential young stallions.
His first crop produced G1 Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker (NZ), G1 Australian Guineas winner Feroce (NZ), and G1 Queensland Derby victor Maison Louis (NZ), while his second crop delivered New Zealand Group 1-winning juvenile La Dorada (NZ), also the winner of the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO en route to securing New Zealand Champion 2YO honours.
Standing his sixth season in 2025, his fee had risen to NZ$75,000 (plus GST) as demand surged following his elite-level results, leading to the stallion covering 197 mares in his largest book to date.
Super Seth | Image courtesy of Waikato Stud
For Coolmore, the numbers and trajectory were compelling. Tom Magnier said Super Seth had been firmly on their radar, and now was the right time to take the next step.
“For a young horse, the trajectory that he is on is something that is very rarely seen,” Magnier said. “To produce three Group 1 winners in Australia from his first crop including two Guineas winners and follow it up with a Champion 2-year-old in his second is an amazing achievement.
"For a young horse, the trajectory that he (Super Seth) is on is something that is very rarely seen." - Tom Magnier
“(Coolmore stud manager) Justin Carey and I went over to see him and his youngstock at Waikato this week, and we are very impressed by what we saw. He is going to be ideal for so many Australian mares, both physically and on pedigree.”
“The timing is perfect for Coolmore,” said Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick. “It is the right business decision for us. As a farm and as a family, we are very proud of where Super Seth has come from, where he sits now, and what is in store for him in the future. It is even more exciting now he will stand at Coolmore.”
"We are very proud of where Super Seth has come from, where he sits now, and what is in store for him in the future." - Mark Chittick
Magnier added that Super Seth “strikes us as a stallion that can make a significant impact on the Australian breeding industry”.
A time to rebuild
The acquisition comes at a pivotal time for Coolmore. The operation’s stallion ranks were dealt a severe blow last spring with the shock deaths of shuttler Wootton Bassett and champion racehorse-turned-sire So You Think in quick succession, as well as the loss of retired champion Fastnet Rock.
While promising young sires such as Home Affairs - whose first crop includes G1 Blue Diamond Stakes contender Guest House - as well as top-performed colts Shinzo and Switzerland populate the roster, the number of proven, established Group 1-producing stallions at Coolmore has narrowed immensely. Super Seth fills that void immediately.
High Chaparral (Ire) | Image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud
Super Seth also heralds the return of a sireline that Coolmore knows well. His grandsire High Chaparral (Ire) was trained by Aidan O’Brien and raced by Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier to achieve seven top flight wins, before retiring to stud at Coolmore’s Irish base.
He began his Southern Hemisphere career at Windsor Park Stud, before transferring to Jerrys Plains in 2010 following a string of early successes, including dual Group 1-winning sire Monaco Consul (NZ) and five-time Group 1 winner Shoot Out.
Also from his first crop came So You Think, in whom Coolmore bought a controlling share after he won two G1 Cox Plates. After taking on the globe in the Coolmore colours, the 10-time Group 1 winner retired to Jerrys Plains, where he has left a legacy of 67 stakes winners to date, 12 of whom are Group 1 winners themselves.
So You Think (NZ) | Image courtesy of Coolmore Stud
Super Seth hails Dundeel, from High Chaparral’s fourth Southern Hemisphere crop, as his sire, and features Northern Dancer (Can) in his sireline, like So You Think, courtesy of damsire Redoute’s Choice.
“It has just come together beautifully, I have had the feeling this week that we are all working together for a common goal,” Chittick said, while acknowledging the price niche Super Seth is likely to step into. “There is a gap in the Australian market for stallions between the $100,000 and $200,000 mark, so this is a perfect opportunity.”
"I have had the feeling this week that we are all working together for a common goal." - Mark Chittick
A fee is yet to be announced for 2026 for Super Seth.
The move echoes past high-stakes investments by the Magnier family. In 2020, Coolmore paid a similar figure to acquire Wootton Bassett as a ready-made source of Group 1 winners and successor to Galileo (Ire). In 2004, they also secured previously Victorian-based sire Encosta De Lago after he had proven himself with four crops of racing age at Blue Gum Farm and helped to propel him to two Champion Sire titles.
Depth, diversity, durability
Another key factor in Super Seth’s appeal is the breadth of his success. His eight stakes winners to date are out of mares by six different sires; an indicator of versatility that is of great value to breeders across the spectrum. His progeny have also proven versatile enough to perform at all distances, from Guineas and Derby winners to sprinters like Listed Twilight Glow Stakes winner Ruska Roma and G3 Bonecrusher Stakes winner Sethito (NZ).
Purchased for $280,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by agent Dean Hawthorne for GSA Bloodstock’s Jonathan Munz, Super Seth was trained by Anthony Freedman and raced in Munz’s red and white silks. He won five of his 12 starts - four at stakes level - headlined by his career-defining victory in the 2019 G1 Caulfield Guineas where he ran down multiple Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
Mark Chittick | Image courtesy of Waikato Stud
Following that success, Mark Chittick negotiated with Munz to stand the colt at Waikato Stud, forming a syndicate that included Munz, Pencarrow Stud’s Sir Peter Vela, and prominent Australian owner-breeder Richard Pegum.
The Caulfield Guineas is a race that has turned out numerous successful stallions, including Coolmore’s own Starspangledbanner, as well as Redoute’s Choice, Lonhro, The Autumn Sun, and last season’s Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk. The 2024 winner Private Life retired to the Coolmore roster ahead of the 2025 breeding season.
Several shareholders in Super Seth, including Munz, have retained equity in the horse, and Waikato Stud has pledged ongoing support despite the relocation.
"He (Super Seth) is such a character and such a beautiful animal to work with." - Mark Chittick
“He’s been an incredible horse,” said Chittick. “I am very attached to him, he is such a character and such a beautiful animal to work with. He is going to a great home where he will have every opportunity to continue to succeed.
"It has gotten to a point where it is the most sensible option for him. We will still be sending mares over to him.”
Pride in the achievement
Chittick was understandably reflective as the deal was confirmed, crediting stallion manager Ryan Figgins and his family for their role in shaping Super Seth’s stud career.
“This is a massive achievement for the New Zealand industry, our fellow breeders, and Super Seth’s shareholders who went all-in to help Waikato develop this world-class stallion,” Chittick said.
"This is a massive achievement for the New Zealand industry, our fellow breeders, and Super Seth’s shareholders." - Mark Chittch
“It’s very hard to make a stallion, let alone to do it during the COVID-19 pandemic where there was so much uncertainty. It’s a very big achievement for New Zealand. It makes the early mornings and long nights a little easier knowing what we’re doing is working.
“On behalf of the Chittick family, thank you very much to the Magnier family and Coolmore team, whose enthusiasm to support New Zealand will continue through joining us in Return To Conquer. And to our breeders, very well done - it’s a privilege to be part of this industry with you all.”
Chittick added, “we still have a couple of crops to come on the farm from him and what we have on the ground is really exciting.”
For Coolmore, it is a statement of intent. For New Zealand, a validation of its breeding strength. And for Super Seth, a new chapter at the very top of the commercial stallion market. The torch he has been handed burns bright.
