Vinery and Kia Ora to join forces with Tropicus added to the roster

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The announcement that Farnan, Captivant, and newly retired Tropicus will move from Kia Ora Stallions to Vinery Stud in 2026 brings the joint ownership of the two farms closer together in a move that Vinery calls the creation of a ‘dynamic and unified roster’.

Vinery Stud and Kia Ora Stud have had a close relationship since 2023, when Kia Ora’s Malaysian-born owner Ananda Krishnan bought into Vinery to become the seventh major partner in Vinery, joining Gerry Harvey, Steve McCann, Neil Werrett, Alan Green, David Paradice and Greg Perry. Krishnan died in November 2024.

“For Vinery, the inclusion of these young stallions just adds to what was already developing into an emerging roster which of course includes last season’s Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk,” said Vinery’s Adam White.

Tropicus brings the hottest sire line

G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Tropicus, a son of Too Darn Hot (GB) who was bred and raced by Kia Ora Stud, will retire in 2026 with a fee to be announced shortly. Too Darn Hot, whose oldest progeny in Australia are 4-year-olds, has already sired five Group 1 winners led by Tropicus and Broadsiding locally. He has 34 stakes winners in total and was popular last year covering 110 mares at $275,000 including GST, a fee he remains at in 2026.

“It’s always exciting to get a new horse on any roster, and one with Tropicus’ credentials is a big thrill,” said White.

“Too Darn Hot has done amazing things, both here in Australia and overseas. We’ve had a lot of success with him. We sold Too Darn Lizzie for $1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast and she went on to be a great race filly. It’s a sire line that is doing great things, so to get a fast son of Too Darn Hot out of an Exceed And Excel mare is fantastic.”

Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Tropicus won on debut as a May 2-year-old. At three, he ran into Storm Boy in the G3 San Domenico Stakes when fresh, but spent a few starts being tried over a mile that spring. His trainers brought him back in the autumn as a sprinter where he picked up a victory in the G3 Zeditave Stakes over 1200 metres, then adding the G3 Heath Stakes over 1100 metres shortly afterwards.

This season, he was second to The Everest winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) in the G2 Schillaci Stakes before his keystone victory in the G1 Oakleigh Plate. He won in 1:02.18 for the 1100 metres, just outside the race record of 1:01.93 held by Pippie (Written Tycoon) in 2021.

“He’s a lovely looking horse. When I saw him at Kia Ora this week I was elated with how he presents. He was bred by Kia Ora and they raced him with great success, and it’s now to our collective advantage,” White said.

“He’s such an attractive horse with a quality head and beautiful bay colour. Being a high-rated Group 1 sprinter, he has the strength that we all look for and having won on debut in town as a 2-year-old, I think he will get very early runners. You only have to look back to how his sire Too Darn Hot began with his first crop and then add the fact that Tropicus is from a mare by Exceed And Excel who is a world-renowned sire of juveniles, which just increases his chances to do so.”

Tropicus is the second named foal out of G3 Summoned Stakes-placed winner of four races Extensible (Exceed And Excel), a full sister to Listed Belle Of The Turf Stakes victress Cathay Lady and a descendant of a family cultivated by the late His Highness the Aga Khan IV. Ancestress But Lovely (Ire) (Sayajirao {GB}) won the Prix Vanteaux for the Aga Khan IV’s father.

“We’ve been able to buy into him and into Farnan. From Vinery’s point of view, we like to have a stake in horses we stand. Once people come and see him and see the quality he’s got, he won’t take long to fill up.”

Farnan comes full circle for Vinery

Farnan was sold by Vinery Stud as a yearling at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Aquis Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds paid $550,000 for him. Retired to Kia Ora Stallions after winning the G1 Golden Slipper and five of his six starts at two, Farnan’s oldest crop are currently 3-year-olds.

“It’s great to have him back on the farm. We had him as a weanling and sold him as a yearling. He topped our Magic Millions draft that year, and to watch him win a Slipper and do so well at stud is fantastic,” said White.

“He’s doing a terrific job. He’s the leading second season sire by winners, and he’s able to get colts and fillies. Ninja has done extremely well, and recently Profoundly ran a terrific race in the Oaks. He’s got a few feathers in his bow already and importantly, he has good healthy numbers coming through.”

With five stakes winners in his first crop, Farnan sits second on the Australian Second Season Sire table. It’s tight at the top with Ghaiyyath (Ire)’s progeny earning $35,570 more than Farnan’s progeny this season with Bivouac only $11,858 behind Farnan. The deceased Wootton Bassett (GB) is fourth with Vinery’s own Ole Kirk in fifth.

Captivant adds flavour to the roster

Joining Tropicus and Farnan in the move across the Pages River to Vinery is first season sire Captivant, a Group 1 winning son of Capitalist. A winner on debut as an October 2-year-old, Captivant bookended his juvenile season with victory in the G1 Champagne Stakes.

He had the misfortune of running into Anamoe in the G1 Caulfield Guineas when second behind the nine-time Group 1 winner and picked up a couple of other group placings at three. His first crop are led by dual winning 2-year-old gelding Vantorix who is unbeaten in two starts.

Consolidation creates a new chapter

Vinery Stud is one of the oldest stud farms in the Hunter Valley, located on the original Segenhoe Stud which was settled in the 1820s and named by the original grant holder Thomas ‘Potter’ Macqueen. The original 8100 hectare grant was eventually subdivided until the 1010 hectare farm remained. The property kept the Segenhoe name until purchased by Vinery in 1998. The Segenhoe name was later used by the current Segenhoe Stud at a slightly different location in the same valley.

All fees for Tropicus and the rest of the Vinery roster will be announced later this week. Standing at Vinery Stud is last season’s Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk, young sire Hawaii Five Oh, as well as proven horses All Too Hard, Exceedance, Headwater and Star Turn.

Gallery: The rest of Vinery Stud's 2026 roster, images courtesy of Vinery Stud

“To think that two of the leading second season sires by individual winners, Farnan and Ole Kirk, are now on the one roster is very exciting for both operations. The early success of Farnan, as well as breeding a prospect like Tropicus, is a testament to the quality and professionalism of the Kia Ora team,” said White.

“We are really looking forward to continuing to work closely with them to maximise the success of both farms and the stallion roster. We feel that both farms will benefit from the consolidation. Kia Ora have an outstanding broodmare band, and the move strengthens our roster.”

Jointly, both farms have produced 13% stakes horses to runners from their yearling drafts in recent years. New Zealand G1 winner Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution), Group 3 winner Pembrey (Prague), and G3 Black Opal Stakes winner Music Time (All Too Hard) all came from Vinery Stud's 2025 yearling offerings. Kia Ora Stud sold this year's good juveniles Group 3 winner Warwoven (Sword Of State) as well as group placed I'm Ya Huckleberry (Home Affairs) and Invincible Son (Farnan).