Matings Mix: Mr Brightside and Angel Capital's sisters booked to Diego Velazquez

Cover image courtesy of The National Stud

In the first Matings Mix of 2026, TTR talks to Swettenham Stud, who had a 2025/26 racing season to celebrate, highlighted by their roster head Toronado (Ire) siring the $900,000 Inglis Ready2Run Sale topper and G1 JJ Atkins Plate winner Tron Bolt as well as G3 HKJC Premier Cup and Listed Hong Kong Classic mile winner Little Paradise.

They also welcomed Diego Velazquez (Ire), Frankel’s (GB) G1 Prix Jacques le Marois-winning son, to the roster in association with Sam Sangster and The National Stud, and he will serve his first book of Southern Hemisphere mares in 2026.

The injection of new blood alongside proven producers, plus the excitement of seeing Lofty Strike’s first weanlings go through the ring with a top price of $90,000, has the stud team looking forward to the covering season.

Diverse book to give Diego an early boost

The winner of five Group races from 1400 metres to 1800 metres, Diego Velazquez proved very popular from his base at The National Stud earlier this year, with over 100 mares reported in foal to the 5-year-old.

Amongst his first Northern Hemisphere book has been half-sisters to current talent Daryz (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) - winner of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2025 and two Group 1s in 2026 - G1 French Guineas winner Rayif (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), and Sea The Moon (Ger) himself, and Swettenham Stud have committed to giving him the same quality down under.

“We've purchased numerous mares for Diego Velazquez along with the shareholder group purchasing a number of other mares to give the stallion the stallion a great start,” said Swettenham’s Nominations and Bloodstock Manager Marcus Heritage.

“The focus has been to send him a wide range of mares to give him every possible chance. We've got some world-class European pedigrees, some precocious Australian speed mares, and numerous sprinter-milers for him - so he'll have a good spread and we'll really find out what works best.”

Notable mares in Diego Velazquez’s inaugural Southern Hemisphere book include G1 1000 Guineas winner Commanding Jewel (Commands), the well-related Dubawi (Ire) mares Khabeerah (GB) and Missile (GB), and Another You (Frosted {USA}), a half-sister to Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}).

Commanding Jewel is a three-quarter sister to champion Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock), who was successful with the Galileo (Ire) line when producing three-time Group 1 winner Russian Emperor (Ire).

“The resultant foal will hold an Australian Guineas nomination from the day it's born,” Heritage said.

Khabeerah is a full sister to G1 Nassau Stakes winner Al Husn (Ire), while Missile is a half to G1 Melbourne Cup and G1 Turnbull Stakes placegetter Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who also won the G3 VRC Queen’s Cup, out of G1 Prix Jean Romanet victress Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}).

Heritage notes that the cross of Frankel over Dubawi has been a particularly potent one so far, with 15 stakes winners from 78 runners and four individual Group 1 winners amongst them.

Another You, whose dam Bahamas (Teofilo {Ire}) is one of racing’s modern blue hens with three Group winners to her credit, is currently in foal to Toronado.

“Both Toronado and Diego Velazquez are well-muscled milers, and I am confident that they suit a very similar type of mare so quite a few of these nice mares that have been bred to Toronado will be in line for a date with Diego this season,” Heritage said.

“This mare's blue hen dam has enjoyed her best success with a range of European-bred sires such as Harry Angel, Territories, and Toronado, so Diego Velazquez presents as an ideal candidate for one of her daughters.”

From a more speed-orientated angle, the stud will also be sending Diego Velazquez Andalusia (Brazen Beau), Twilight Zone (Exceed And Excel), and Lady Brightside (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), a half-sister to Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars).

Andalusia and Twilight Zone both hail from deep pedigrees cultivated by Darley; Andalusia is a half-sister to the dam of G3 Hawkesbury Gold Rush winner Zealously (Harry Angel {Ire}), out of Listed Desirable Stakes victress Palomeres (Commands) who is herself a half-sister to Champion 2YO Earthquake (Exceed And Excel).

Twilight Zone is out of G3 Ottawa Stakes winner Antelucan (Domesday), who is a half-sister to G2 Dane Ripper Stakes winner Hazard (Flying Spur), G3 Manfred Stakes winner Java (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), and G3 Auraria Stakes winner Crucial (Nadeem). A generation further back is Irish Champion 3YO and successful sire Desert King (Ire).

The variation in mare type doesn’t concern Heritage, who said, “physically he (Diego Velazquez), is an absolute beauty. He's 16 hands, so a good average size that will suit mares big and small. He also has great muscle definition and a strong hind quarter for a European stallion, so we don't have to be overly cautious there.”

Toronado continues to produce quality

After his 2025 season looked like it would be marred with illness, Toronado bounced back to cover a book of 86 mares, finishing the year in good health.

His racing season was his strongest to date and he cracked the top 10 sires in Australia for the first time, with his progeny amassing a career high of $12.96 million in prize money and seven stakes winners on Australian soil. He also finished on a career best of 167 Australian winners, fighting for the leading sire of winners title down to the wire with Capitalist and Zoustar.

In Hong Kong, the HK$14.5 million (AU$2.63 million) won by Little Paradise assisted him in finishing fourth by prizemoney and as the top-earning active Australian sire in the jurisdiction.

Tron Bolt wasn’t his only juvenile stakes winner either, with sharp filly Grinzinger Heart claiming the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The mating that produced Tron Bolt was the inspiration for sending What’s New (NZ) (Casino Prince) to Toronado. The Champion Older Female in Singapore when on the track, she is the dam of G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Sepals (Calyx {GB}).

“It’s a mating of proven Group 1 producers,” said Heritage. “The resultant foal will be bred on the exact same Toronado x Casino Prince cross as G1 JJ Atkins winner Tron Bolt, and a similar cross to the $1 million Toronado yearling out of All Too Hard mare Hardly Surprising.”

Hardly Surprising (All Too Hard) produced the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale topper in 2025, when her colt was sold by Gilgai Farm to Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and Hong Kong Bloodstock.

Three from the same family cultivated by Greg Perry will also visit Toronado in 2026. Listed Gold Coast Bracelet victress Grace And Harmony (NZ) (Sebring), her three-quarter-sister Sezanne (More Than Ready {USA}), and Sezanne’s Snitzel daughter Joiselle are booked to the son of High Chaparral (Ire) this year.

“A family of mares acquired from one of the country's best breeders in Greg Perry, all three of these mares are great physical matches for Toronado,” Heritage said. “He continues to have success with a wide range of mares, but these strong Aussie speed types seem to be the key.

“Both Grace And Harmony and Joiselle carry two strains of Danehill, so Danehill-free Toronado will be very complementary to them.”

Another prominent entry is Rolling Rock (Pierro), a winning half-sister to G2 Australia Stakes winner Hedged (Capitalist). Swettenham Stud acquired her at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale for $100,000 from Fernrigg Farm, who offered her in foal to Ozzmosis.

Purchased specifically for Toronado, she boasts a particularly successful family, being out of Acing Shamrock (Fastnet Rock), a half-sister to South African Group 2 winner Nafaayes (Exceed And Excel) and G3 HKJC National Day Cup winner Stoltz (More Than Ready {USA}). Second dam Graded winner Decelerator (USA) (Dehere {USA}) shares her second dam, G1 Santa Susana Stakes winner Fabulous Notion (USA) (Somethingfabulous {USA}) with four-time Group 1-winning sire City Of Light (USA).

“Toronado produces magnificent types from Pierro and Lonhro line mares, boasting yearling sales results of $850,000 on two separate occasions,” Heritage said. Those top results have come courtesy of Promenades (Lonhro) and Tereka (Pierro).

“He has also enjoyed Fastnet Rock in mares, producing Helios Express, Torsheen, Laverrod, Royal Toronado, and Vestas.”

Outcross mares to suit Lofty Strike

The rest of the Swettenham Stud roster - I Am Immortal, Wooded (Ire), and Lofty Strike - will be well supported yet again, but it is the latter that Heritage is particularly looking forward to pairing mares with.

“He is producing the most wonderful types,” he said. “He is a real sneaky chance from a value fee.”

Standing at $22,000 inc GST again for his third season, Lofty Strike had a first crop of 79 foals arrive on the ground in 2025 and he covered a book of 73 mares for his second season. The winner of the G2 Rubiton Stakes and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (colts & geldings) had 14 weanlings sell from his first crop, with Coolmore Stud selling his top-priced colt for $90,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale and Bombora Downs selling his top-priced filly for $40,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale.

Lofty Strike will be able to take advantage of some of Swettenham’s best Toronado mares who can provide an outcross to his pedigree. A son of Snitzel out of G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel), Lofty Strike is a 3x3 cross for both Danehill (USA) and Snippets.

“Reverse to the Toronado matings with Danehill-line mares, Lofty Strike being 3x3 Danehill will cover several of our best Toronado mares,” Heritage said. “He's thrown a couple of belting foals from High Chaparral line mares, which nicks superbly with Lofty Strike's Danehill blood.”

The Swettenham team were pleased with the foals they have seen from the stallion so far, and have been keen to repeat the physical crosses they have seen work as well.

“There are also a couple of I Am Invincible mares booked to him this season,” Heritage said. “We've had a couple of fast-looking foals on the farm by Lofty Strike out of Vinnie mares, and he had a magnificent colt on the Gold Coast make $90,000 out of an I Am Invincible mare.

Windstream (I Am Invincible), the producer of Lofty Strike's $90,000 colt, is a winning daughter of four-time Group winner Skyerush (Super Jet {USA}).

“Similar to Toronado, Vinnie has clicked incredibly well with the Danehill blood - so we're keen to tap into this!”

Table: Mating schedule for some of Swettenham Stud's broodmare band