Matings Mix: Rosemont mares staying in-house to support blossoming roster

When you have a young, promising roster, you have to throw your weight behind it - and that is just what Rosemont Stud is doing in 2026. Second season sires Schwarz and Henry Longfellow (Ire) will welcome their first crops of foals this spring, and the stud is hellbent on continuing the momentum in their second books.

Extreme Warrior’s eldest crop are turning three, but from small numbers, the performances of his first juveniles have given the team the extreme confidence to pack the quality into him this season.

“We are mating well over 100 mares this season, and we are quite pleased to report that at least 80 will be staying in-house to visit Schwarz, Henry Longfellow, and Extreme Warrior,” said Rosemont’s General Manager of Bloodstock Ryan McEvoy.

“They are getting the lion’s share of our broodmare band, so it’s a very exciting time for these three stallions. There’s a handful of mares going to the Hunter Valley, but there are some mares that we are just as excited to keep a lot closer to home.

“Nigel (Austin) and Anthony (Mithen) have always been of the firm belief of being strong on your own stallions through years two and three to give them the best possible starts, so we will cover more of our own mares with Schwarz and Henry Longfellow than what we did last year. It's an exciting time and the foals we are seeing on the ground are giving us a lot of optimism."

Quality beats quantity for Extreme Warrior

“Extreme Warrior was Victorian Champion First Season Sire last season and he clearly looks like a young stallion with influence,” McEvoy said. “We’re really keen to get behind him in a really strong manner this year.”

While Extreme Warrior, who is afflicted with the same fertility issues as his father, may not have had big numbers of first crop 2-year-olds, the ones he did produce really made their mark. From just nine runners across Australia and New Zealand, he produced four winners headed by Listed Merson Cooper Stakes winner and Group performer Eternal Warrior.

Adding to that list has been metropolitan winner Blandford Baron, Kiwi winner Glamour Extreme, and Half Pipe, who improved from near last to finish fifth in the Listed Rosebud at his most recent start. He heads to the G3 San Domenico Stakes this weekend for trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald.

With all those factors in mind, the emphasis for Extreme Warrior is maximising the quality amongst the mares he serves in 2026. Noblest (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is one of a trio of mares from his book that McEvoy was keen to share.

“Noblest is a mare that was in the news last week,” he said. “She’s already the dam of Group 2 winner Palm Angel, her son Narbold won the Rowley Mile on Thursday to become her second stakes winner.”

Five-year-old Narbold (Churchill {Ire}) picked up his Listed win at Hawkesbury, tipping his prizemoney earnings past the $600,000 mark, while 4-year-old Palm Angel (Starspangledbanner) won the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) and the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes as a juvenile. A winner in the Northern Hemisphere, Noblest is a full sister to Champion Older Female Miler and G1 Lockinge Stakes victress Peeress (GB), granddam of 2024 Lockinge winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}).

“She’s just a beautiful mare to send to Extreme Warrior, as is Small Minds, who is a Group 1 winner and a stakes producer,” McEvoy said.

G1 South Australian Oaks winner Small Minds (Canny Lad) has a perfect five from five record for winners, led by Sneaky Five (Fastnet Rock) - who gets her own mention further down - and Listed Jungle Dawn Classic winner Beautiful Mind (So You Think {NZ}).

“She’s getting up in age now, but she has been a great producer and is a good match for Extreme Warrior,” McEvoy said. The mare has a 2-year-old by the sire ready to hit the track this season, having sold for $180,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Mick Price. She also visited him last season with no success, so will be well set up to visit him again in 2026.

“Divine Quality is another mare visiting Extreme Warrior. She’s a Sepoy mare that was a brilliant winner of the Furphy Sprint at Group 3 level on Derby Day down the straight for fillies and mares, in a really strong edition race. She won that by a big margin. She's the dam of Summer Flame, who’s become a stakes winner within the last 12 months, so we are pretty excited to send her to Extreme Warrior this year.”

Divine Quality’s (Sepoy) daughter Summer Flame (Written Tycoon) won the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone’s 2025 Cup carnival. From the immediate family of New Zealand Horse Of The Year King’s Chapel (King Of Kings {Ire}), Divine Quality delivered one of the first Henry Longfellow foals in the Southern Hemisphere when producing a filly at the start of the month.

Brooklyn Hustles into Henry’s book

Speaking of the G1 National Stakes-winning Dubawi (Ire) son, who covered over 120 mares in his first year at Rosemont Stud, Henry Longfellow will be visited by dual Group-winning mare Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) in 2026. A homebred winner of the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes and the G3 Proud Miss Stakes, Brooklyn Hustle will have an I Am Invincible colt to send to the 2027 yearling sales.

“Brooklyn Hustle is a terrific, Group-winning race mare and physically she is the most beautiful mare as well,” said McEvoy. “She’s a real favourite of ours. Her I Am Invincible colt is lovely and will head to a major sale in 2027.

“She’s due to foal to Schwarz this year, and then she will go to Henry Longfellow.”

Joining her will be Tragic Moment (USA) (Pivotal {GB}), dam of this year’s G3 Matron Stakes winner Ahha Ahaa (Starspangledbanner). She delivered a Hanseatic filly in 2025 before visiting Rosemont’s own G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Doull, who anticipates the arrival of his second crop this spring.

“Tragic Moment is another well-related Pivotal mare and the cross with Dubawi is a well proven one, so she will go to Henry Longfellow too,” said McEvoy. Pivotal’s (GB) daughters have produced 23% stakes winners to runners by Dubawi, with over 20 runners bred on the cross.

“She has produced Group 3 winner Ahha Ahha, who sold incredibly well at the Chairman’s Sale this year.”

A $250,000 yearling, Ahha Ahha sold for $750,000 to David Redvers Bloodstock and Widden Stud at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Also the dam of multiple stakes performer Rocket Star (Star Witness), Tragic Moment is a full sister to dual Listed-winning stallion Il Warrd (GB) and comes from the family of G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes victress Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}).

The last mare McEvoy highlighted for Henry Longfellow was G3 VRC Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner Khulaasa (Epaulette), who is due to produce a foal by him in November.

“She is another nice mare we are booking back to him,” McEvoy said. “She has a Too Darn Hot yearling colt that will find himself very popular at the sales next year. We are pretty happy to send her back to Henry again this season, it was a mating we really liked.”

Bred by Shadwell Stud’s Australasian venture, Khulaasa’s first foal Gitalong (Zoustar) has gotten his dam off to a strong start, winning his seventh race recently.

VIP mares in Schwarz’s book

Khulaasa isn’t the only star of her immediate family to be in the Rosemont broodmare band. In 2021, Rosemont went to $1.35 million twice at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale to secure her and her half-sister Bulbula (Shamardal {USA}).

It was with good reason, given Bulbula was already the dam of G3 Ottawa Stakes winner Aryaaf (Epaulette) and the Rosemont Victorian Alliance, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), and David Redvers had paid $1.2 million at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale the same year for Doull.

In the same broodmare sale, Rosemont also acquired Aryaaf for $800,000.

“We’re sending a number of lovely mares to Schwarz again this year, and Bulbula is one of them,” McEvoy said. The G1 William Reid Stakes-winning son of Zoustar was well patronised in his first year at stud in 2025, covering 143 mares.

“Bulbula is a stakes-winning 2-year-old by Shamardal. She’s the dam of our Group 2-winning stallion Doull, and she will head to Schwarz this year.”

Another Group winner on the cards for Schwarz is Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}), whose 11 wins are crowned by the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes. Being a descendant of G2 Railway Handicap winner (Our) Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones), she boasts Don Eduardo (NZ) and Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) up close in the family, plus G1 Australian Guineas winner Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) and G2 Tristarc Stakes winner Wrote To Arataki (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}).

“Gift Of Power is a Group 2-winning sprinter and a young mare who gets a great type,” McEvoy said. “She has a beautiful Anamoe yearling colt and she’s in foal to Henry Longfellow. She has a very exciting I Am Invincible 3-year-old in work with the Hayes team who jumped out very impressively at Flemington on Friday, so we've got high hopes for what she can produce from this mating.”

Queen Serena (I Am Invincible) has won her last two jump-outs, both at Flemington, in the Rosemont colours.

Last on the list is another special mare in the Rosemont portfolio.

“Bella Vella is a very important mare for the farm,” said McEvoy. “She was an extremely fast mare and a Group 1-winning sprinter, and those mares are so valuable to have in the broodmare band.”

A $1.9 million broodmare purchase, Bella Vella (Commands) also collected 11 wins on the track, topped by the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes, the G2 Ian McEwen Stakes, and the G3 RN Irwin Stakes. Her first foal, Caxton Street (Written Tycoon), was a $475,000 Inglis Easter graduate last year.

From the black-type-heavy close family of USA Champion Turf Female Forever Together (USA) (Belong To Me {USA}), Bella Vella will send a Zoustar filly to the sales next year.

“She’s got a Zoustar filly yearling and is due to foal to Broadsiding this spring, then she will go to Schwarz to produce a three-quarter-relation to that filly,” McEvoy said. “We look forward to seeing what the match produces.”

Salateen heads to the Hunter

A small number of the Rosemont mares will head north to patronise stallions in the Hunter Valley this spring, and amongst them is the blue-blooded Salateen (I Am Invincible), winner of the Listed Nudgee Handicap. The Emirates Park-bred 9-year-old missed to Starspangledbanner when visiting him at his current home of Coolmore Stud’s Irish location, and she will visit Anamoe early in September.

“Salateen is a really important young mare for the farm,” McEvoy said. “She’s a stakes-winning I Am Invincible mare and she’s a half-sister to Golden Slipper winner Marhoona. She comes from the big, beautiful family of Redoute’s Choice.”

Salateen and Marhoona (Snitzel) are just two of the four stakes winners out of Salma (Encosta De Lago), who has also produced G2 Stan Fox Stakes winner and Group 1-performed Hilal, who stands at Grangewilliam Stud, and Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch {Ire}), a juvenile Listed winner in South Africa.

Salateen’s fourth dam is the peerless Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky), whose descendants have possibly most notably produced Redoute’s Choice - and Schwarz himself - and continues to be incredibly active to this day. Active racehorses with her in their damline include this year’s G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), G1 Queensland Oaks winner You Wahng (So You Think {NZ}), two-time G1 All Star Mile winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}), and G3 Kindergarten Stakes winner Blue Door (Stay Inside).

“She has a Too Darn Hot filly (born in the Northern Hemisphere) and she went to Starspangledbanner last year, but unfortunately missed, so she goes to Anamoe this year. We are pretty excited about that mating.”

Matings that make sense

On the truck north with Salateen will be Listed Alinghi Stakes victress From Within (Not A Single Doubt), a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner California Zimbol (I Am Invincible). Her first foal, now 3-year-old Inner Vow (I Am Invincible), made $900,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to the bid of Kia Ora Stud, Michael Freedman, and Michael Wallace, and after slipping to the sire this season, she visits Australasian Champion First Season Sire Home Affairs.

“She’s a beautiful stakes-winning Not A Single Doubt mare who is also a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Seize The Day, so she visits Home Affairs in 2026,” McEvoy said.

A $600,000 Gold Coast purchase himself for David Ellis (BAFNZ), Te Akau Racing, and Kia Ora Stud, Seize The Day (I Am Invincible) won the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes last season and won a Caulfield Heath jump-out last Wednesday ahead of his intended resumption in Saturday’s G3 McNeil Stakes.

“It makes a lot of sense, given how the family has performed, to visit an exciting young son of Vinnie in Home Affairs.”

Also bound for Coolmore’s Jerry Plains locale is four-time Group winner Fiesta (I Am Invincible), dam of G3 Maribyrnong Plate fourth Carnevale (Pinatubo {Ire}) and a $1.3 million Dundeel (NZ) colt sold at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

“Fiesta is a young mare we are really excited about,” McEvoy said. “Her first two foals have averaged a million dollars in the sales ring, and she has a beautiful Wootton Bassett filly at foot. She gets to visit Super Seth.”

Last on the north-bound transport will be Joyous Legend (Snitzel), who books a spot with Darley’s dual Group 1-winning sprinter Tentyris, and G3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes victress Sneaky Five, who has scored a date with Champion Sire Zoustar. Joyous Legend, a daughter of eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}), was a $1.025 million Inglis Digital purchase for the stud in 2021, and they have retained her first foal, now 3-year-old Meritorious (Zoustar) who is trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.

“Joyous Legend is More Joyous’s only stakes performer and a gorgeous mare to boot,” McEvoy said of the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes runner-up. “She’s set for Tentyris. Sneaky Five is a lovely Fastnet Rock mare. She was a stakes-winning 2-year-old, she won the Golden Gift and the Inglis 2YO Banner, and she trained on to win more stakes races at three and four. We hope she passes those attributes on to her offspring.”

Sneaky Five has a Too Darn Hot (GB) yearling filly on the ground, conceived when the stallion remained in England in 2024, and she visited Schwarz in 2026.

“She has earned a visit to Zoustar,” McEvoy said. “The Zoustar–Fastnet Rock cross is very strong, so it will be a lovely mating.”

Table: 2026 mating plans for some of the Rosemont Stud broodmare band