Matings Mix: The Arrowfield mares standing in the Sun

Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud

Arrowfield Stud Director John Messara has spoken about the ‘what if’ The Autumn Sun had run on at four, but the loss of the stud’s roster head Redoute’s Choice during his son’s lucrative Classic season meant someone needed to step up to fill that spot. Seven years later, The Autumn Sun has more than made the grade.

The passing of Snitzel in 2025 meant that the torch has been well and truly handed to The Autumn Sun, who added his 12th stakes winner on Sunday with Changing Colours in the G2 Stocks Stakes.

Just as someone had to serve the best of Arrowfield’s broodmare band in 2019, the best will yet again patronise him in 2026 as he receives his first fee boost since entering stud.

Simply the best

Top of the list - after she delivers her first offspring by The Autumn Sun after five consecutive visits to Snitzel - is Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}), who continued to expand her highlight reel last Saturday when her 3-year-old St Gotthard (Snitzel) ran second in the G1 Golden Rose Stakes and, on the same card, her 4-year-old Decorum (Snitzel) won his fifth race in seven starts.

“She is probably the best mare on the farm,” said Arrowfield’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer. “I would say she might even be the best mare in the country.”

Those words aren’t spoken lightly either, given the mare’s first foal Switzerland won the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and welcomes his first crop of foals this spring, having served 195 in 2025.

Tom Magnier, purchaser of Switzerland and St Gotthard, teamed up with Tony Fung Colts, the entity who originally purchased Decorum, and James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership to purchase Ms Bad Behavior’s fourth colt by Snitzel for $2 million at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. All four of her foals through the ring to date have gone to the same venue, achieving an average of $1.69 million.

“She is a logical one for him,” Freyer said, and not just for her record.

“We genuinely think she is a good physical match for him. He goes well with that quality mare that’s not overly big, which is her. It remains to be seen whether it will be as good as the Snitzel cross with her has been, but I think it is probably in many ways a better physical match.”

The final crop of yearlings by Snitzel will go through the ring in 2027, and among them will be one last colt by the champion out of Ms Bad Behavior.

Another grand producer who earns her place in The Autumn Sun’s book is Madame Andree (War Emblem {USA}), who received an update of her own at the weekend when Skyhook (Written Tycoon), son of her daughter Madame Pauline (Redoute’s Choice), furthered his record again with a win in the G2 Shannon Stakes. He hunts for a G1 Golden Eagle this spring.

Madame Pauline has produced five stakes performers herself to date - Group 3-winning sire Anders, Listed winners Ostraka (Pariah) and Caffe Florian (Castelvecchio), plus G3 Ottawa Stakes runner-up Satin Love (Snitzel) and Listed performer Battleground (Snitzel) - from seven to the track. Hermitage Thoroughbreds sprung for her Snitzel filly now named Beautiful Life at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, paying $1.6 million to take her home.

“She's been a remarkable producer,” Freyer said. “She’s had five stakes performers already and she had a glorious yearling filly sell this year for $1.6 million. She’s a mare that we think should suit him well going forward.”

The only daughter in Australia of notorious ‘shy breeder’ War Emblem (USA), winner of the G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Preakness Stakes amongst four top level wins, Madame Andree never made it to the track, but earned her shot with some of Arrowfield’s best stallions through what she showed beforehand.

“Her dam, Glamour Stock, arrived in Australia carrying her and she was foaled here,” Freyer said. “She was very, very fast. Paul Messara trained her and though she never got to the races, she was a flying machine. Paul had her at the same time as he had Ortensia, and the thought was that she was every bit as good as Ortensia.

“We probably over-mated her for what she was, but we knew how good she was and she's delivered as a broodmare. And she fits all the criteria of the types of mares that suit him.”

Madame Andree will have another Snitzel filly to sell in 2027, and awaits her first foal by The Autumn Sun later this spring.

Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) is another Arrowfield mare who received an update at the weekend, when her daughter Lazzura (Snitzel) added a sixth stakes win on Saturday in the G2 Golden Pendant. She also heads to The Autumn Sun in 2026, after Lazzura's connections purchased her full sister for $1.8 million at Easter this year.

Amongst the others arguing over the crown of best broodmare in Arrowfield’s band, those visiting The Autumn Sun this spring include Response (Charge Forward), the Group 1-winning dam of G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Estijaab (Snitzel), and Angel Of Mercy (Hussonet {USA}), dam of Group 1 winners Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) and Baraqiel (Snitzel).

International acquisitions

Given the success of mares like Ms Bad Behavior, the Arrowfield team always have an eye for the mares becoming available overseas, and in 2024, they purchased Downtown Mischief (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) for US$800,000 (AU$1.15 million) at the Fasig Tipton Lexington November Sale with The Autumn Sun in mind. But she didn’t come to him straight away.

“We bought her in foal to Gun Runner, and we sold the Gun Runner at Saratoga last month for $1.1 million, so it worked out quite well,” Freyer said.

Legion Bloodstock as agent signed for the dual Listed winner’s Gun Runner (USA) filly from Mill Ridge Stud’s consignment at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, with the US$1.1 million (US$1.58 million) cleanly paying off the mare’s purchase price.

“We sent her to Frankel on the way home, and she had a glorious Frankel filly in August,” said Freyer. “She's by a wonderful stallion, she was a very good-looking and fast filly, and we think, as with going to Frankel, that outcross blood will suit The Autumn Sun. We were happy to get a high class Into Mischief mare.”

At the same sale, Freyer also picked up dual Graded winner Evvie Jets (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) for US$750,000 (AU$1.08 million) and she also visited Frankel (GB) on her way home, delivering a filly in August. She will also visit The Autumn Sun for her first Australian mating.

In 2025, Freyer signed for Chere Darmoiselle (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) on behalf of Arrowfield at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Offered by Watership Down Stud, the half-sister to the ever popular Too Darn Hot (GB) was knocked down for 1.3 million gns (AU$2.6 million).

“This was a mare that what we thought was a perfect mare for The Autumn Sun,” Freyer said. “We bought her in partnership with Hermitage. She's by Kingman, she's a half-sister to Too Darn Hot, who's obviously doing particularly well as a stallion, and she descends from Delsy, the mother of Darshaan. And of course, The Autumn Sun’s dam Azmiya is by Darshaan.”

Chere Darmoiselle and Too Darn Hot’s dam Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) - winner of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Pretty Polly Stakes, and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic - is one of four Group 1 winners for G1 Prix Vermeille winner Darara (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}), half-sister to Darshaan (GB).

“She's a quality filly, and it's blood that should nick remarkably well,” Freyer said. “It matches up in every regard as being a perfect mating for the Autumn Sun, so we're really looking forward to getting this mare in foal this year and hopefully getting a lovely Autumn Sun from her next season.”

Speed is the currency

The Arrowfield team were active at the broodmare sales again this year, as was long-term associate Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida, who purchased R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner O’ Ole (Ole Kirk) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale for $1.5 million. She is one of a number of young mares getting their start with The Autumn Sun.

“She’s a fabulous young mare by an up-and-coming stallion,” Freyer said. “She was a Magic Millions winner and very fast. We think those speed mares will suit him very well, particularly those ones that are on the precocious side.”

Second in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes, O’ Ole also ran in the $1 million Golden Gift and won the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic en route to over $1.9 million in prize money.

“Her mother is by Sepoy, which I think will match up well with the Canny Lad in The Autumn Sun’s pedigree. It’s a nice duplication of that family - Sepoy’s second dam Canny Miss being a three-quarter-sister to Canny Lad.”

Another fast addition to the broodmare band is G2 Danehill Stakes winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}), who was a $1.6 million purchase for Arrowfield at the Gold Coast.

“Stretan Angel is another fast mare by another stallion that can get precocious horses in Harry Angel,” Freyer said. “She’s a mare that we thought fitted the profile for The Autumn Sun very well.

“It's a very good family too. She's out of a wonderful mare herself and it’s blood that should nick well with Redoute’s Choice. That whole Harry Angel, Dark Angel, Acclamation sireline goes back to the root of Redoute’s Choice’s family in Best In Show, so we think it will work well with The Autumn Sun.”

Arrowfield and Hermitage Thoroughbreds teamed up at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale to purchase another fast filly in G3 Peter Le Grand Stakes winner Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}). The winner of five races and over $1.5 million in prize money won two of the other Magic Millions feature sprints and was third in the G1 Moir Stakes.

“We bought her for a similar reason to Chere Darmoiselle,” Freyer said. “She was a very fast filly, she is very strong, neat, well coupled, and by Too Darn Hot from a fast family. We think the Darshaan family will nick well again.”

Out of a half-sister to G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint winner Derryn, Arabian Summer is from the family of the Group 3 sprint winners Boognish (Sooboog) and Colour (More Than Ready {USA}), as well as G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Forensics (Flying Spur).

Champion race mares for a champion to be

Five-time Group 1 winner Levante (NZ) (Proisir) has booked herself a return ticket after delivering a filly by The Autumn Sun in August, bred in partnership with Ancroft Stud who raced the mare. Her first foal, now a 2-year-old filly called Farmor (Snitzel), was purchased for $600,000 by Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“She’s a lovely quality mare, and she was very fast,” Freyer said. “She was a champion after all.”

Levante’s five Group 1s include two editions of the G1 Telegraph Handicap over 1200 metres and two editions of the G1 Maori Stakes over a mile, punctuated by the 1400-metre G1 Waikato Sprint. Her record includes a further three stakes race wins over as short as 1100 metres.

“There's a few nice crosses within her pedigree also,” Freyer said. “She has Nureyev in her female line, which matches up well with the Galileo–Sadlers Wells in The Autumn Sun’s female family. Where it is positioned, over her second dam, I think is very positive.

“And she's a beautiful quality mare. We think she will go well with him again.”

G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Marabi (I Am Invincible) will also visit The Autumn Sun in 2026, as will the Group 2 winners Just Reckless (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight), Super Cash (Written Tycoon), I Am Me (I Am Invincible), Kiku (Zoustar), and Alsephina (Star Turn), who delivered her first foal by the sire in early September.

And that just scratches the surface.

"His book this year is generally first class," Freyer said. "We are hopeful that he might finish this season as leading sire, but what he has coming through to represent him in subsequent seasons is amazing."

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