A family affair: Lady Shenandoah shines as Stronger's first crop steps forward

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Few broodmares could have enjoyed a weekend quite like Star Pupil.

On Saturday, her daughter Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) defied a six-kilogram weight disadvantage to claim her fourth Group 1 victory in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield. On Monday, attention turns to the Gold Coast, where 10 first-crop 2-year-olds by her son Stronger will go under the hammer at the Magic Millions Horses In Training Sale.

Two of those juveniles recorded among the fastest breeze times at their respective venues, giving buyers an early indication that Stronger may be passing on the speed and athleticism that made him a Group 1-winning sprinter in Hong Kong.

For their breeder Arrowfield Stud, it is another remarkable chapter in a family whose influence continues to grow.

Stronger makes his first impression

Stronger was among the standout yearlings of his generation, selling for $1.05 million to James Harron at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. By then, his sire Not A Single Doubt was firmly established among Australia's leading stallions, with the likes of Extreme Choice, Clearly Innocent and Mighty Boss adding to his Group 1 record.

“He was a magnificent individual,” said Arrowfield Stud Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer. “He was as good a looking yearling as we've probably ever taken to the sale.”

“He was a beautiful yearling,” Harron recalled. “He had a lovely shape, great demeanor, and great balance. He was very typical of his sire.”

The price point may have been driven in part by a particularly strong 12 months on the track for Not A Single Doubt, characterised by G1 Kingsford-Smith cup winner Clearly Innocent, G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss, and G1 Ubet Classic (now Robert Sangster Stakes) victress Secret Agenda.

Placed in the capable hands of Peter and Paul Snowden, Stronger was a debut winner in the November of his juvenile year, and finished the season with three wins topped by the G3 Ken Russell Classic, plus a third in Cosmic Force’s G3 Pago Pago Stakes and a fourth in Bivouac’s G3 Kindergarten Stakes, in seven starts.

Purchased for Hong Kong interests by agent George Moore and sent to champion trainer John Size, he evolved into a horse worthy of a chance at stud. In 32 starts across four seasons, the entire claimed the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup, beating Sky Field (Deep Field) and Hot King Prawn (Denman), amongst a trio of wins and a handful of Group placings.

“He obviously was a talented horse, and with a bit of maturity and time in Hong Kong, he finished up winning one of their top races,” Freyer said.

Aquis welcomed him in 2023, where his first season yielded 96 foals. From that crop, 10 have paraded at the Gold Coast over the weekend before they go under the hammer on Monday, and they have made an impression.

It has taken little time for Stronger's first crop to make an impression. Two of his 10 representatives at Monday's sale ranked among the fastest breezers at their respective venues, with both colts purchased relatively inexpensively before being prepared for the breeze-up market.

From the sales cohort who breezed at Scone, a son of Stronger was the second fastest. Offered by McKinnon Racing & Breaking, Lot 79 posted a time of 10.78s. Out of a half-sister to 13-time winner and Listed Maribyrnong Trial placegetter American Genius (All American), he is linebred to Stronger’s third dam Icecapade (Genghiz {USA}).

Joe McKinnon purchased the colt for $18,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Lucas Bloodstock. He had singled the colt out as a prime candidate for the breeze-up sale.

“We bought him in June specifically to bring him back here,” he said. “He’s the right sort of horse. I thought Stronger would be worth a go, but this colt is also the right type physically too. That and the way he moved drew us to him.”

While the colt’s action has impressed, interest from buyers has been another encouraging sign. McKinnon said that although the Hong Kong buying bench had been relatively quiet during inspections, there had been plenty of interest from domestic buyers.

“He has been pretty well received,” he said. “Hopefully there’s a few looking for him in the ring tomorrow.”

Speed on show at the Gold Coast

The sixth fastest time for the Queensland-based gallopers was recorded by a colt offered by Kenmore Lodge as Lot 32. The descendant of dual Group 1 winner Heat Of The Moment (Blazing Saddles) posted a time of 10.37s for his gallop on the Gold Coast’s turf track on September 22.

Cameron Bond, who runs Kenmore Lodge with partner Kellie, purchased the colt as a weanling for $11,000 and originally planned for him to go to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

“We decided to keep him as a breeze-up horse,” Bond said. “He really suited the market, so we earmarked him early on and stuck with our plan. We've had a high opinion of him since we started breaking him in, so hopefully he can go on and win some good races, and make someone very happy.”

The time wasn’t a surprise to Bond either when the colt breezed.

“He was off the charts with his stats on his stride length and frequency,” Bond said. “He has always had a great action.”

Kenmore Lodge have another Stronger colt in their draft as Lot 43. The colt is out of an unraced Show A Heart half-sister to G1 Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder (Thunder Gulch {USA}), dam of Levendi and the Group 3 winners Wu Gok (Sebring) and Marcel From Madrid (Sepoy).

‘True to his pedigree, he presents a different type, but Bond said that he also had the same inherited attitude and mental resilience.

“They’re both colts that could handle going straight to the track,” Bond said. “Both very strong and robust, and with really good constitutions, which is encouraging for the stallion. We have been really happy with both of their progress.”

The Bonds also hold shares in the stallion and send him a handful of mares each year, along with some of their clients.

“Not A Single Doubt was a favourite of ours,” Bond said. “That was why we always had a bit of trust that Stronger would be able to succeed at stud. Racing on in Hong Kong, especially as an entire, those are huge pluses for us.”

While Stronger's first runners are still months away from proving themselves on the track, his family has continued to deliver at the highest level. Lady Shenandoah's Toorak Handicap victory was the latest example of Star Pupil's remarkable ability to produce elite performers.

The remarkable Star Pupil

Star Pupil was bred by Arrowfield Stud from Ain’t Seen Nothin’ (Nothin’ Leica Dane), whose eight wins include the Listed Let's Elope Stakes, Listed Keith F Nolan Classic and the Listed National Sprint Handicap.

Sired by Starcraft (NZ), who Arrowfield Stud stood in partnership with Rosemont Stud, she is a full sister to dual Listed winner Ain’tnofallenstar, who turned three as her younger sister arrived on the scene.

Ain’tnofallenstar is one of three stakes winners for her dam, who also produced G3 winner Bachman (All American) and Singapore champion Stepitup (Hussonet {USA}), whose 15 wins in the jurisdiction include 10 at Listed level. She also has passed on her talent to G3 winner Ain'tnodeeldun (Dundeel {NZ}).

While Star Pupil might not have lived up to the expectations set by her siblings, she was a winner in her handful of starts and is now more than making up for it with her offspring.

“Ain’t Seen Nothin’ was a really good race mare who turned out a very good producer,” Freyer said. “She threw a stakes winner by Starcraft, but she also threw a very good horse in Bachman, who I don’t think we ever saw the best of.

“Star Pupil was only a moderate race mare herself, but she did win and with her very good pedigree, she went to All American in her first year to replicate the cross that made Bachman.”

Star Pupil’s first foal Tiger Silk (All American) was a stakes performer in between three victories, and has since produced a stakes performer herself over in the States with Dashingly (USA) (Liam’s Map {USA}).

The best results for Star Pupil, however, were still to come.

“By the time she went to Not A Single Doubt, he was starting to get on a roll as a stallion,” Freyer said. “He was a slow burn to begin with, but he eventually established himself as a really top stallion and by the time Stronger came along, he had really gotten going.”

With Lady Shenandoah’s feats at the weekend and before, it is no surprise to see Star Pupil's Maurice (Jpn) colt command $550,000 when offered at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Followers of the family will not have to wait long for the next, as her Snitzel colt will be offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“I think he'll be amongst the better sellers,” Freyer said. ”Setting aside the strength of the pedigree, I believe that just based on his physique. So we're looking forward to taking him to the sale.”

Star Pupil's own story is far from finished. The 16-year-old delivered a foal by The Autumn Sun last month, while her Snitzel colt is being prepared for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“She’s been a fabulous producer for us, and while she isn’t a young mare, she isn’t that old either,” Freyer said.

With Lady Shenandoah still competing at the highest level, another well-bred yearling on the way to market and Stronger's first crop beginning to emerge, Star Pupil's influence could extend well beyond her own offspring.