The unmatched lineup of proven sires standing in NSW will be further strengthened this season with more than 10 highly credentialled newcomers retiring to major studs.
Coolmore Australia has three making their debuts –locally bred dual Group One winner Merchant Navy and exciting imports Caravaggio and Churchill – so we will outline briefly their racing records and pedigrees followed by those going to other farms.
Merchant Navy, by multiple champion sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), is currently in Britain following his dramatic victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) at Royal Ascot in June and his earlier win in the Greenlands Stakes in Ireland but should arrive in the Hunter Valley in time for the traditional stallion parades in late August.
Before going overseas Merchant Navy won five races in Australia, most notable of them last spring’s VRC Coolmore Stud (Ascot Vale) Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) at Flemington.
A brother to stakes winner Jolie Bay, he is from multiple stakes winner Legally Bay (Snippets) and is closely related to Bonaria (won $951,319) and Time Out so has the pedigree to match his deeds on the track.
Caravaggio, reputedly the fastest horse ever trained by Irish wizard Aidan O’Brien, was an unbeaten, Group One-winning two-year-old who trained on at three years to win another Group One sprint, the Commonwealth Cup (1200m),at Royal Ascot and retires as winner of seven of his 10 starts.
At two years he captured the Phoenix Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) at Curragh, the Royal Ascot Coventry Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) plus two other races and he ranks as the fastest son of deceased sire sensation Scat Daddy, also sire of 2018 US Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes) winner Justify.
Caravaggio is a half-brother to stakes winner My Jen from stakes winner Mekko Hokte and comes from a strong female line so looks an ideal prospect for Australia.He could well leave a Golden Slipper winner or two.
Coolmore’s third newcomer Churchill, although by the great classic sire Galileo, was also a racehorse with plenty of speed and precocity which saw him judged as Europe’s champion two-year-old of 2016 before going on at three years to win two classics, the Two Thousand Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Newmarket and the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m).
Churchill scored two Group One victories as a juvenile in the Curragh National Stakes (1400m) and the Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) and he is a brother to Group One winner Clemmie from stakes winner Meow, by the influential Storm Cat from Airwave, champion two-year-old filly of her generation in Britain.
Aquis adds two to lineup
Aquis, a fast rising new power player in Australian racing and breeding, is introducing two fine stallion prospects to the lineup at Emirates Park, Murrurundi.
These are former star two-year-old Invader (Snitzel) and top sprinter Spieth (Thorn Park) who was unlucky not to have a Group One victory on his CV.
Out of a stakes winning daughter of champion sire Encosta de Lago, Invader is remembered for his powerful win in the 2017 ATC Sires’s Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) and for his next start second to The Mission in the ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m).
Spieth’s only stakes win came in the City Tatt’s Lightning Handicap (1100m) at Randwick but Group One seconds in the VRC Darley Classic (1200m) to Malaguerra and in the VRC Lightning Stakes (1000m) plus his second to Redzel in Tatt’s Concorde Stakes (Gr. 3, 1000m) at Randwick are indicative of his true class as a racehorse.
A great type, Spieth is by champiom New Zealand sire Thorn Park from a very well related imported mare so deserves every opportunity at stud.
Arrowfield’s newcomer
Renowned as the home of three times champion Australian sire Redoute’s Choice and his outstanding sire sons Snitzel and Not a Single Doubt, Arrowfield Stud in 2018 is introducing another of his sons with the qualities needed to also make an impact as a sire.
This is Pariah, winner of the ATC Canonbury Stakes (Gr. 3, 1100m) at two years and the ATC San Domenico Stakes (Gr. 3,1100m) and also runner up to Catchy in the MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).
Closely related to Melito and from the sire family of Zeditave, Pariah has exceptional looks and will be given the quality mares he needs to succeed.
Darley, Newgate Farm, Widden Stud and Yarraman Park Stud are other top breeding operations with new sires for the 2018 season.
European champion miler
Darley’s new shuttler Ribchester ranks high among the best performed new stallions arriving for the 2018 season as he was champion miler in Europe in both 2016 and 2017 having won three Group One events and two other stakes races in Britain and France.
This son of successful New Zealand shuttler Iffraaj also has to his credit another six placings at Group One level and to back up his racing performances he comes from an exceptional female line tracing to his fifth dam Fall Aspen.
Winner at two years of the Mill Reef Stakes (Gr., 1200m), Ribchester also broke the track record for a mile (1600m) at Royal Ascot so he was a serious racehorse worthy of the support of breeders.
Russian Revolution at Newgate Farm
Newgate Farm’s newcomer Russian Revolution (Snitzel) needs little introduction as an unbeaten two-year-old who developed into a dual Group One-winning sprinter at three and four years.
Juvenile victories at Randwick and Canterbury Park paved the way for this super fast son of champion sire Snitzel to win such races as the ATC Roman Consul Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) defeating Astern and Capitalist and the ATC Galaxy Handicap (Gr. 1, 1100m) at three years, handling the wet conditions at Rosehill Gardens to down The Everest winner Redzel and Jungle Edge.
Retired with earnings of more than $1.28 million, Russian Revolution added the MRC Oakleigh Plate (Gr. 1, 1100m) to his record as a four-year-old and this half-brother to stakes winner Turbo Miss comes from the American family of champion Fanfreluche (Northern Dancer) which significantly adds to his credentials to become a successful sire.
Supido at Widden Stud
Historic Widden Stud has selected the superbly related sprinter Supido, an excellent type, to join his father Sebring on its roster of stallions for 2018.
Supido won seven city races in Melbourne, scoring his most important success in the MRC Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr. 3, 1100m) at Caulfield and was stakes placed twice, most notably when third behind Black Heart Bart and Under The Louvre in the SAJC Goodwood Handicap (Gr. 1, 1200m).
The quality of his female pedigree is a big part of Supido’s appeal as it is packed with outstanding European two-year-old stars and closely relates him to influential sire Machiavellian while his fifth dam Natalma produced the great sire Northern Dancer and is third dam of Danehill.
Hellbent at Yarraman Park
Arthur and Harry Mitchell of Yarraman Park Stud struck the stallion jackpot with I Am Invincible and this spring will launch the breeding career of one of his best sons in Hellbent.
A winner of his only start at two years, Hellbent blossomed into a tough, consistent and top class sprinter at three. four and five years to retire as a Group One winner of $901,450.
His well deserved feature win came at his last start early this year in the MVRC William Reid Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley but he had earlier been twice second in Group One sprints and registered placings in four other black type races.
While he comes from the same black type family as Golden Slipper-winning champion Pago Pago,one of the best features of Hellbent’s pedigree is that his Sydney-winning dam Volkaspray is a daughter of Volksraad, champion sire in New Zealand on eight occasions.
Another well performed new sire in NSW this season will be Lord of the Sky (Danerich), a multiple Group race winning sprinter in Melbourne who retires as earner of $1.12 million to Kingstar Farm at Denman.
