As the start of the breeding season edges very close, The Thoroughbred Report has its ‘Matings Mix’ series into full swing and they chatted with Segenhoe Stud’s always enthusiastic Peter O’Brien about the 2024 plans for an elite group of broodmares.
“The ultimate goal is to breed an athlete,” said Segenhoe Stud’s Peter O’Brien, “and so our main driver when planning matings is type, you have to breed a racehorse.”
Starting the planning of the mares owned by Segenhoe and their clients after the Inglis Easter Yearling Sales with further research after the completion of the major broodmare sales, O’Brien likes to have his plans finalized by Scone Cup Day, noting that “the service fees are out by then.”
It is a select group of mares residing at Segenhoe with the best of stallions both young (such as Home Affairs and Shinzo) and proven (namely I Am Invincible, Zoustar and Snitzel) on the list for the 2024 matings.
The outstanding mare Al Anood
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s outstanding mare Al Anood (Danehill {USA}) is due in early October to Home Affairs, booked in for a return visit to that Coolmore Stud-based dual Group 1-winning sprinter whose first foals created such a big impression at the sales.
Al Anood, who won at Cheltenham at two and Caulfield at three, has done a great job at stud with seven of her nine foals to race being winners including the South African Champion Stayer Enaad (High Chaparral {Ire}), the dual Group 1-winning juvenile and successful stallion Pride Of Dubai and last year’s Listed Doveton S. winner Ghaanati (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
“She is some mare!” O’Brien enthused, noting that “if you print her pedigree page off it runs to 15 pages. That is highly unusual, not many pedigrees run that deep.”
Last year producing a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly, Al Anood is a half-sister to the dam of Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Home Affairs is the first stallion she is visited from that sire line; her progeny by him being bred on a very interesting 5 X 2 cross of Eljazzi (Ire) (Artaius {USA}).
The Eljazzi factor
That mare has already proven herself a viable line-breeding subject with two local stakes winners just last year; the G2 Angus Armanasco S. winner Shuffle Dancer being by I Am Invincible out of a great granddaughter of Eljazzi whilst the Listed winner Zoukerette is by I Am Invincible with Eljazzi being her fourth dam.
Duplicating Eljazzi has also worked overseas with the lightly raced and promising Group 3 winner Korisa (Ire) being by Eljazzi’s grandson Kodiac (GB) out of a mare by Invincible Spirit‘s son Kingman (GB). And the Listed winner Orbaan (GB) is by Invincible Spirit with Eljazzi her fourth dam.
“Al Anood has been a wonderful mare, she is carrying her 15th foal and she has only missed once. Luckily for the Sheikh her last few foals have been fillies and he has kept three of her daughters.”
“She is a beautiful sort of mare, a neat mare who is ideally suited by a big, robust sort of stallion and Home Affairs is a good fit in that regard.”
Another proven mare for Home Affairs
Segenhoe’s stakes-placed multiple city-winning proven producer Breakfast In Bed (Hussonet {USA}) is another visiting Home Affairs having slipped to Anamoe (“that was heart-breaking,” O’Brien said) last spring.
The dam of Coolmore Stud’s dual Group 1 winner King’s Legacy had previously produced consecutive Snitzel colts, the first of whom was purchased by Ryan and Alexiou Racing for $420,000 at this year’s Magic Millions.
“She is a neat sort of Hussonet mare, another who needs a bigger, scopier sort of horse so Home Affairs is perfect for her.”
Home Affairs’ sire has sired three stakes winners out of Hussonet (USA) mares and Breakfast In Bed is a touch of racing royalty with her third dam being the wonderful matriarch Easy Date (Grand Chaudiere {Can}).
An outstanding quartet of mares for Vinnie
The services of I Am Invincible are also being utilized at Segenhoe with those booked into Yarraman Stud’s Champion Sire including Argentia (Frankel {GB}), Bumbasina (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}, Eloping (Choisir) and Rubisaki (Rubick).
The dual Group 3-winning Argentia is being readied for her first season at stud and she looks tailor made for I Am Invincible as she hails from his female line; both horses descendants of the acclaimed mare Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) whose influence I Am Invincible picks up so strongly on.
He has already sired the stakes winners Real Danger, Invincible Star, Festivity (NZ) and Ebhaar out of descendants of Chelandry.
Argentia is certainly an exciting broodmare prospect with her dam being the four-time Group 1-winning NZ Filly Of The Year Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) who also produced the Hong Kong Group 3 winner Thewizardofoz (Redoute’s Choice).
“She is as good a looking mare as you’d ever see,” O’Brien said, “she is just beautiful and going to I Am Invincible gives her every chance to succeed.”
Back in Australia and due in early October to produce a full sibling to her G1 Northerly S.-winning daughter Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}), the stakes-placed Amelia Park-owned mare Bumbasina is also being well-represented by the promising Group 1-placed Bosustow (Blue Point {Ire}) who is due back at the races soon having trialled at Randwick on Monday morning.
“With her first two foals being Group 1-performed she is a very promising mare and she has a stunning Siyouni colt who will probably go to next year’s Magic Millions.
“She is deserving of a big spend with a horse like I Am Invincible.”
Eloping and Vinnie – a match made in heaven
Already the dam of one of I Am Invincible’s high-achievers in the recently retired dual Group 1-winning sprinter In Secret, Segenhoe’s two-time Group 3 winner Eloping is due to I Am Invincible in mid-September.
She foaled another filly by him last spring and one the previous year as well; that 2-year-old named Kerber being a member of the Ciaron Maher stable having been purchased by Belmont Bloodstock for $1.15 million at the Gold Coast.
“She is married to I Am Invincible,” O’Brien joked. “We own her in partnership and every year we talk about doing something different with her and then we think ‘why?’; our philosophy with her is ‘if it isn’t broken…’. Her filly is another stunner who will probably go to the Magic Millions.”
The triple Group winner Rubisaki, who was purchased by B2B Thoroughbreds for $1.4 million at this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, is due in late September to Snitzel with her first foal, a Written Tycoon colt, born last spring.
“She is a mare with lovely quality, she just needs that bit of oomph making I Am Invincible the obvious choice.”
Shillelagh back to Snitzel
Christopher and Suzannah Grace’s dual Group 1-winning miler Shillelagh (NZ) (Savabeel) is again due to visit Snitzel; currently in foal to him and due in mid-October; “he suits her perfectly,” O’Brien said.
Shillelagh’s first foal Irish Legacy (I Am Invincible) is a Group 3-placed winner from just her first four starts in New Zealand whilst her second Kilkenny (I Am Invincible) is a yet to race 3-year-old member of the Chris Waller stable.
Support for Shinzo
Segenhoe are also preparing mares for Snitzel’s G1 Golden Slipper S.-winning first season son Shinzo; amongst that group being Custard (Lonhro), Oohood (I Am Invincible) and Warranty (All Too Hard).
Missing last spring, Custard had previously produced a Zoustar filly with her previous foal Amedei also by that stallion. That 2-year-old is in the care of Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) having been purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock for $750,000 at Inglis Easter.
A Listed winner at two of the Oaklands Plate, Custard is doing a great job at stud with her six winners (from seven to race) including the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. winner Serene Majesty (Fastnet Rock), the Listed Winning Edge S. winner Curdled (All Too Hard) and this year’s G3 ATC Carbine Club S. winner Ducasse (Trapeze Artist).
“We put a lot of thought into Custard’s mating as we did like Anamoe (to whom she missed last spring) and Zoustars have been beautiful; the first sold so well and her yearling filly is one of the best on the farm, she is drop-dead gorgeous!
“But she is getting on a bit so a younger stallion appealed and once I saw Shinzo I just thought he was the perfect match for her.”
“He is a beautiful stallion, just what you’d expect of a G1 Golden Slipper S. winner; scopey and elegant.”
Due in mid-October to Maurice (Jpn), Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s G1 Flight S. winner Oohood foaled a Wootton Bassett filly last spring having sadly lost her previous foal by that stallion.
Easy date cross rocks the boat!
The Shinzo/Oohood mating is another interesting one with Oohood’s third dam Easy Date being the dam of Snippets, dam sire of Shinzo’s sire Snitzel.
“That cross definitely rocks my boat,” O’Brien laughed, “and she is a strong, short-coupled mare boarding on plain. We sent her to Maurice looking for that bit of size and scope and she is another ideally suited by Shinzo.”
The stakes-placed dual city-winning Fairway Thoroughbreds-owned mare Warranty has an exciting foal on the way, due in early October to Too Darn Hot (GB). She is another mare providing her owners with exciting line-breeding opportunities with her fourth dam being the wonderful mare Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}).
She is the grandam of Shinzo’s grandsire Redoute’s Choice and this cross has already been tried with Warranty who produced consecutive Snitzel colts in 2022 and 2023, the first of those purchased by Tom Magnier for $1.75 million at the Magic Millions.
“She is another lovely mare but a bit coarse and Shinzo will put some elegance into her foal,” O’Brien said, also excited about the pedigree; “that Dancing Show cross was a big factor in this decision.”
A lot of luck with Zoustar
Zoustar is another stallion Segenhoe are happy to continue supporting, O’Brien noting that “we have had a lot of luck with him.” Amongst his 2024 mare harem are the lovely mares Anaheed (Fastnet Rock), Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock), Villami (Foxwedge), Fundamentalist (Not A Single Doubt), Hiyaam (High Chaparral), Ghaanati (Deep Impact) and Taraayef (Lonhro).
Four times successful at Group-level, Anaheed is in foal to Anamoe having, at her first two years at stud, produced two eye-catching I Am Invincible colts. Both sold exceptionally well; her Chris Waller trained 3-year-old Superluminal fetching $2.7 million at the Gold Coast whilst her 2-year-old sold for $1.2 million at Easter.
I Am Invincible x Anaheed (2022 colt) was purchased by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy for $1.2 million | Image courtesy of Inglis
Gallery: Anaheed’s two colts by I Am Invincible were popular in the sale ring
“It is a short half-head between Anaheed and Argentia as to who is the most beautiful mare on the farm,” said O’Brien, “and after a mating with Anamoe we were keen to get her back to a proven stallion.”
A half-sister to the durable Listed winner Farooq (Frankel), Anaheed is a daughter of the G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Rostova (Testa Rossa). Her sire Fastnet Rock boasts an excellent record with Zoustar; his daughters producing three Group 1 winners by him.
The Zoustar/Anaheed combination is another interesting one on pedigree, one which results in a 5 X 5 cross of the terrific mare Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) via Fairy King (USA) and Perugino (USA).
One of the Zoustar/Fastnet Rock cross success stories is the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Joliestar whose Group 1-placed, G2 Roman Consul S.-winning dam Jolie Bay is having her fifth visit to Zoustar. Due early next month to Anamoe, the full sister to the dual Group 1 winner Merchant Navy foaled a Zoustar filly last spring.
Joliestar Everest-bound
“I think Joliestar can win The Everest,” O’Brien said who has always been happy with the Zoustar/Joliestar match. “She is a real nuggety, strong, short coupled mare who is ideally suited by Zoustar’s scope.”
“Chris and Jane Barham have retained her 3-year-old and her latest Zoustar filly is another lovely type.”
Fastnet Rock’s Listed Fireball S.-winning granddaughter Villami, due in early October to Anamoe, makes a second visit to Zoustar with her Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained 2-year-old Jet a $1 million Magic Millions graduate.
“She is a great looking mare owned by John Camilleri and the Snitzel colt she foaled last spring is a strong type. We liked the idea of her again visiting a proven stallion.”
Back to the Fairy Bridge duplication, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s G1 Vinery Stud S. winner Hiyaam will also have a Zoustar foal line-bred to her; this time via Fairy King and Sadler’s Wells (USA). As a bonus this mating also provides for crosses of Fairy Bridge’s dam Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) courtesy of her son Nureyev (USA).
Currently in foal to Snitzel having missed the previous year, the granddaughter of Eight Carat‘s (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) Group 1 daughter Marquise (NZ) (Gold And Ivory {USA}) has an I Am Invincible colt in the Michael Freedman stable.
“She is very elegant mare,” O’Brien said, noting that the 10-year-old was “a tricky breeder at first.”
“But it all seems to be kicking her for her now and we are happy to keep her going with a proven stallion.”
Big sellers for Zoustar
Ten of the first 13 Zoustar runners out of Not A Single Doubt mares are winners including a couple of stakes winners and Segenhoe are hopeful of another good result for the five-time Group 1-placed, Listed Dequetteville S. winner Fundamentalist whose first two Zoustar colts have proven popular in the sales ring.
Ciaron Maher trains the first of those, the yet to race Zouper Fund who sold for $560,000 at the Magic Millions whilst her 2022 colt by him was purchased by Tom Magnier for $1.9 million at Easter this year.
With that stellar result, a return to Zoustar “was the obvious choice,” O’Brien said.
Described by O’Brien as “the best bred stakes-winning mare off the track this season,” Al Anood’s daughter Ghaanati has Zoustar as her first mate.
Another cross boasting an excellent strike rate is that of Zoustar with Lonhro mares, the first 10 runners all being winners including a Group 3 winner and three stakes placegetters.
Lonhro’s Listed Poseidon S. winner Taraayef, who is due mid-September to Anamoe, already has a Zoustar 2-year-old and the John Camilleri mare has an I Am Invincible filly who O’Brien described as being “close to the best yearling on the farm.”
| Mare | Damsire | Booked To | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Anood | Danehill | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | Wootton Bassett | American Pharoah | |
| Anaheed | Fastnet Rock | Zoustar | Anamoe | – | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible |
| Argentia | Frankel | I Am Invincible | – | – | – | – |
| Breakfast In Bed | Hussonet | Home Affairs | – | Snitzel | Snitzel | Zoustar |
| Bumbasina | Canford Cliffs | I Am Invincible | Siyouni | Siyouni | – | Blue Point |
| Custard | Lonhro | Shinzo | – | Zoustar | Zoustar | – |
| Eloping | Choisir | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible | Snitzel |
| Fundamentalist | Not A Single Doubt | Zoustar | – | Home Affairs | Zoustar | Written Tycoon |
| Ghaanati | Deep Impact | Zoustar | – | – | – | – |
| Hiyaam | High Chaparral | Zoustar | Snitzel | – | I Am Invincible | – |
| Jolie Bay | Fastnet Rock | Zoustar | Anamoe | Zoustar | – | Zoustar |
| Oohood | I Am Invincible | Shinzo | Maurice | Wootton Bassett | Wootton Bassett | Fastnet Rock |
| Rubisaki | Rubick | I Am Invincible | Snitzel | Written Tycoon | – | – |
| Shillelagh | Savabeel | Snitzel | Snitzel | – | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible |
| Taraayef | Lonhro | Zoustar | Anamoe | I Am Invincible | Zoustar | Deep Field |
| Villami | Foxwedge | Zoustar | Anamoe | Snitzel | Zoustar | – |
| Warranty | All Too Hard | Shinzo | Too Darn Hot | Snitzel | Snitzel | – |
This article was written by Kristen Manning for TTRAusNZ.
