The Thoroughbred Report’s ‘Matings Mix’ series is in full swing, and in this article they spoke with Coolmore’s nominations and marketing manager Tom Moore about some of the mares visiting its roster this season.
There’s plenty to celebrate at Coolmore, as the operation recently welcomed back the international shuttlers St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) and Wootton Bassett (GB) to the Jerry’s Plains base. Additionally, their G1 Golden Slipper winner, Shinzo, has returned to his birthplace to begin his stud career.
The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Coolmore’s marketing and nominations manager, Tom Moore, to discuss some of the mares set to visit Coolmore’s stallions this season.
Shinzo set to shine
With an impeccable pedigree as a son of the four-time Champion Sire Snitzel and the Champion 2-Year-Old Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}), Shinzo had plenty going for him even before his G1 Golden Slipper victory—success that was simply the icing on the cake.
Now standing at Coolmore for a fee of $55,000 (inc GST), Moore believes that the son of Snitzel is a “no-brainer.” He shared, “Shinzo means a lot to everyone at the farm, given that he was raised, grazed, and educated here. Nearly everyone on the horse team has had something to do with him at some stage of his life.
“He’s Snitzel’s most accomplished 2-year-old, with an impeccable pedigree and the class and quality to match. He’s been a real hit with breeders who have come to see him, and he’s a no-brainer as a commercial proposition in his first season at $55,000.
“We want to support him with quality race mares that we know are capable of producing exceptional foals, so we’ve identified Pedrena, O’Marilyn, and Test The World as mares that meet those criteria. We look forward to showing him off to everyone who hasn’t already seen him at the upcoming stallion parades — we think they’ll be suitably impressed.”
Pedrena (Mossman) won six races, including the G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club S. and the G3 Glenlogan Park S. O’Marilyn (O’Reilly {NZ}), another top mare heading to Shinzo, claimed the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. and the G3 Hawkes Bay Gold Trail S. She’s also a half-sister to G1 Australian Derby winner Headturner (Anabaa {USA}) and his full brother Anacheeva, who won the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
The final mare mentioned, Test The World (NZ) (Testa Rossa), is a six-time winner and dual Listed placegetter. She is the dam of World On Fire (Fastnet Rock), an unraced filly sold for NZ$1 million at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. Her Pierro colt also made $600,000 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Pedrena when racing | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Gallery: Some of the mares visiting Shinzo in 2024
Mark’s all quality
Siyouni’s (Fr) son St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) was a star on the track, retiring as the 2021 European Horse of the Year and Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and 3-Year-Old Colt in Europe, among several other Champion titles. He secured victories in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, the G1 Irish Champion S., the G1 Eclipse S., and two other elite-level races.
Tom Moore is confident that St Mark’s Basilica will be a success in the Southern Hemisphere, given his impressive race record and the calibre of mares that have supported him in his two seasons in Australia. Moore explained, “St Mark’s Basilica is a stallion that we’re adamant about having significant exposure to this season. He has been met with great support in his first two seasons here, with yearlings heading to the sales next year highlighted by a half-sister to Storm Boy and mares due to foal down at Coolmore this season including Nechita, Amicus, Tiggy Wiggy and Rostova.
“We saw at the yearling sales this year that if you can get on the right leg with these well credentialled young stallions that you can be very well rewarded in the sales ring. This was the case with Justify, who had more than 20 per cent (8/39) of his yearlings offered to the market this season sell for $500,000 or more off a service fee of just $50,000.”
Moore continued, “He (St Mark’s Basilica) is right up there with the best racehorses at stud in Australia. To be a Champion 2-Year-Old and World Champion 3-Year-Old and win five Group 1s in a row is a very rare feat. When you couple that with his pedigree, the quality of his stock on the ground and the calibre of mares that have visited him in his first two seasons, we think he is set to follow in the footsteps of shuttle stallions such as Justify and Too Darn Hot who have made a big impact in Australia over the past two seasons.”
“His pedigree and physique make him an easy horse to breed to and we have the likes of Extra Olives and Lady Piaf set aside to visit him this season. Extra Olives is a Group-performed Redoute’s Choice mare from the family of Alinghi who had a particularly nice Home Affairs colt sell for $260,000 at the weanling sales earlier this year, while Lady Piaf has just foaled an outstanding St Mark’s Basilica filly, so it’s an obvious one for her to return to him again.”
She’s heading stateside
After being purchased by Tom Magnier for $3.4 million at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, Coolmore has confirmed that the G1 VRC Oaks winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) will head to North America to be covered by Justify (USA) in her maiden season. As has been well-documented, the Triple Crown winner is not returning to the Southern Hemisphere this spring.
She’s Extreme also secured victories in the G1 Champagne S. and the G3 Magic Night S., and she has placed in the G1 Flight S., the G1 Spring Champion S., and the G1 Sires’ Produce S.
Moore said, “Justify has quickly emerged as a world-class stallion but despite not shuttling this season he is still available on Southern Hemisphere time at Ashford, so we’ve sent up a few high-class mares that we think will be suitable. Julia Ritchie touched on Champagne Cuddles, Invincibella and Shout The Bar in a previous article, but they will also be joined by She’s Extreme who was purchased at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale earlier in the year.”
“His obvious banner horses are Storm Boy and Learning To Fly, both out of Fastnet Rock mares, but also multiple stakes winner Air Assault, and a host of promising young horses like Axius who was ultra-impressive at Canterbury last week, Clear Proof who beat Axius at his first start and Dawn Service who won by 4l last week. In a market where there are a lack of elite outcross proven stallions, we think breeding to him this season represents too good an opportunity not to take full advantage of.”
Bassett’s all-star book
The returning Wootton Bassett (GB), with his 2024 fee yet to be publicly announced, will once again be supported by a distinguished book of mares as his first Southern Hemisphere-bred juveniles will hit the tracks this season.
Star mare Sunlight (Zoustar) will return to Wootton Bassett, as will Avantage (Fastnet Rock), whose filly by the stallion was sold for $2.1 million at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and has been named Avantaggia.
Another daughter of Fastnet Rock, Sea Siren, a triple Group 1 winner, will also be served by Wootton Bassett. Sea Siren is the dam of Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has matched her mother’s success with three elite-level victories.
Pelican (NZ), the dam of Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), also a daughter of Fastnet Rock, is the final mentioned mare heading to Wootton Bassett this spring.
“Wootton Bassett is obviously an extremely exciting stallion for us, and one that we are eagerly anticipating following his first crop of Australian-bred 2-year-olds this season. They were very well-received at the sales this season, with 17 selling for $500,000 or more. It’s come as no surprise that trainers have been positive about their Wootton Bassett’s to date, given that we already know that he is an outstanding sire.
“A key element of his success in the Northern Hemisphere is his ability to produce high-class 2-year-olds with great consistency, which should serve him well in Australia. This is highlighted by the fact that of his 45 Stakes winners, 24 of them are stakes winning juveniles, including last season’s Group 1 winners Unquestionable and Bucanero Fuerte and Europe’s highest-rated 2-year-old colt this season Henri Matisse.”
Moore added, “We’ve supported him heavily each year and it will be no different this year. We didn’t have to think too hard about sending mares like Sunlight and Avantage back to Wootton Bassett, after their yearlings sold for $1.4 million and $2.1 million respectively this year. They were outstanding individuals and have gone into the stables of Chris Waller and Mark Walker, with early reports indicating that the mares should go back again. Sunlight has a stunning Home Affairs filly on the ground, while her 3-year-old Dawn Service, by Justify, won extremely well for Gai (Waterhouse) and Adrian (Bott) recently.
Sunlight when racing | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Gallery: Both Sunlight and Avantage will revisit Wootton Bassett (GB) in 2024 after their yearlings sold for $1.4 million and $2.1 million respectively this year
“Fastnet Rock is an incredible broodmare sire and we are extremely lucky to have a number of them in the paddocks at Coolmore. Fastnet Rock mares have been especially effective with outcross shuttle stallions, highlighted by the likes of Santa Ana Lane, Gytrash, Tivaci, Learning To Fly, Storm Boy and so on. Wootton Bassett yearlings out of Fastnet Rock mares sold for $2,100,000, NZ$800,000, $625,000, $600,000, NZ$550,000, $420,000, $375,000,” he said.
“This year we think it is a cross that will be effective. Accordingly, we’ve identified Pelican (dam of Storm Boy) and Sea Siren (dam of Warm Heart) for him this season. Pelican has a particularly nice St Mark’s Basilica yearling filly, and it will be exciting to see what she can produce with Wootton Bassett, while Sea Siren has a similarly striking Home Affairs yearling colt to present next year.”
Excitement for Home Affairs builds
Group 1 winners Fix (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel) will be served by the dual Group 1-winning Home Affairs this season. The son of three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible has already made a strong impression, with his first weanlings being well received at the sales this year.
“Home Affairs was the talking horse at the weanling sales this year with fillies selling up to $430,000. We could not be happier with the quality of his stock at Coolmore, but it is equally encouraging to hear similar reports from breeders throughout Australia and New Zealand on what he has produced for them,” Moore told TTR AusNZ.
“He stamps his stock with size, scope, strength and quality and he’s covered high-class mares in each of his first two seasons at stud. Across the board, they have the physical characteristics to suggest that they are going to emulate the I Am Invincible’s by being up and running early and they look tough and sound. We’ll support him with a number of mares including Group 1 winners Fix and Savvy Coup and he is a sire that we are extremely bullish about.”
The Best for Posh
Coolmore also has high hopes for its dual Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Best Of Bordeaux, whose first foals are arriving this season. The son of Snitzel will be supported by the eight-time winner Princess Posh (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), a mare who claimed victories in the G3 Tibbie S. and G3 Newmarket H. and was also placed in the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup and the G1 Coolmore Classic.
“Best Of Bordeaux is a sire that we think will produce sharp and precocious 2-year-olds that the market desire, so we will be supporting him with some good race mares in his second season to capitalise on the early success that we believe he will have with his first runners,” Moore told TTR AusNZ.
“He got the support of some great breeders last season, highlighted by great support from a diverse group of shareholders which will ensure he has every chance. He shares so many similarities to his sire Snitzel, both physically and the way they ran their races so we’re eagearly awaiting the arrival of his first foals. He was all speed and Princess Posh is one example of the mares we’re sending him.”
Plenty in the tank for So You Think
So You Think (NZ) has sired 57 stakes winners, and last year’s The Everest winner, giving him the status of a proven stallion, although Moore feels there’s plenty ahead for the dual G1 Cox Plate winner, “He has firmly established himself as one of Australia’s truly elite stallions, but we are equally excited about what is to come for him, given that he has 293 unraced yearlings and 2-year-olds to run for him in the coming seasons.
“These crops were conceived at increased fees where he was patronised by some great mares, so we think there has never been a better time to breed to him. We find that he is a great option for young mares to give them the best start possible and we’ve identified a number of such mares to send him this season. Amongst these are Excel In The Sun, a well-related young Exceed And Excel mare and Tapeesa, a similarly well-bred young Snitzel mare. He is so effective with these Danehill-line mares and both of these mares were bred to him last year and due to return to him again.”
Excel In The Sun (Exceed And Excel) is a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Jen Rules (Redoute’s Choice) and from the family of the Group 2 winner Jet Spur. While Tapeesa (Snitzel) is a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Eskimo Queen (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) and a half-brother to the G1 George Ryder S. victor Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock).
Banner a proven star
Starspangledbanner had another fantastic season last year, especially in Hong Kong and Coolmore will again get behind the stallion, Moore said, “We feel like Starspangledbanner is one of the best value proven sires in Australia, and his popularity in Hong Kong is hard to ignore.
“He has a particularly strong potency when paired with High Chaparral mares, so we’ll send Montoya’s Secret back to him this season. He has also bred a Group 1 winner with a Fastnet Rock mare so we also intend on sending Miss Que to him. Her first foal was a $600,000 Pierro colt bought by Hong Kong Jockey Club, and we think she’ll suit him down to the ground.”
| Mare | Damsire | Stallion | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedrena | Mossman | Shinzo | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | – | Cantabria (Fastnet Rock) |
| O’Marilyn | O’Reilly | Shinzo | Home Affairs | – | Wootton Bassett | – |
| Test The World | Testa Rossa | Shinzo | Justify | So You Think | Pierro | World On Fire (Fastnet Rock) |
| Extra Olives | Redoute’s Choice | St Mark’s Basilica | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | – | Spicy Martini (Justify) |
| Lady Piaf | I Am Invincible | St Mark’s Basilica | St Mark’s Basilica | Wootton Bassett | – | – |
| She’s Extreme | Extreme Choice | Justify | – | – | – | – |
| Sunlight | Zoustar | Wootton Bassett | Justify | Home Affairs | Wootton Bassett | Dawn Service (Justify) |
| Avantage | Fastnet Rock | Wootton Bassett | I Am Invincible | I Am Invincible | Avantaggia (Wootton Bassett) | |
| Sea Siren | Fastnet Rock | Wootton Bassett | Justify | Home Affairs | Camelot | |
| Pelican | Fastnet Rock | Wootton Bassett | Justify | St Mark’s Basilica | Shangri La Boy (Pierro) | Storm Boy (Justify) |
| Fix | Iffraaj | Home Affairs | Justify | Home Affairs | Justify | Viktor (Frankel) |
| Savvy Coup | Savabeel | Home Affairs | So You Think | – | Zoustar | Baracca’s Choice (Fastnet Rock) |
| Princess Posh | Canford Cliffs | Best Of Bordeaux | Home Affairs | Home Affairs | – | Poshy’s Girl (Pierro) |
| Excel In The Sun | Exceed And Excel | So You Think | So You Think | Home Affairs | – | – |
| Tapeesa | Snitzel | So You Think | So You Think | – | – | – |
| Miss Que | Fastnet Rock | Starspangedbanner | Wootton Bassett | – | British Gem (Wootton Bassett) | Pierro |
| Montoya’s Secret | High Chaparral | Starspangedbanner | Starspangnedbanner | Home Affairs | – | Juan Pablo (Pierro) |
This article was written by Keely Mckitterick for TTRAusNZ.
