As we move closer to the start of the breeding season, The Thoroughbred Report has its ‘Matings Mix’ series into full swing and in this article they chatted with Tyreel Stud’s Linda Monds about spring plans for the 22 mares due to be served this spring.
One of Australia’s most successful boutique farms, Tyreel Stud boasts a long history of producing high quality performers and that tradition has continued under the watchful and loving eye of owners Linda and Laurence Monds.
Just in recent years horses emerging from the Tyreel paddocks include The Everest winner Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), the Group 1 gallopers Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun), Behemoth (All Too Hard), Rocket Spade (Fastnet Rock) and Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) and the Group winners Aethero (Sebring), Tiger Of Malay, Swear and Literary Magnate (Written Tycoon).
A broodmare band to envy
With a broodmare band to envy, and one which is being constantly upgraded, it is a big job to figure out who is right to visit who.
“The thought process starts when our broodmares foal the previous season,” Linda Monds told The Thoroughbred Report.
“We critique the physical type that has been produced and we are always looking at the way our progeny are growing, always trying to improve on certain physical aspects.
“When it comes time to start making firm decisions, we do this as a team. Alex Barlow (our stud manager), Damon Gabbedy (Belmont Bloodstock), Laurence and myself produce individual mating plans for each mare.”
“We then spend a day all together researching and discussing what we consider our perfect matches focusing on physical attributes, pedigree, track records, past success and price brackets; all these things are considered.”
Difficult decisions
“This year has been like every other year; difficult. Decisions we make at this time of the year affect our mares and our business for many years ahead.
“We always need to remember that it is on-track performance we are really aiming for but it is sales ring performance we need to balance the books.
“We never know which mare our next champion will come from and that is the exciting part; any one of them have the ability to produce the goods. It is up to us to mate them correctly and raise them right.”
Tyreel will breed with 22 of their own mares this season with Monds happy to “utilise a mix of proven, promising and first season sires.”
Coco Sun’s classic success
Miss Hufflepuff (Encosta De Lago) had her daughter’s name in lights in May when her $250,000 Inglis Classic daughter Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun) proved too good for subsequent runaway G1 Queensland Derby winner Warmonger (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) in the G1 South Australian Derby.
Purchased for $470,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, the Kensington-winning Miss Hufflepuff is doing a great job for Tyreel with her young daughter Nymphadora (Yes Yes Yes) also showing talent with her juvenile Listed placing late last year.
“We sold a beautiful So You Think filly out of Miss Hufflepuff this year ($240,000 at the Inglis Classic). Tony and Calvin McEvoy purchased her and by all reports she is going along well.”
Which makes Monds happy for Miss Hufflepuff to make a return visit to So You Think (NZ), noting that “the combination of the two pedigrees makes sense and we know that physically it works well.”
“Coco Sun is on target to have a good spring campaign which we are very excited about.”
Miss Hufflepuff is a sister to the Hong Kong Champion Stayer Liberator (Encosta De Lago) and to the dam of the G2 The Roses winner Etana (Shamus Award) and half-sister to the dam of last season’s Listed winner Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon).
Her dam Miss Helga (Ire) (Alzao {USA}) won at Listed level at two and her stakes-placed dam Miss Golden Hair (Ire) (Glint Of Gold {GB}) also produced the Group 3 winner Alexis (Ire) (Alzao) and the Listed winner Freshwater Pearl (Ire) (Alzao) with the former being dam of the Listed winner Mike Fox (Can) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}).
Miss Hufflepuff had been entered for this year’s Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale but once Coco Sun showed just what she can do the decision was made to withdraw her. That doesn’t mean she won’t be sold in the future; next year’s Chairman’s an option, with Tyreel always in a process of adaption when it comes to their broodmare band.
Keen to be seen as viable sellers who are happy to sell mares who are proven and who yet still have value to offer their new owners, Tyreel parted with a favourite in Pinocchio (Encosta De Lago) at this year’s Chairman’s Sale; the outstanding producer sold to Bromfield Park / Group 1 Bloodstock for $1.15 million.
The dam of Classique Legend and Aethero has her $2 million 4-year-old son I Am Famous (I Am Invincible) in great form winning his last three for the Chris Waller stable whilst her 3-year-old daughter Candlewick (Pierro) has won a Randwick trial for Tyreel and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
Anamoe, a beautiful stallion
Currently in foal to Zoustar with “a lovely yearling filly” by Exceed And Excel, the Group 1-placed four-time winner Miss Tycoon Rose (Written Tycoon) is being given every chance to succeed with Anamoe her 2024 mate.
“He is such a beautiful stallion and a record to be admired,” said Monds.
The mating brings together Redoute’s Choice (Anamoe’s dam sire) and Written Tycoon who have combined so well in the pedigrees of 23 stakes winners (three Group 1 winners) who are amongst the many top class horses line-bred to the great mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).
Miss Tycoon Rose has as her third dam the G1 AJC Oaks winner Savana City (New Regent {Can}) who has 15 stakes winning descendants with the most recent of those being last spring’s dual Group winner Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir).
“She has a beautiful yearling filly by Exceed And Excel and is currently in foal to Zoustar,” Monds said.
Very impressed by Home Affairs
A $560,000 purchase at last year’s National Sale, the fast G2 Caulfield Sprint and Listed BRC Lightning H. winner Snitty Kitty (Snitzel) is a member of Home Affair’s harem with Monds taken by how the young stallion’s progeny are shaping.
“We have seen a number of his progeny and have been very impressed. Physically and on paper this mating works really well.”
“Home Affairs has been supported by quality mares from the beginning of his breeding career and we have confidence in the types he has thrown.”
A six-time winner from 18 starts, Snitty Kitty was twice on the heels of the placegetters in Group 1 company and she has breeding to go with her talent, her dam being a half-sister to the two-time Group winner Delbrae (Thunder Gulch {USA}) and to the dam of the G3 Spring S. winner Beirut (Lonhro).
Options for Diamonds
Picked up online for $560,000 in June last year, the dual Listed winner Diamonds (Rich Enuff) foaled a “lovely” Wootton Bassett (GB) colt on August 13 with a decision yet to be made on her next mating.
“She may return to Wootton Bassett, but she also has I Am Invincible pencilled next to her name.”
A three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Masthead (Written Tycoon) and the G3 Typhoon Tracy S. winner Written Dash (Written Tycoon), Diamonds hails from a prolific black-type family, also able to claim amongst her relations the Group 1 winners D’Argento (Bowness Stud’s G1 Rosehill Guineas winner) and Sizzling.
Described by Monds as, “a beautiful, strong mare from a family to be admired,” the stakes-placed multiple city winner Festival Miss (Bernardini {USA}) was a $310,000 purchase at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The dam of a filly and a colt by Snitzel; the former fetching $575,000 to the bid of Ryan and Alexiou Racing at this year’s Magic Millions, Festival Miss is currently in foal to Pierro with Shinzo to be her 2024 mate.
Impressed by Shinzo
“We were so impressed with him physically and Festival Miss has given us two outstanding foals by his sire.”
Festival Miss hails from a family with which Bob Peters has enjoyed considerable success, her close relations including the big race winners Regal Power (Pierro) and Arcadia Queen (Pierro).
With the lightly raced All Woke (All Too Hard) showing so much talent, Monds is excited to be sending her dam Think Out Loud (So You Think {NZ}) back to All Too Hard.
“She looks to have a promising few months ahead of her, fingers crossed.”
Think Out Loud is a half-sister to the G2 Tranquil Star S. winner Miss Gunpowder (Pendragon {NZ}) from the family of the Group 1 winners Absolut Glam (Snowland) and Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}).
A $400,000 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale purchase, the Listed winner I Am Eloquent (I Am Invincible) gave Tyreel a good result with her first foal, her Exceed And Excel filly a member of the Tony Gollan stable having been purchased for $450,000 at the Gold Coast.
A daughter of the Listed winner Choice Words (Choisir), I Am Eloquent will visit Maurice (Jpn). Currently in foal to Anamoe, she has a Stay Inside yearling filly who Monds describes as “gorgeous!”
Recent pick-ups
A recent pick-up for Tyreel is Coriolis (Lonhro), a Sandown winner whose dam is a three-quarter sister to the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Believe ‘N’ Succeed (Exceed And Excel) who has done a great job producing Group 1 winners in both hemispheres; the G1 Railway S. winner Bounding (Lonhro) and the G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
She has a Victorian date with Street Boss (USA) whilst fellow newcomer, “the beautiful, powerfully built” Word On The Street (Street Boss) will visit Hellbent.
Word On The Street is also a new addition to Tyreel. She is so powerfully built and such a beautiful mare, she will be visiting Hellbent. She is a half-sister to the G3 Spring S. winner Pierossa (Pierro) and full sister to the Listed winner Ploverset, as well as to the dam of the G3 VRC Thoroughbred Breeders S. winner Bossy Nic (Nicconi).
“As always I am sure we will be still shuffling and juggling mares and matings throughout the season but I feel we have come up with a great mix of predominantly proven sires, a few promising sires and a few first season sires which all makes for an exciting time ahead,” Monds said.
“We have secured other nominations to Snitzel, Capitalist, Dundeel, Maurice, Toronado, Harry Angel, Exceedance, St Mark’s Basilica, Pinatubo, North Pacific, Alabama Express as well as the first season sires Shinzo, King’s Gambit, Hawaii Five Oh and Militarize.”
As a self confessed lover of all things thoroughbred, Linda Monds is always excited as the spring approaches.
“This is such a special time of the year and possibly my favourite where the farm comes alive with beautiful new babies being nurtured and adored by their loving mums.”
This article was written by Kristen Manning for TTRAusNZ.
