Upgrade in top Qld’s sire’s mares shown at Easter

So You Think Australia’s busiest 2020 sire

So You Think Australia’s busiest 2020 sire

Figures released by the Australian Stud Book show that Coolmore’s So You Think was Australia’s busiest sire in the 2020 season, looking after 261 mares.

He was one of six each put to over 200 mares, the others being boom young sire Capitalist (Newgate Farm, HV) 237, Toronado (Ire) (Swettenham, Nagambie Vic) 210, Yes Yes Yes (Coolmore first season) 205, Pride of Dubai (Coolmore) 2002 and Deep Field (Newgate) 200. Out of the others, 22 each had books of 150 or more.

Upgrade in top Qld’s sire’s mares shown at Easter

The acceptance of five yearlings, all account top NSW studs as agents and from well related mares, in the Easter catalogue, shows the benefit the Eureka Stud, Cambooya Qld based Spirit of Boom has enjoyed in upgraded broodmare support since his sensational sire debut in 2017-18.

Opening the Easter presentation is lot 170, a filly under Newgate Farm from Your Life Style, a Hussonet (USA) daughter of Monsoon Wedding a Danehill sister to Redoute’s Choice. Another filly, lot 352, representing Newhaven Park Stud, is a half-sister to a good Hong Kong winner and from Invest, a Dehere (USA) G1 SAJC Schweppes Oaks winner.

Three Spirit of Boom colts are lot 179, Sledmere Stud, Scone, half-brother to $3million earner Invincibella from Abscond, by Galileo; lot 290, Attunga Stud, Scone, half-brother to four winners from Sydney winner and G3 placed Fastnet Rock mare Elimbari; and lot 453, Kitchwin Hills, Scone, half-brother to 3 winners, from Redoute’s Choice stakes winner No Looking Back.

Aquis sires incite Queenslander breeders to stay at home.

The gathering of all their 15 sires under the one roof, their Aquis Farm stud at Canungra, in the valleys in the mountains bordering the Gold Coast and Beaudesert, instead of having them spread over three States, the other locations being Emirates Park, Murrurundi HV NSW and Seymour, Victoria, could incite Queenslanders to breed in their home State.

In a change of direction, the embryonic Aquis Stud, one only established in Queensland in 2016 by the Fung family, a Hong Kong business whose rather chairman Tony Fung has more than forty years in global financial services and investment has brought their whole sire complement to Queensland.

One of the first sires used when they opened up the Canungra operation was SpillThe Beans (Snitzel – Miss Dogwell, by Falbrav (Ire), one they put into work as a sire fresh from a win in Brisbane’s QTC Cup over 1300m. Now one of Australia’s leading two crop sires. Spill The Beans died midway through his fourth season.

Indicating the charisma of Aquis, he served books of 202 (debut),143,144 and 116 (death season).

The big news among the concentration in 2021 of all the Aquis sires at Canugra, is that brings on to the Queensland breeder’s doorstep the Lonhro high class tough 1200m-1400m performer Pierata (Pierro - November Flight, by Flying Spur).

Winner of nine of 26 starts and earner of over $5.8million, Pierata was warmly received when launched as a sire in 2020 on a fee of $44,000 at Emirates Park, Murrurundi HV.
Another Aquis boost for the Queensland sire quality is 2016-17 Co-champion 2yo Invader (Snitzel – Flame of Sydney, by Encosta de Lago), a performer who attended to 156 mares in his debut year in 2018. He had a first crop yearling sell for $257,000 at this year’s 2021 January Gold Coast yearling sale.

Two other sires moved from Murrurundi to Canungra are Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom (Sunday Silence male line) from Tosen Smash, by Tokai Teoi) and Divine Prophet (Choisir – Prophet Jewel, by Encosta de Lago). Used over 122 mares in 20-19, his debut year, Brave Smash was a first class sprinter who won the Manikato and Futuriy in Melbourne and placed twice in the Newmarket at Flemington, while Divine Prophet (to stud 2017 – 1700 mares highlighted his racing with a win in the Caulfield Guineas.

Others on the 2021 Aquis Canungra stallion roster include Dubious (Not a Single Doubt – Suspicieuse, BRC Champagne S-G2, ATC Breeders’ Plate-G3, to stud 2020), Spieth (NZ) (Thorn Park – Stella Livia (GB) by Titis Li,,vius, good sprinter twice G1, to stud 2018),The Mission (Choisir – My Amelia, by Redoute’s Choice, ATC Champagne Stakes), Santos (I Am Invincible – Ghaliah, by Secret Savings (USA), ATC Skyline Stakes winner to stud 2019), Jukebox (Snitzel – Jestatune, by Rory’s Jester, 3 from eight, MRC Vain Stakes, to stud 2018), Kiss and Make Up (More Than Ready (USA) – Fashions Afield, by Redoute’s Choice, ran only at 2, 3 starts, 2 wins ATC Todman Stakes, to stud 2017, current 2yos), Bellevue Hill (Pierro – Bellevue Girl, by Exceed and Excel, Sydney G3 2yo winner, to stud 2020) and more.

Easter graduate spearheads Widden sire splurge

Knocked down to his trainers, Ellerton Zahra Racing (Vic), for $160,000 when consigned to the Inglis 2017 Easter Yearling sale for breeder Frank Meduri by the Craig Anderson headed Amarina Farm, Denman HV, the now 5yo gelding Zoutori on March 6 joined the cavalcade of million dollar earning graduates when he won what is arguably Australia’s toughest sprint, the G1 Newmarket over 1200m at Flemington.

The success saw the syndicate owned Zoutori’s earnings soar from $974,825 to $1,726,725 and in doing so become the sixth millionaire and second Newmarket winner for his Widden Stud based Northern Meteor Golden Rose winning sire Zoustar (dam, by Redoute’s Choice). He was preceded by the first crop filly Sunlight’s victory in 2019, one of her three G1 successes, performances that headed a career, in which in earning $6,575,950, she was successful in 11 races, including nine stakes.

Also successful in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic and third in the Golden Sipper, she was bred by Widden Stud and partners.

Although Zoutori was succeeding in his first G1 race when he claimed this year’s Newmarket, he had earned high weight for the event as a triple G2 winner, Oakleigh Plate-G1 second and earlier Newmarket fourth. He and Sunlight are among 12 stakes winners from Zoustar’s first crop, foals of 2015, and are among over 200 winners (20 SWs) and earners of $38million already on the board for this 10-year-old.

So You Think Australia’s busiest 2020 sire