Sangster gets it right

RIGHT ON: Adam Sangster with one of his broodmares at Swettenham Stud.

Issue 6, April 2009

Last Tycoon mares are hot property following the autumn deeds of Typho on Tracy (G1 Coolmore Classic), Roman Emper or (G1 AJC Australian Derby) and Markus Maximus (G1 WATC Derby) – all out of daughters of Last Tycoon.

Last Tycoon (b or br h 1983, Try My Best (USA) – Mill Princess (IRE), by Mill Reef (USA)) has all the ingredients of a successful broodmare sire. Most of his best racing progeny is female, and he is out of a mare by one of the great broodmare influences Mill Reef (by Never Bend (USA))

Last Tycoon was one of the early shuttlers. He died in 2006 and his legacy lives on through his daughters in both hemispheres – and also through his only significant sire-son, the Waikato Stud (NZ)-based O’Reilly (br h 1993, ex Courtza (NZ), by Pompeii Ruler (USA)), who last season knocked Zabeel off his leading NZ sire perch. Last Tycoon daughters have left 106 Stakes winners (20 G1).

Now O’Reilly’s daughters are starting to make their mark. The brilliant AJC Australian Oaks winner Daffodil (by No Excuse Needed (GB) – Spring (NZ)) winner gave O’Reilly his second Group 1 winner as a broodmare sire – joining The Poo ka (b g 2003,Tobboug (IRE) – The Banchee (NZ)), who won the 2007 G1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

Daffodil has a double cross of Mill Reef on her dam side through LT and Shirley Heights, Mill Reef’s best son, who is the sire of Daffodil’s granddam.

Adam Sangster can’t ever be labelled as a person waiting for things to happen. His commitment to Australian racing and breeding, and to the north-east region of Victoria – the home of his progressive Swettenham Stud at Nagambie – cannot be challenged.

Sangsters decision to “compensate” those breeders who supported the Swettenham stallions in 2008 is a massive gesture of goodwill, and a line which other studs around Australia should consider following.

Arrowfield Stud (and Waikato Stud in New Zealand) must be congratulated for making the first move to bring down service fees in 2009. Reducing Redoute’s Choice’s fee 40 per cent to $198,000 (inc GST) surprised, and pleased, many breeders.

In some ways, the huge reduction is there for those

who bred to Redoute’s last season at $330,000 to return to the horse in 2009, thus evening out the exposure over two years at $240,000 (plus GST) per mating.

Swettenham Stud has not only reduced their fees across the board, but they also are conscious that breeders have mares carrying foals at 2008 fees, who are not receiving the benefit of the latest drop in fees. The Swettenham plan means that those breeders can subtract the median-difference between the 2008 and 2009 fees from the 2009 fee to set their fee payment for this season. The deal is incumbent on an “early bird” booking made before May 31 – and a deposit paid before then will result in a further discount of five per cent.

For example, Dash For Cash stood in 2008 for an early bird fee of $15,000. His 2009 early bird fee is $12,000. The median price is $13,500 –

the difference between that price and the 2009 fee is $1500 – so the breeder pays $12,000 less $1500 = $10,500. This means the breeder has paid an average price of $12,750 for two matings – not bad for a stallion standing at an advertised fee in 2009 for $17,600 (inc. GST).

If you find are baffled by all those jumbled numbers, just go to swettenham.com.au and check it out for yourself.

On the other hand, you have to feel for Widden Stud who paid the big dollars (reported $30m) for Sebr ing (by More Than Ready) last year and have little option but to stand him at $49,500 for his debut season, as the fee of a stallion must reflect the stud’s ability to recoup the purchase price, at least over the first three seasons. Even at that price, the 2008 Golden Slipper and AJC Sires’ winner will be very popular with breeders.

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

A FIRST FOR ENCOSTA The Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m, Randwick) win by Manhattan Rain was extremely significant in sending the colt’s stud value skyrocketing beyond $20 million.

But the win also provided a significant milestone for his sire Coolmore-based sire Encosta De Lago (by Fairy King (USA)).

Manhattan Rain (B c 2006, ex Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad) – a half-brother to the great racehorse and sire Redoute’s Choice (by Danehill (USA)) – is Encosta De Lago’s first Group 1 winning 2YO colt. Encosta’s only other Group 1 winning 2YOs are fillies – Alinghi (2004 Blue Diamond Stakes, Caulfield) and Apercu (2007 The T J Smith, E. Farm).

Suddenly, and thanks to a dramatic upgrade in the quality of mares Encosta has mated since he moved to Coolmore in 2004, the stallion is getting important sons with great stud value – the 3YO Group 1 winner Northern Met eo r (B c 2005, ex Explosive (USA), by Fappiano (USA)) will stand his first season at Widden Stud at a fee of $33,000 (inc GST) after retiring following his reputation restoring second behind champion sprinter Takeover Target in last Saturday’s Group 1 T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick.

Eliza Park’s Delago Brom is the only son of Encosta De Lago at stud who has produced a Stakes winner – his son Delago Bolt won the 2009 Listed Black Opal Stakes. Other Encosta sons at stud include the top racehorse Delzao (Eliza Park) and the flashy Tuscanos (Hollylodge Th’breds, Vic).

WHO WILL STAND MANHATTAN? One of the biggest talking points around the traps is which stud will eventually win the rights to stand Manhattan Rain.

The colt is bred and raced by Sri Lankan businessman Mr Muzaffar Yaseen, who also bred and raced Redoute’s Choice. Mr Yaseen’s racing manager Iris O’Farrell has said that no stud deals will be considered until after Manhattan Rain retires, and the plan is for the colt to race through his 3YO career. The stud reps can stop knocking on the door for the time being.

History and circumstance says that only two studs are in the running – Arrowfield and Coolmore.

Mr Yaseen sold half of Redoute’s Choice – for a reported $5 million – to Arrowfield and partners in 1999, and the horse still stands under that arrangement.

But Mr Yaseen has always kept his mares in residence at Coolmore Stud with whom he has had a long relationship – and Coolmore will certainly be in the market to buy Encosta De Lago’s best son.

Darley is likely to be out of the bidding, because Sheikh Mohammed buys all or nothing, and it is very doubtful Mr Yaseen will sell all of Manhattan Rain.

My tip – Coolmore. It is in their interest to foster a son of Encosta De Lago, and very important that they get their hands on another Australian bred stallion, even if the horse is not a commercial shuttle prospect in the near future.

RESET ON A ROLL

It was a big weekend for Darley’s Reset (by Zabeel) who not only sired a Stakes-winning double, but also two other new winners, including one very promising juvenile filly.

The Resets are starting to come into their own as we expected (or hoped) at three – the same age he emerged as an unbeaten star of five races including the Group 1 Cadbury Guineas and the Group 1 Futurity Stakes.

Reset’s Group 1 Victoria Derby winning son Rebel Raider (B c 2005, ex Picholine, by Dehere (USA)) bounced back from a disappointing Sydney campaign to win the Listed

Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at Morphettville, while his daughter Lady Moulin (B f 2005, ex Laoub (USA), by Red Ransom) warmed up for the G1 Qld Oaks (2400m) by winning the Listed Princess Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm.

At Hamilton on Saturday, Reset sired the Peter Moody-trained first-starter Set For Fame (B f 2005, ex Northpoint, by Dehere (USA)) to win the 2YO Maiden (1200m) by seven lengths – with plenty up the sleeve. Significantly, the filly’s time of 1.12.76 was a second quicker than the two 3YO Maidens.

Reset is shaping as an important stallion, especially for his Zabeel-Sir Tristram bloodlines that outcross so well with the overflow of Northern Dancer/Danzig blood in Australia. Of interest is that both Rebel Raider and Set For Fame are out of Dehere (by Deputy Minister (USA) – Northern Dancer line) mares.

Set For Fame’s dam Northpoint is a granddaughter of Ayala, by Biscay from Coogee (GB) (by Relic (USA)), which makes Ayla a sister to champion sire Bletchingly and a three-quarter sister to top galloper Beaches (by Todman). Ayala is the only producing daughter of Coogee, and Ayla’s only Stakes-winning daughter Northern Bisque (by Tolomeo (IRE)) is the dam of Northpoint (owned by breeder Robert Crabtree), who hasn’t been able to produce a foal since Set For Fame, her first foal.

FOLLOW ME Catbird (by Danehill (USA))

has passed on, but he has another exciting prospect in last Saturday’s Sunshine Coast winner Facile Tigr e (B g 2006, ex Cotton Bay, by Zabaleta (USA)), a half-brother to the Stakes-winner Stormcat Academy. Facile Tigre won by 7.5 lengths in fast time.

HOT SIRE: Encosta De Lago is starting to leave sons that are stallion prospects.