First-Crop Sires to Watch at Magic Millions

The fail-safe commercial mating plan for breeders is to turn to first-crop sires as, inevitably, the yearling market gravitates towards what's new and the respective stallions' racetrack deeds are still fresh in the memory of prospective owners.

In the breeding season of 2019, Australian breeders certainly were spoiled for choice, but the freshman sire roster still provided them with a conundrum as how to best maximize their returns given three high-profile stallions, who would be ranked as clearly number one in most other years, all went to stud in the same year and, as such, commanded service fees to match their impressive records.

Trapeze Artist, the son of a champion sire in Snitzel  and a four-time group 1 winner on the track, stood at Widden for AUS$88,000, while The Autumn Sun, whose racecourse exploits saw him retired as a five-time group 1 winner from just nine starts.

Arrowfield Stud was The Autumn Sun's obvious home, being a son of the great breed-shaper in Redoute's Choice , and John Messara ensured that was the case by fending off huge offers from rival farms to see him stand at the farm where he was born.

His service fee was AUS$77,000 while Coolmore had purchased the unbeaten U.S. Triple Crown winner Justify   for an almost unthinkable sum and they were doing everything they could to ensure he "makes it." He also stood for AUS$77,000, although his fee was kept private in his first year, mainly to avoid upsetting his Northern Hemisphere legion of breeders and fans who were captivated by the stunning colt.

Then the gap in first-season service fees in that year fell dramatically to the likes of Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) winner Written By (AUS$24,750), fellow group 1-winning sprinter Brave Smash (AUS$22,000), Darley shuttler Harry Angel  (AUS$16,500), and Showtime (AUS$11,000), among others.

This week's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, taking place Jan. 11-17, presents the first major opportunity for buyers to lay their eyes on a large cross-section of progeny by the freshman sires and, as expected, the opinions are diverse.

Justify received an unprecedented number of quality mares for an unproven stallion, with dual group 1 winner Global Glamour and fellow stakes winner Eckstein represented with first-crop yearlings by the son of Scat Daddy.

Newly independent agent Michael Wallace, who enjoyed the remarkable ride courtesy of Justify during his eight-year stint at China Horse Club, is one man well-placed to judge the prospects of the Triple Crown winner's Southern Hemisphere-bred yearlings.

"Having been involved with him in purchasing Justify (as a yearling), I am really interested to see them down here and comparing them to what I have seen (of them) in America," Wallace told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"There's a lovely line of horses, a lot of size, a lot of bone, a lot of strength. They're very similar to himself. Even though he's a very big horse, he was very fast and Bob (Baffert, trainer) always felt that we could have run him over six furlongs or even on the grass, if we wanted to. He was an extremely fast horse but he had that ability to carry it into a mile, 10 furlongs with ease."

Sheamus Mills is another agent with experience in both hemisphere yearling markets.

"I get over to the American sales a little bit and there's some that look to be that more American style yearling, a bit of leg under them with plenty of stretch and scope and then there's a few that have been mated to these Australian speed mares where the mare's been a little bit more dominant.

"I think the best example of that is the Global Glamour (filly, Lot 78) who certainly looks (to be) an Australian type."

Avesta Bloodstock's Jimmy Unwala believes Justify can make his mark Down Under.

"I believe a lot of American stallions do (work in Australia) if you bring the right American stallion with a lot of speed in them," Unwala said.

"Street Cry worked here, Medaglia d'Oro  's worked here, and More Than Ready   has worked here. You, of course, need the right support and I think the mare quality makes a big difference, so I can see that here (with Justify)."

Trapeze Artist's owner-breeder Bert Vieira had so much belief in his star sprinter's chances at stud that he rejected huge offers to sell the multiple group 1 winner and instead struck a deal for the horse to stand at Widden in the Hunter Valley.

The AU$88,000 service fee did not turn breeders away, with Trapeze Artist covering 180 mares in his first year.

The consensus of opinion among agents canvassed by ANZ Bloodstock News is that Trapeze Artist's stock may be inclined to mirror himself: be talented enough to be a good 2-year-old but excel as 3- and 4-year-olds.

"Trapeze Artist was obviously a fantastic racehorse, he's a very big strong horse himself, his yearlings are very big and very strong," agent Jim Clarke said.

"He obviously raced well as a 2-year-old, winning the (Mercedes-Benz Canberra) Black Opal Stakes (G3), and he improved as an older horse.

"I think they'll be precocious, I think they'll be forward, but they do have scope to keep on improving as they get older as well."

Of the Trapeze Artists, Unwala said: "Again, I think they might be horses who will take slightly longer to come to hand, but one thing I've seen about the Trapeze Artists is that they have a lovely action on them and a lot of substance.

"The top three (Trapeze Artist, The Autumn Sun, and Justify) I reckon might not be your typical Magic Millions nippy 2-year-olds, but they have a lot of quality, good pedigrees behind them and a lot of class, so it's (just) a matter of time."

Agent Bill Mitchell, with his matter-of-fact demeanor, said: "I have seen plenty of nice Trapeze Artists, there's a bit of speed there. I think they're going to cost a bit, but there's enough good looking ones around, that's for sure."

Messara is convinced that The Autumn Sun, who is out of Galileo mare Azmiyna, herself a half sister to European group 1 winner and notable stallion Azamour , has the credentials to become an elite stallion and the agents are certainly not dismissing the suggestion just yet.

"I think he actually defies his pedigree a little bit on looks," Mills said.

"I am big on broodmare sires and being out of a Galileo mare I expected them to look like they're going to take a little bit more time, but I think there's a few here that look like they're going to be sharper, so he's probably one who I think might surprise people a little bit by getting a few 2-year-olds."

Wallace was also intrigued by the impact of broodmare sire Galileo on The Autumn Sun's stock.

"He's from a Galileo mare, so I was wondering how precocious they'd be, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see some of them with a lot of natural strength and muscle," Wallace said.

"I have been kind of taken by a few of them as we make our second looks."

Clarke believes that The Autumn Sun yearlings on offer at the Gold Coast could look like good value by the time the yearling sales season is completed.

He said: "I guess this sale is really tailored towards the 2-year-old speed, as we know, so both those horses, Justify and The Autumn Sun, even though I wouldn't say you're going to be buying them cheaply, that's never the case with first-season stallions, but you might get reasonable value in a sale like this compared to some of the later sales just because there's a bit of an emphasis of trying to get back here for that 2-year-old race next year."