Emerging Stratosphere, New Era For Tasmanian Breeding

The emergence of young stallion Stratosphere could be the shining light the Apple Isle’s breeding sector desperately needs and demand for his stock at the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale could play a pivotal role in the overall success of the local industry’s annual auction. 

The Feb. 20, 140-Lot sale, which has enjoyed year-on-year growth at its past five sales, is predicted to be “tougher than last year” as a contingent of Tassie regulars from the mainland have elected to bypass the one-day sale on the almost five-month Australasian yearling sales season. 

Agents John Foote, Merrick Staunton, first-timer Dave Mee, Jeremy Rogers, and interstate trainers Calvin McEvoy, Gavin Bedggood, Reece Goodwin, Chris Bieg, John Hyam, Dale Short, and Chantelle Jolly were on the grounds yesterday but, arguably in a sign of the times, regular visitors such as John McArdle, Robbie Griffiths, Mitch Freedman, and Matt Cumani will not be in attendance this year.

Other Victorian-based trainers such as Charlotte Littlefield, Coral Feek, and Ben Brisbourne would have made the trip to Tasmania, but owing to an industry-wide staffing crisis, they had little choice but to stay at home to run their respective stables at such a busy time of year.

A List Stud, who spent AUS$540,000 on six yearlings at the 2022 Tasmanian sale, will also be a noticeable absence from the buyers’ sheet this year after principal Chris Lee decided to rein in his spending.

Last year’s sale, which grossed AU$4.344 million (US$2,986,934, AU$1.00=US$0.6876), achieved an average of AU$38,447 ($26,436) and a median of AU$30,000 ($20,628), but Magic Millions’ Victorian and Tasmanian manager Tim Brown urged vendors to be realistic about buyers’ risk appetite this year.

Brown’s position mirrors that of Inglis’ Sebastian Hutch prior to last week’s Classic sale in Sydney when he said it was unrealistic to use last year’s statistics as a reliable benchmark of how the market may unfold in 2023.

“We are certainly looking for a bit more local support. Tasmanian breeders are doing a great job with their bonus scheme and the stock they are producing and I do believe that the local trainers should make more use of the home-grown product.”

One stallion whose progeny are likely to capture the attention of local and interstate buyers is Grenville Stud’s Stratosphere, who has 12 second-crop yearlings set to be offered at the sale at Quercus Park, near Launceston.

“The early 2-year-old ranks were a bit light on for a couple of years, but Stratosphere’s starting to fill that void. We are very excited so far from a relatively small foal crop just on 50 live foals,” Grenville Stud’s Bart McCulloch said.

“He’s had seven runners for three winners and a second, including two stakes horses, so that has him equal leading first-season sire by individual winners, and he is off to a great start.

“It’s no surprise with the way they are running the way they are with the types he is leaving.”

The Newgate-China Horse Club-raced Stratosphere, who was runner-up in the 2018 running of the Canonbury Stakes (G3) at his only competitive start, has nine yearlings in the 2023 Grenville draft.

“Certainly, mainland buyers were happy to jump into them last year. Twelve months ago, people were telling us we had a stallion on our hands with the types he was leaving,” McCulloch said. 

“We actually feel that we’ve got a better line-up of Stratospheres this year, and I think they’re going to be very well received again this year.”

Another impressive feature win today for Tassie star Turk Warrior. His record is 11 wins, 5 placings and 2 fourths from his 18 starts.
Check out his half sister by Stratosphere (pictured) as Lot 47 at tomorrow's 2023 Tasmanian Yearling Sale for @grenvillestud. pic.twitter.com/QgkrJMfpzy

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) February 19, 2023

McCulloch implored mainland agents and trainers to consider Tasmanian-sired yearlings, with the state’s TasBred scheme matching Super Vobis winners’ bonuses if those horses win an eligible race in Victoria.

He also said his home state trainers were benefiting from the TasBred scheme, Tasmania’s version of Vobis, NSW’s BOBS, and Queensland’s QTIS.

“Certainly, stakes money in Tasmania’s healthy, much healthier than it’s ever been, and the TasBred scheme makes a massive impact and that is something we’d like to grow,” the breeder said. 

“The TasBred races are so sought after now that trainers are targeting them, so instead of having it on roughly half the maidens in Tassie, we need it on all the maidens, so we want to grow that scheme. 

“The Stratospheres are in the mold of what trainers are looking for with something that’s going to get up and go and get a return.”

Trainer, stallion master, and vendor Cameron Thompson of Brooklyn Park Stud has a mix of homebred and pinhooked yearlings in his draft of 14 by sires such as Manhattan Rain , Foxwedge , Vancouver , and Grunt.

“I think having a draft of 14, you have got to try and have quality because it’s lower numbers,” Thompson said. 

“When we went and bought a few for pinhooking, we didn’t buy the bottom few horses, we bought ones we thought could sell well in our local sale and that’s what we’ve done, but we’ve also got some locally sired horses by Stratosphere, Ambidexter, and Alpine Eagle and I think they’re a good representation of the stallions.”

Grenville has also topped up its Tasmanian sale draft of 24, including by sires Headwater, Capitalist, and Pride Of Dubai , the sire of Saturday’s Talindert Stakes winner Maharba, Avondale Guineas (G2) winner Desert Lightning and Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) runner-up Bella Nipotina.

The sale starts Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. (local time).