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While he is now considered an "elder statesman" of the Coolmore Australia stallion roster, there can be no doubt that Encosta de Lago (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is one of the premier stallions standing in Australia this year. The son of Fairy King has amassed a sensational record at stud with 6.3% stakes winners to foals and 7.6% stakes winners to runners (up...
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Today brought the news of Black Caviar's retirement from racing. The big question now is which stallion will have the privilege of serving the great mare in her first season at stud? But first, to reflect on Black Caviar's remarkable record, her unbeaten 25-race career included 15 group I victories and spanned six consecutive calendar years. She was the world...
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Back in August, we posted an interview with Cecile Smith , co-breeder of champion So You Think (NZ) ( TrueNicks ). Cecile emailed me to report that So You Think's now 22-year-old dam, Triassic, foaled a healthy Medaglia d'Oro ( TrueNicks , SRO ) colt in October. Triassic with her 2012 Medaglia d'Oro colt. Cecile said: "He is a big, strong colt and Triassic had...
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Four-time group I-winning filly Mosheen, who fractured a hind leg in the Oct. 20 Yellowglen Tristarc Stakes (Aus-II), has been retired and is scheduled to be bred to leading Japanese sire Deep Impact in 2013. Katsumi Yoshida, who stands Deep Impact at his family's Shadai Stallion Station, purchased a 50% share in the Fastnet Rock (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ) filly...
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On a week when much will be written about the great Frankel (Galileo– Kind , by Danehill) as he retires to Juddmonte Farms to serve his first season at stud in 2013, this writer had pause to reflect on the outstanding performance of his broodmare sire, Danehill, who has thus far proved himself a phenomenon as a sire and broodmare sire in two hemispheres—a true...
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Triassic, the dam So You Think, in April 2012 I recently had the opportunity to interview Cecile Smith, owner of Piper Farm and co-breeder of Australian champion and 10-time group I winner So You Think (NZ) ( TrueNicks ). Cecile owns So You Think's dam, the 22-year-old Tights mare Triassic, who is currently in foal to Medaglia d'Oro ( TrueNicks , SRO ) and is...
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The weekend past saw the 56th running of the world's richest 2-year-old race, the AAMI Golden Slipper (Aus-I), run over 1200m (6 furlongs) at Rosehill in Sydney with the victor being the undefeated Gai Waterhouse-trained Pierro (Gai had touted Pierro strongly leading up to the race as seen in this pre-race video ). Traditionally the race that decides the champion...
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Easter may be a holiday, but it’s also a time of intense activity in the Australian Thoroughbred industry, especially in Sydney. The BWM Sydney Carnival runs from March 24 to April 28 at Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens, and features the world’s richest 2-year-old race, the A$3.5 million AMI Golden Slipper (gr. I)—contested on Easter Saturday—and, one week...
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More Than Ready Photo: Vinery Hindsight is always 20/20, but when the Vinery Stud stallion More Than Ready ( TrueNicks , SRO ) shuttled to Australia, he looked to be a ‘lock’ to suit mares by then-leading sire Danehill. Invariably within breeding populations, the next great sire establishes himself with the daughters of a previously great sire. Just as Danehill...
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While we are only in the first few weeks of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season, stallion masters in Australia are already at work on recruiting new stallions to their rosters for the 2012 breeding season, which begins in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The first of these to appear on TrueNicks is Smart Missile ( TrueNicks ), who will be standing at Arrowfield...
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Over two years ago, we ran a TrueNicks Broodmare Report for the O'Reilly (NZ) ( TrueNicks ) mare Rare Insight. The report was ordered by Rare Insight's part-owner Neil Hoar, who gave a copy to his trainer, leading Australian trainer John O'Shea. After reading the report, the trainer told us: "I'm impressed that the report has Danehill Dancer as a top pick. I...
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The brilliant victory of Black Caviar in the MRC C.F. Orr Stakes (gr. I, video below) - which took her record to 18 wins in 18 starts - gives us an excuse to post an article of her pedigree that ran in the Australian publication Inside Breeding last year, which explored the potential reasoning behind the mating that led to her. Why is Black Caviar brilliant?...
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In what was somewhat of an upset victory, the classy mare Pinker Pinker won the historic Cox Plate (Aus-I), the best weight for age race over 10 furlongs in Australasia, last night at Moonee Valley. Interestingly, the owner of Pinker Pinker's dam Miss Marion had asked TrueNicks to run a Broodmare Analysis Report on the mare when Pinker Pinker was still an unnamed...
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"He is a freak," said rival jockey Jim Cassidy after Lonhro (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ) rolled past his mount Grand Armee in the 2003 George Main Stakes (gr. I, 1 mile, video below). "That is the first time ever I've heard the whoosh as a horse goes past me. He burnt my ears. I let down and he let down five more gears. I'm stunned." Lonhro was an exceptionally...
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Over 140 stallions standing in Australia and New Zealand have joined TrueNicks in advance of the 2011 Southern Hemisphere breeding season. Thoroughbred breeders who are currently busy working on their 2011 mating plans can now run complimentary TrueNicks Enhanced Reports with these stallions. ( Click here for the full list ) TrueNicks Enhanced Reports include...
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Set in the Isis Valley near Scone, Kitchwin Hills is home to two exciting young sires, Dane Shadow and Duporth, one an extremely promising young son of Danehill, and the other a horse with tremendous potential as an outcross for Danehill. Dane Shadow (AUS) ( TrueNicks ) – a group stakes-winning sprinter by Danehill out of champion 3-year-old filly Slight Chance...
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Larneuk Stud is a proven winner-producing nursery, situated near Euroa in the heart of Victoria’s thoroughbred country. The farm has now subscribed two of its promising young sires to TrueNicks, allowing breeders to run complimentary hypothetical matings with O’Lonhro and Bramshaw. O'Lonhro (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who will soon commence his second season at...
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Royal Ascot occupied most of our attention last week, but we wanted to note a few interesting pedigrees from last week before they get too distant in time. In Australia, the Stradbroke Handicap (gr. I, video below) saw Sincero (TrueNicks A++ ) become one of the few 3-year-olds in that country this season to defeat his elders in a major race this year. Sincero...
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Blue Gum Farm near Euroa, Victoria, has a 30-year history, and is famed for nurturing the early career of one of Australia’s outstanding sires, Encosta de Lago. Today, the farm is at the forefront of the Victorian breeding industry, and is home to one of the strongest stallion rosters in the state. That roster includes the only European classic winner by Danzig...
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The latest Australian stallion farm to join TrueNicks is Arrowfield, the Hunter Valley powerhouse whose roster is headed by champion sire Redoute’s Choice. Winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes (gr. I) in two starts at 2, Redoute's Choice (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ) earned a title as champion Australasian 3-year-old miler the following year, capturing the Caulfield...
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Established on a property with a near 100-year history as a Thoroughbred nursery, Vinery Australia offers a line-up of stallions that encompasses the best of both international breeding and domestic bloodlines. The roster is headed by More Than Ready ( TrueNicks , SRO ), a brilliant juvenile and grade I-winning 3-year-old sprinter who has the unique distinction...
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Widden Stud has been a breeding farm since 1867 and has been in the same family – the Thompsons – for seven generations. They have stood Australian champion sires Lochiel, Grafton, Malster, Bletchingly, Vain, and Marscay. Despite its proud history, however, the focus is firmly on the future, with the farm presenting a roster of outstanding young stallions. The...
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One of the newest stallion farms on the Australian scene, Patinack has quickly gathered an impressive roster of stallions, which for the 2011 breeding season will feature newly-retired classic winers Lope de Vega and Monaco Consul. Lope de Vega (IRE) ( TrueNicks ) is a son of Shamardal, a horse who was never beaten on the turf, earning honours as European champion...
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One of the strongest stallion rosters, both in terms of numbers and quality, is that which stands under the Coolmore banner. Leading the team is Encosta de Lago (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ). The group I-winning son of Sadler’s Wells’ brother Fairy King has already earned honors as a champion sire. A winner of the 1996 VicHealth Cup (gr. I, video below) over 1400m...
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It hasn’t taken long for champion 3-year-old and sprinter Fastnet Rock to emerge as one of Danehill’s most exciting sons at stud. With his third crop only 2-year-olds of 2010-2011, he has already been represented by 15 stakes winners, 11 of those graded, among them the group I scorers Wanted, Irish Lights, and Rock Classic, as well as current juvenile Smart Missile...
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