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Immortal’s momentum for new season

 

The team behind I Am Immortal is happy to back their young stallion in ahead of what shapes as a make-or-break spring.

Swettenham Stud’s General Manager of Operations and Nominations, Sam Matthews, said that while he initially predicted the horse to make more of an impact with early runners, he is nonetheless excited by his late-season emergence.

I Am Immortal had four individual two-year-old winners from only 15 runners last season, including a bumper July in which Timeless Gem, Southern Lass and I Am Velvet broke their respective maidens.

The latter added the VOBIS Ingot at her next start and is rated $26 in Sportsbet’s all-in market for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas.

While I Am Immortal himself was a dual Stakes winner at two, Matthews said all indications from trainers with progeny by the stallion is that his horses are larger, strong types that will improve into their three-year-old seasons.

“It’s validating to see that recent success when you put your money on the line to go and buy these stallions,” Matthews said.

“In this case, seeing I Am Immortal have some success with his late-season two-year-olds is fantastic but it’s probably not exactly what we expected.

“We expected them to be earlier, pre-Christmas two-year-olds but by Christmas he’d only had a couple of runners.

“They’re probably going to be better three-year-olds and I stuffed up a bit by saying that they were only going to be early two-year-olds.

“He’s 16.2hh and he’s 620-odd kilograms, so he’s a big horse and he throws big horses.

“They’re fast racehorses, they’re big and strong but they probably just take a bit more time than we expected.”

WATCH: I Am Velvet, a filly by I Am Immortal, wins the VOBIS Gold Ingot

I Am Immortal’s champion sire I Am Invincible hadn’t produced a two-year-old G1 winner until last season and Matthews said there remains plenty of optimism in the horse given the size of the books he’s served in recent seasons.

After serving 116 mares in his debut season in 2020, I Am Immortal served 96 mares in 2021, 100 mares in 2022 and a career-high 121 mares last spring.

Matthews is confident the performances of the stallion’s progeny on the racetrack over the coming weeks and months will help prompt mare bookings, but he also hinted his team is happy to negotiate with breeders this season to ensure I Am Immortal is again well supported.

“Last year was definitely his busiest season, he covered 120 mares, which was fantastic,” he said.

“This year, he could cover 30 mares or he could cover 150 mares, it really depends on his results on the racetrack.

“That’s where this season is vital, we need to keep the numbers up and we’re happy to look after breeders to ensure that we can keep the numbers up.

“If he has a quiet spring and he only covers 30 or 40 mares, it makes it very difficult for him to come back from that.

“The market is tough and although we’re not a farm that traditionally deals very heavily, we’re happy to look after people with the right mares and get an inexpensive service fee for a horse that looks like he’s doing the job.”

I Am Immortal stands for $13,750 on a Swettenham roster that also includes pin-up Toronado ($88,000), Rubick ($27,500) and newcomer Lofty Strike ($22,000).

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Park hat-trick for team Noonan

Article written by Darcy Cosgriff from Racing.com on 27 July 2024:

Promising Toronado filly Herbert Park has claimed her third-straight victory at Caulfield on Saturday, relishing the tough going to post a gritty win for the Noonan team.

Trained by Tony Noonan, ridden by one of Noonan’s sons (Jake) and strapped by another (assistant trainer Tom), the three-year-old started a very well-backed ($16 into $5.50) chance third-up, having won her first two starts this campaign under apprentice Dakotah Keane.

Kate’s Tiara ($16) ensured a good tempo up front, but Herbert Park always looked comfortable cruising three-wide, and let down strongly upon straightening.

She hit the lead at around the 100-metre mark, and though Sunset Dreaming ($4.20) and Kundalini ($5.50) made good late ground, they ran out of time, as Noonan’s galloper scored her fourth win from four goes on the wet, and just six starts overall.

“She’s honest – very honest and tough,” Noonan said.

“I was a bit worried when the rain hadn’t come, but sometimes those Hail Mary’s help a bit, so we did plenty of them!

“She’s progressing really well… as I said to the boys, it’s just nice to train a half-decent horse that can progress, and she’s heading in the right direction.

“She always showed good ability, but at times she’s been a little bit hot, so we’ve just had to handle her carefully.

“Jake and Dakotah have done a terrific job with her, Tom, my son, has done a terrific job with her, she can be a bit tricky. It’s been a great team effort by everyone at home.”

The win doubled as a birthday present for Noonan’s mentor, two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mick Robins, who turned 94 on Saturday.

Robins trained Rain Lover to consecutive Cup wins in 1968 and 1969, with his horse carrying roughly 10 extra kilograms the second time around.

“A good mate of mine, Mick Robins, is 94 today. Mick worked for me for a number of years and trained Rain Lover to two Melbourne Cups,” Noonan said.

“Absolute champion of a bloke, and I’d love to send him all my love.”

Noonan said Herbert Park would likely head back to Caulfield in three weeks for a similar contest, where she will step out as a mare for the first time.

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Velvet shows Guineas qualities

Article written by Andrew Eddy from Racing.com on 27 July 2024:

It was hardly perfectly executed, but the win at Caulfield by the unbeaten filly I Am Velvet has forced a rethink of the filly’s immediate future with the spring’s Thousand Guineas looming as a possible goal.

After two wins at her home track of Pakenham, I Am Velvet travelled to Caulfield on Saturday to win over the 1400-metre trip despite continuing to lay-in badly in the home straight.

Trainer Phil Stokes added a bubble cheeker to her gear to help her go straight, but she again lugged in repeatedly before jockey Daniel Stackhouse could ride her out to the line for what turned out to be a soft victory.

Breeder Darren Dance was on hand for the victory, and he said that despite her tendency to run to the rail, she was a filly of immense promise.

“You would think if she went perfectly straight and did everything right, she’d have a few lengths up her sleeve, but until we do that, we aren’t going to reach any great heights,” Dance said.

“She’s not dirty, it’s just a habit and one that I am sure Phil is going to be working on hard to get her out of.

“The Thousand Guineas wouldn’t be out of the question. Being at the back end of the carnival, Phil might want to take a month doing some dressage or the like to try and clean her act up a bit and then target her there.”

Dance said it was a hunch that led him to keep I Am Velvet’s dam Black Velveteen to breed with.

“Mick Kent had the mother,” Dance explained. “She won a race at Sandown one day and flew home and ran a really fast time.

“Normally, I wouldn’t keep a mare with a moderate pedigree like this, but she was such a lovely mare, so I thought ‘I’ll just keep her and breed a few out of her’.

“The first foal out of her was Tobaysure and he won $250,000 and has just been retired now.

“We lost the second foal and she’s the third foal and she looks a bit special.

“I just wanted to breed to race and so I went back to her genetic family and tried to pick out the right sire line and I just liked the Invincible Spirit cross with Domesday.

“That’s why I went to Cable Bay, then I went to I Am Immortal and now Shalaa because I believe they match best with her genetic make-up.”

I Am Velvet started at $3.30 but had the measure of the $1.75 favourite Dom to beat him 1.5 lengths with Cavity Bay ($26) a half-length away third.

Click to watch the replay below

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Toronado Stallion Profile – BlueBloods

The Oldsmobile Toronado was the first modern front-wheel drive car manufactured in the United States, and coincidentally, 2015 was both the 50th anniversary of the car and the year that Toronado (High Chaparral-Wana Doo, by Grand Slam) retired to stud as a dual Gr1 winner.

By Renée Geelen

Fast forward eight years, and Toronado has sired five Gr1 winners among his 37 stakes winners. “All of Toronado’s current Australian success has been off service fees under $25,000 with his current yearlings the first to come from a $45,000 service fee,” said Swettenham’s General Manager of Operations and Nominations, Sam Matthews. “We feel this is quite a difference to most of Australia’s other leading stallions who have been supported at higher fees.”

Three of Toronado’s five Gr1 winners have won two of Australian sprint majors, being the William Reid Stakes, and the Galaxy Handicap.

Masked Crusader (Toronado-She’s Got Gears, by Invincible Spirit) won seven races and over $4.4million including the 2021 Gr1 William Reid Stakes. A tough campaigner, he first raced as three year-old winning three of his first four starts and was still racing in 2023 as six-year-old. Masked Crusader also placed in the Gr1 TJ Smith Stakes, Gr1 Canterbury Stakes and The Everest (second to Champion Sprinter Nature Strip).

Mariamia (Toronado-Quinta Lago, by Encosta de Lago) won eight races including the 2023 Gr1 Galaxy Handicap and over $1.2million. Winner on debut as a late two year-old, Mariamia is a tough race mare, running 39 times from 2019 to 2023.

Toronado’s other winner of the Gr1 Galaxy Handicap is Shelby Sixtysix (Toronado-Storm Kite, by Honours List).

Bois D’Argent

He gained a huge fandom in the autumn of 2022 when he came from Highway Class, bouncing into a win in the Gr3 Maurice McCarten and the Gr1 Galaxy Handicap. All up, he has won five races, placed 12 times, in 45 starts for earnings over $880,000.

A new find for Toronado in the 2023/24 season has been Hong Kong sprinter Victor The Winner (Toronado-Noetic, by Cape Cross). The 2018 born gelding won the 2024 Gr1 HKJC Centenary Sprint Cup, then travelled to Japan to take on their best sprinters, running third in soggy conditions in the Gr1 Chukyo Takamatsunomiya Kinen. With plenty more to come, Victor The Winner has seven wins from 15 starts with over A$4million.

In the northern hemisphere, Tribhuvan (Toronado-Mahendra, by Next Desert) from Toronado’s first crop won two Gr1 races in the USA and over US$1million among six wins, and he is out of an unraced half-sister to French Gr2 winner Macleya and French Gr3 winner Montclair.

Bred in Ireland by Paul Nataf, Toronado is the fourth live foal for his winning dam, Wana Doo (Grand Slam-Wedding Gift, by Always Fair). He was sold as a weanling at the 2010 Arqana December Foal Sale, consigned by Haras d’Ommeel and sold for €40,000, purchased the British Bloodstock Agency (Ireland). 2010 was the same year that Wana Doo’s half-brother Casamento (Shamardal) was one of the best two year-olds in Ireland, winning the Gr1 Racing Post Trophy in October, only a couple of months before Toronado was sold as a weanling.

Toronado went back to the Arqana sales as a yearling, this time selling to bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington for €55,000, and he was syndicated into an ownership group called “Carmichael Humber” who put him into training with Richard Hannon.

Unbeaten in three starts at two, including the Gr2 Champagne Stakes over 1400m, Toronado was purchased privately by Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani at the start of his three year-old season. Initially aimed at the Classics, he won first up in the Gr3 Craven Stakes, then was beaten into fourth in the Gr1 Two Thousand Guineas. A month later he ran second in the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes, beaten a head by Dawn Approach. He got his revenge in his next start, winning the Gr1 Sussex Stakes with Dawn Approach in second.

After four starts as a three year-old at the mile for two wins and a second, Toronado was asked to stretch out to 2100m in the Gr1 York International S, but faded into last place. He underwent corrective surgery for a displaced palate and that was the end of his Classic season.

At four, Toronado did not race until June, but he debuted in the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile and won that before heading to defend his Sussex Stakes crown where he ran second to Kingman. Toronado then went to France

where he ran second in another Gr1 mile, the Gr1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (to Charm Spirit), before travelling to America for the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. He faded in the running, ending up mid-field and was retired to stud.

Initially Toronado stood at the National Stud in 2015, with bloodstock agent John Warren saying at the time, “Looking closely at both Toronado’s pedigree and conformation, he is hugely exciting. Being by the international leading sire High Chaparral out of a mare from the Gone West line, he looks perfect for a wide range of mares, including those that descend from the Danzig line. Having the powerful build of a very fast horse and being a group-winning unbeaten two year-old, Toronado will really appeal to the commercial market. As a European champion miler, he will also be important to owner/breeders who are aiming to breed a Classic prospect.”

When Toronado retired, High Chaparral was only beginning to make his mark as a sire, but now he has cemented himself as a sire of sire with sons such as So You Think (56 stakes winners), Toronado (37), Dundeel (26), Redwood (14), with many young horses coming through like Tivaci, Wrote, Ace High, and Alpine Eagle.

Toronado also first shuttled to Australia in 2015. In 2018, he moved his Northern Hemisphere base to Haras de Bouquetot. He stopped shuttling in 2022, staying at Swettenham.

“He was really popular in the Northern Hemisphere and covered a lot of mares

this year, but when he is standing for $8000 in one Hemisphere and $88,000 in the other, it doesn’t take a lot of calculations to work out what it takes to make it worthwhile and you also have to take into consideration insurance, travel costs,” Swettenham Stud’s Sam Matthews told TDN AusNZ in 2022.

“Essentially, Toronado loves Danzig and Danehill – which is great news given the dominance of Danehill sons in Australia – and he doesn’t mind being bred back to his own sire line either.”

The yearling markets have begun to clue into Toronado’s success on the track, in particular his ability to sire tough sprinters and strong Hong Kong winners, and his 2024 yearlings sold up to $600,000; with all 72 yearlings offered in 2024 averaging $161,665 with a median of $120,000 (off a $49,500 service fee).

“We are looking forward to the current crop of weanlings hitting the market (whether as weanlings or yearlings) and also looking forward to standing a son of Toronado in years to come, especially out of one of the top mares that has visited him in the past three seasons,” said Matthews.

Looking across Toronado’s 37 stakes winners, several pedigree patterns emerge. Each of his five Gr1 winners is out of mares by different stallions, indicating his versatility and it is a similar story across his stakes winners with his 37 stakes winners representing 33 damsires. However, fifteen of the 37 are from the Danzig sire line (mostly sons and grandsons of Danehill); while another four have damsires representing the Green Desert branch of Danzig’s sire line. Another six are different Northern Dancer sire lines. All up, this makes 25 of his 37 (67%) stakes winners out of mares by Northern Dancer sire lines, which may not be a surprise given the prevalence of those sire lines in Australia.

The remaining eight stakes winners are out of mares representing the Mr Prospector line (5) while two are from the Try My Best sire line. Perhaps it is some surprise that there is only one Toronado stakes winner out of a Sir Tristram line mare, being Listed winner Beltoro (Toronado-Believabeel, by Zabeel), given the number of Zabeel-line mares in the population. The remaining four represent a mixed group of sire lines.

Both Gr3 winner Senor Toba (Toronado-Bahamas, by Teofilo) and Listed winner Jouza (Toronado-Razmiya, by Galileo) carry inbreeding to Sadler’s Wells with Senor Toba being 3mx4f to the Champion Sire and Irish bred Jouza being 3mx3f to him, while Mariamia carries a cross to Sadler’s Wells’ half-brother Fairy King via her damsire Encosta de Lago.

Essentially, Toronado loves Danzig and Danehill – which is great news given the dominance of Danehill sons in Australia – and he doesn’t mind being bred back to his own sire line either.

Toronado’s rise from a $22,000 stallion when he retired to the $88,000 he commands in 2024 has been sensational, and with better broodmares supporting him, his record looks set to improve further.

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Toronado Colt Tops Inglis Weanling Day 2

By Black Type Horse Racing, 8 May 2024

The top weanling on Day 2 at Riverside in Sydney was a Toronado x Atomic Pulse colt from Lustre Lodge which realised $320,000, to the extreme delight of Lustre’s Paige Churcher. “He’s a colt we brought here thinking we could get $100,000, maybe $120,000 for because he’s a beautiful moving colt by a sire that’s really on fire so we’re absolutely rapt,’’ Churcher said. “Honestly, I was just hoping I could get reserve back on him, we’re just ecstatic. He’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds and hopefully the purchaser gets a great result as well. He was very well found here all week, he did over 200 inspections and he just handled it all like a true professional. Toronado is standing the 2024 breeding season at Swettenham Stud for $88,000. Tuesday’s second-top lot was a Home Affairs x Extra Olives colt from Coolmore, which realised $260,000 to the bid of Fernrigg Farm. The colt became the highest-priced progeny of a first season sire at the sale, being by exciting young stallion and Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Home Affairs. “We’re very excited with what the stallion is going to do leading into his first yearling crop,’’ Coolmore’s John Kennedy said. “He’s been full every season since he’s been to stud, we’ve heavily supported him with some of our best mares… we have very high aspirations for him and he really looks like he’s well on his way to reaching those heights.

 

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Stalwart Anchors Balance of Swettenham’s Line Up

By Black Type Horse Racing, 2 May 2024

In 2024, Swettenham Stud‘s headliner Toronado asserted himself as the number one active sire in Hong Kong, courtesy of the Group 1 success of Victor The Winner and emerging superstar Helios Express. High Chaparral’s classy sire-son continues to rise up the stallion ranks. This season Toronado has produced more Australian winners than ever before and is currently ahead of superstar sires Snitzel and So You Think for winners. Toronado will remain at a fee of $88,000 inc GST, a decision that was not taken lightly as the stallion continues to reach new levels. Boom sire Wootton Bassett‘s blazingly fast son Wooded returns to Swettenham following the sale of his half-sister in 2024 for €2.4 million.

Longchamp’s Gr1 Prix de l’Abbaye (1000m) hero, who is a full-brother to last year’s dominant Gr1 winning 2YO Bucanero Fuerte, remains at $22,000. Blue-blooded Group 1 sire Rubick ($27,500 inc GST) was Victoria’s leading sire of 3YO on earnings, wins and stakes wins last season, and he has continued on his successes this season with Erno’s Cube winning the Gr2 Reisling Stakes. In fact, Toronado ($88,000) and Written Tycoon (Private) are the only Victorian sires with more winners than Rubick this season. I Am Invincible‘s dual Stakes winning 2YO son I Am Immortal covered his largest book to date last season in his 4th year at stud on the back of some very positive feedback from trainers. From only a handful of runners, I Am Immortal has produced impressive debut winner I Am Velvet and stakes-placed filly Immortal Star, who defeated eventual Group 1 winner Broadsiding back in February. The Invincible Spirit line is in high demand and I Am Immortal presents as a value outcross with enormous upside as his first runners continue to hit the track. He will stand again for $13,750 inc GST. Also standing again is Puissance De Lune, a son of the influential Shamardal (USA), who will be available at a reduced fee of $8,800 inc GST. The talented grey has been represented by 183 runners, resulting in 93 individual winners of 246 races, including four stakes winners. Showing remarkable versatility, Puissance De Lune has produced winners in the distance range of 955 to 2600 metres.

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Maiden Of The Week – La Pleine Lune

ANZ Bloodstock News, May 3 2024

The Lindsay Park-trained La Pleine Lune (Puissance De Lune) posted an incredible debut performance at Warrnambool on Wednesday, taking out a 1200-metre event by a staggering nine lengths.

Partnered by Nash Rawiller, the youngster made all the running, pulling further and further clear to beat fellow newcomer Guerite (Shamus Award) with another length back to the third-placed Cachink (So You Think), who was also lining up for the first time.

“To see him win like that was a great thrill,” Ben Hayes, who trains the colt in partnership with his brothers JD and Will, said.

“He is very professional, and I think you saw that today. He jumped, was able to muster, and travelled. He might have been flattered by the way the track is playing. Still, he won by nine lengths, and few horses can do that.”

An $80,000 purchase for Victor Lee from the Collingrove Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale Showcase Session, La Pleine Lune is the first foal of the Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) mare Cinq Dames.

A winner at Mornington and Geelong in 13 starts, Cinq Dames is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Fast Cash (Charge Forward), out of the Choisir (Danehill Dancer) mare The Loan Express, who ran third in the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot and was fourth in the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at the Curragh.

Cinq Dames was sold on Inglis Digital in 2022 for $6,500 to Melissa Ick when carrying a sister to La Pleine Lune. Snitzel’s daughter was not covered last spring.

Puissance De Lune has one lot at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale, a colt out of the winning Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) mare Absolutely Panda’s, catalogued as Lot 1201.

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Toronado reigns at Swettenham Stud remaining at $88,000

Keely Mckitterick, TTR

Victorian-based Swettenham Stud proudly unveiled its 2024 lineup of six stallions and their respective fees. Leading the charge is the exceptional Toronado (Ire), whose fee remains unchanged at $88,000 (inc GST).

Earlier in the year, Swettenham Stud welcomed its latest addition, Lofty Strike, commanding a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

The striking son of Snitzel is from the G1 Golden Slipper heroine Overreach (Exceed And Excel) and showed high-class ability in his 12-start career retiring with victories in the G2 Rubiton S. and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings).

Lofty Strike | Standing at Swettenham Stud

Swettenham Stud’s General Manager – Operations and Nominations Sam Matthews told The Thoroughbred Report the reception to Lofty Strike has been outstanding, “He’s absolutely fantastic. Lofty Strike has certainly settled into his surroundings at Swettenham Stud.

“He knows he’s a bull, but he’s got the most magnificent demeanour about him. He’s been enjoying his time out in the day yard most days and we’ve had quite a few people come and see him that have absolutely loved him, including some really good judges that quite liked him at the yearling sales.

“The feedback on Lofty Strike has been well beyond what we expected.”

Toronado headlines

The prominence of Toronado continues to soar, having produced more Australian winners than ever before in his career this season (110 winners) and currently ahead of the four-time Champion Sire Snitzel and The Everest-winning sire, So You Think (NZ).

Toronado’s prowess in Hong Kong was once again underscored, solidifying his position as the number one active sire in the region, thanks to the Group 1 victor Victor The Winner and the promising Helios Express.

To date, the son of High Chaparral (Ire) has sired 37 stakes winners globally, with 20 of them achieving success in the Southern Hemisphere. Moreover, Toronado boasts five elite-level winners.

His progeny have also been highly sought after in the sales ring. Of the 82-progeny offered at sales in 2024, 72 have grossed $11,639,259, with an average of $161,665 and a median of $120,000. Toronado achieved an overall top price of $600,000 for a colt at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Commenting on the decision to maintain Toronado’s fee at an unchanged $88,000 (inc GST), Matthews stated, “There was certainly some conversation about increasing his service fee, as there was last year as well. However, we believe the best is yet to come for Toronado, and just because you can increase a service fee doesn’t mean you should.

Toronado | Standing at Swettenham Stud

“We want breeders to continue to profit from him and breed commercially. Swettenham Stud believes it’s crucial to ensure that breeders who have supported him before can continue to do so at the same price.”

Sirelines of the future

Returning to Swettenham Stud for his third season is Wooded (Ire), the fastest son of Wootton Bassett (GB), who will maintain an unchanged fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

Wooded clinched the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp over 1000 meters and has garnered significant popularity among breeders, covering more mares in his second season (93) than in his first (84).

He stands out as the sole son of Wootton Bassett in Australia and one of only two in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wooded (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud

“John Foote was the first person to bring Wootton Bassett to Swettenham Stud’s attention many years ago when he was acquiring a few for Australian clients.

“Our relationship with Al Shaqab facilitated the acquisition of Wooded. He’s the fastest son of Wootton Bassett and an outcross. We were impressed with him, and it wasn’t until he arrived at the farm two seasons ago that we realised his fertility, evidenced by the quality of his progeny.

“He covered a larger book in his second season, which is always a positive sign.

“Wooded is exceptionally fertile, and we plan to offer a couple of high-quality weanlings at sales; a strategy that proved successful with Toronado. Corner Pocket, for instance, was sold as a weanling and proved to be a lucrative pinhook, fetching a handsome sum as a yearling.”

Wooded has one entry catalogued at the upcoming 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.

Representing one of the hottest sirelines in the Southern Hemisphere is I Am Immortal. The son of I Am Invincible will maintain his fee at $13,750 (inc GST).

I Am Immortal | Standing at Swettenham Stud

I Am Immortal’s first runners hit the track this spring, resulting in seven runners, two winners, and the stakes-performed Immortal Star.

Similar to Wooded, I Am Immortal served his largest book of mares last season, totalling 121.

“I Am Immortal was a very early and sharp juvenile himself, and we anticipated seeing more of his progeny running pre-Christmas. However, with only seven runners, he has already produced two winners, including a stakes performer.

“So, when compared to many other first-season sires, he’s performing admirably. While he hasn’t had a large number of runners, the feedback we’ve received, including from the few we own (about half-a-dozen), has been positive.

“I Am Immortal covered a record book in 2024, and I believe breeders who utilised him in 2023 will soon witness those results on the racetrack, hopefully followed by success in the sales ring shortly thereafter.”

Proven brigade

Completing Swettenham Stud’s 2024 stallion roster alongside Toronado as proven producers are Rubick and Puissance De Lune (Ire).

Rubick will maintain his fee at $27,500 (inc GST). The son of Encosta De Lago has sired 12 stakes winners, including the multiple Group 1 winner Jacquinot and The Everest victor Yes Yes Yes.

Additionally, Rubick is credited with the Ciaron Maher-trained Erno’s Cube, a resilient and consistent juvenile who clinched the G2 Reisling S. this autumn.

Rubick | Standing at Swettenham Stud

Last season, Rubick topped Victoria’s leading sire of 3-year-olds in earnings, wins, and stakes wins. This season, only his barnmate Toronado and Yulong’s Written Tycoon, standing at a private fee, have had more winners than Rubick.

Rubick covered 94 mares in the spring.

Matthews remarked, “Remarkably, it’s only Toronado and Written Tycoon, both Victorian-based, that have had more winners than Rubick this season. He’s absolutely thriving, and we’re excited as he still has plenty more to offer with his increasing books, which are now reaching maturity.

Sam Matthews

“We’ve seen Rubick’s success with juveniles, particularly 3-year-olds. I believe there are many promising city winners close to achieving black-type status.

“Overall, Rubick has had another outstanding season, and I anticipate the next six months will be particularly fruitful for him.”

Puissance De Lune, a son of the influential Shamardal (USA), will be available at a reduced fee of $8,800 (inc GST). The talented grey has been represented by 183 runners, resulting in 93 individual winners of 246 races, including four stakes winners. Showing remarkable versatility, Puissance De Lune has produced winners in the distance range of 955 to 2600 metres.

Puissance De Lune | Standing at Swettenham Stud

Described as Swettenham’s ‘favourite grey’, Matthews said, “Puissance De Lune will stand at a reduced fee of $8,800 (inc GST). He’s a horse that has those big books from a couple of years ago coming through. They do take a little bit longer to mature, but we still see him achieving success, and the ones that are out there running are incredibly versatile, with an exceptional city-strike rate.

“It’s probably just been a lack of runners for Puissance De Lune in recent times. So, we decided to bring him back a little bit. But he’s still a commercial breeding or racing option for breeders.

“There are a few sons of Shamardal out there, but I think if people want something proven, he’s the only option currently. You can breed to Puissance De Lune knowing you’re going to get a runner. If you send a speedier mare to him, you can get something that can win a 955-metre race, or if you send a distance mare, you produce something that can excel in Oaks and Derby distances.”

Commenting on the approach to stud fees this season, Matthews said, “I’m confident our fees will be well-received because we’ve built our reputation based on looking after people and ensuring that our service fees are reasonable all the way through.

“I think we demonstrated with Toronado and the other stallions that we want to make sure that the breeder is looked after so that they can breed to a commercial stallion at an affordable rate and get a return.

“There are some farms that might have been a bit too bullish on the service fees in the past, but I think if you do the right thing by people and set your fees accordingly, then you build that long-term relationship where people are comfortable supporting your stallions, knowing that you’ll support them in return.

Matthews added, “The fees are set in April, but things change, and there are always options available for people if they’re not sure what to breed to or if they want to breed a certain mare; we’re always around to chat and look at everything objectively; we don’t just look at our own horses. We want to ensure that breeders can achieve results and continue in the game.”

Table: 2024 Announced Stallion Fees for Swettenham Stud

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Maid’s mouth-to-mouth miracle

Performing mouth to mouth on a horse is an odd feeling.

Chances are you’ve never done it. Most people, including the most experienced of horsemen, haven’t.

But Jackie Congdon has.

On a now-memorable night in September 2020, the long-time employee of Swettenham Stud’s foaling unit literally breathed life into a dying filly foal.

Congdon noticed something odd about prized mare Manhattan Maid, who wasn’t due to drop her Puissance de Lune foal for several weeks and hadn’t yet started to show any signs of producing milk.

It turned out that the mare, who produced Group 2 winner and G1-placed filly Moonlight Maid, was having a dreaded ‘red bag’ foaling and was quickly rushed to the farm’s foaling yards.

In a ‘red bag’ delivery, the placenta separates from the mare prior to foaling, limiting or restricting oxygen to the foal.

How long the filly went without oxygen isn’t clear, but the signs when she was wrenched out of her mother weren’t good.

With few other options, Congdon began resuscitating the sickly chestnut filly, who was barely clinging to life.

As she cradled her tiny head, waiting for further veterinary intervention, she willed the little horse to live.

Swettenham Stud Principal Adam Sangster recounted Congdon’s heroics to Racing.com.

“The mare wasn’t due to foal, she wasn’t producing any milk or waxing up, so she was actually still in the paddock,” Sangster said.

“Jackie went checking the mares out in the paddocks as she does two or three times a day and she noticed that the mare was looking like she was about to foal.

“She saw the bag and it was a red bag foaling, so whether the mare was trying to abort the foal or whether it was just natural (we don’t know), but it was a very strange circumstance.

“Jackie quickly led her to the foaling paddock and phoned up Jason, our assistant manager at the farm, who came out with some oxygen.

“It was an incredibly hard foaling and they basically had to pull the foal out.

“The foal came out and she wasn’t breathing at all, so Jackie started to give her mouth to mouth.

“The foal exhaled but wouldn’t inhale, so Jackie kept trying mouth to mouth.

“The foal started to become a bit more alert, but it looked like it had been deprived oxygen to the brain for a period of time.

“Jackie stayed there and nursed the foal’s head for two hours while they got her completely out of the mare.”

 

Jackie’s Maid as a foal (Image: Swettenham Stud)

While Manhattan Maid emerged from the foaling in good health, the same could not be said of the filly.

She remained in intensive care for several weeks as vets battled side effects of the horror birth and attempted to pair her back with her mother.

But with persistence, came results. Despite the initial challenges, the foal showed consistent improvement and by the time she was weaned, she was completely healthy.

At Echuca on Sunday, the filly had her first start and duly saluted in head-turning fashion for Ballarat-based trainer Mitch Freedman and jockey Jarrod Fry.

Her name is Jackie’s Maid and she might be well above average.

For some, she’s already a star.

Sangster explained that owners John Sutcliffe, Gerry Ryan and Tony Merrifield chose to honour Congdon’s commitment and love of the horse in those early hours.

“It took quite a bit out of the mare herself, so things were looking bad for both of them, but luckily Manhatten Maid survived, which was great, but the foal was in dire straits,” he said.

“Jackie and the team nurtured her all night and into the morning before Tony Merrifield (from Limerick Lane) picked her up and took her up to the emergency unit at the veterinary practice.

“It was touch and go for about two weeks.

“The mare still wasn’t producing milk and she actually refused the foal because she was so sick.

“The foal was a dummy foal, but she made a remarkable recovery, the mare eventually accepted her life was pretty normal for them after that.

“It’s a remarkable story and one that involved some incredible horsemanship from the team, most notably Jackie.

“John was so enamoured by and so taken with what Jackie did that he named the horse after her.”

 

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