Tough-as-teak (image Grant Courtney)
By Andrew Eddy – Racing.com
13 September 2023
Papillon Club can revive great memories of Pinker Pinker for her trainer Greg Eurell if she can win Saturday’s Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington.
Earlier this month, Papillon Club mirrored the fifth placing in the G3 Cockram Stakes that Pinker Pinker achieved first-up in 2011 and if she can also follow her lead and win the Let’s Elope (1400m), all kinds of spring possibilities open up for the four-year-old mare.
In her year, Pinker Pinker next ran second in the G2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at The Valley before a second placing in the G1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick was followed by her glorious Cox Plate boilover.
Notably, Eurell has nominated Papillon Club for both the Epsom Handicap and Cox Plate.
“We’ll keep progressively stepping up and once we hit the 1600 (metres) it will be interesting to see what she suggests from there,” Eurell said this week.
“Whether she’s looking for further or 1600m might be the mark.
“It worked well for her (Pinker Pinker). It’s a big step but it worked well.
“The time worked out really good. The space between runs, it was a good build-up, especially coming out of the Epsom, it was a huge guide for us leading in the Cox Plate and certainly gave us confidence.
“For Papillon Club, there is a lot of opportunity for mares leading forward into the spring and you can still get to your grand final. You don’t have to take the one track.”
WATCH: Papillon Club’s biggest win so far in the Alexandra Stakes
Papillon Club, who Eurell bought as a yearling for $70,000, was a Stakes winner at 1600m in the autumn and was also Group-placed in the G2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) and G3 Vanity Stakes (1400m).
She was a close-up fifth when she resumed over 1200m in the G3 Cockram Stakes at Caulfield.
“I thought it was a terrific run first-up,” Eurell said. “The way the race was run it probably didn’t suit her 100 per cent but she stuck to her guns and it was a good solid hit-out for her leading into Saturday.
“Saturday is fairly strong and it will be a very good race to probably get a guide on exactly where she sits at the moment and what path we take from there.”
Papillon Club’s run of stern tests begins with the Let’s Elope Stakes, where she runs straight into Perth Star Amelia’s Jewel.
By ANZ Bloodstock, 10th September, 2023.
Danny Shum will plot a path towards the Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) on December 10 with Victor The Winner (Toronado) after the lightly raced gelding toppled Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse), the world’s highest-rated sprinter, in the Class 1 the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin yesterday.
Notching his sixth win over 1200 metres, Victor The Winner led all the way and exploited a substantial weight advantage to account for Lucky Sweynesse by two and a half lengths, with Adios (Snitzel) a further one and a quarter lengths back in third. The winning time was 1:09.87 on rain-affected ground.
Victor The Winner has long impressed Shum with his talent and, after rising from a rating to 52 to 106 before yesterday’s triumph, the Toronado (High Chaparral) five-year-old now will be given the chance to validate the trainer’s opinion.
“I knew he was a good horse after his first trial, I said to the owner, ‘come to his first race, bring your wife, the horse will be hard to beat’,” Shum said, before finishing the meeting with a threetimer and his sixth win in the opening-day feature.
“Victor The Winner will go to set weights now with his rating, so hopefully he can go to Group races now. In December, the sprint race (Hong Kong Sprint) is the aim. He’s a good horse. Today, with a light weight, a wet track and the pace – Karis held the pace fantastic – so he was able to win.”
Allowed to saunter unchallenged through the first 400 metres in 25.01 seconds before gradually accelerating with sectionals of 23.46 seconds and 21.40 seconds, Victor The Winner’s jockey Karis Teetan executed Shum’s race plan to perfection as Lucky Sweynesse – still short of maximum fitness – struggled to bridge the gap under his weight.
“We studied the tempo. We wanted a very good jump and to get to the front. I think I won the race in the first 400 metres when he got his own way, and he was really comfortable. Into the straight, when I picked him up, he really gave me a kick,” Teetan said.
“With the weather playing up a bit lately, some horses have missed work, but we had two trials. I thought my horse, in his last trial, showed me he’d improved a lot since last season. After I saw the rain today, I thought it’s going to make it hard for [Lucky Sweynesse] with that weight and the way the track is. I thought we took our chance, and it worked out pretty well.
“I think [Victor The Winner] is improving. I thought his last run was a really good run. Of course, he’s going to have to run with the big boys now, but I think he’s going to build his confidence, and he’s going to put his name out there and compete at that level.”
Lucky Sweynesse’s trainer Manfred Man was far from despondent in defeat.
“I said before the race he had only a chance and with the weight difference, the work we missed because of the typhoon and the heavy rain, it was always going to be hard to win. Also, I don’t think he handled the going with the big weight,” Man said.
Zac Purton, who finished the meeting with a treble aboard Danny Shum’s Champion Method (I Am Invincible) and Supreme Lucky (Deep Field) and Francis Lui’s All Is Good (Press Statement) was also upbeat in defeat.
“[Lucky Sweynesse’s] run was really good. It’s not easy – he had one trial coming into this race, having to give 20lb away on a soft track and the poorest run of his career previously was on a soft track, so he had all that against him,” the six-time Hong Kong champion jockey said. “Then the slow sectionals early, so it wasn’t his day today but I thought he ran very well.”
For the second season in a row, David Hall claimed the honour of saddling the campaign’s first winner with Dazzling Fellow (So You Think), under Hugh Bowman, in the Class 5 Mount Parker Handicap (1600m). Hall struck in the corresponding race last term with This Is Charisma (Smart Missile)
Dazzling Fellow clocked 1:35.32 – slightly inside standard time for the trip – in a remarkable testament to Sha Tin’s draining qualities and the track staff’s maintenance systems after the course received 559.6 millimetres of rain in the seven days up until 9am yesterday.
Bowman completed an early double aboard the Frankie Lor-trained Ready To Win (Tavistock) in the second section of the Yi Tung Shan Handicap (1200m) as Angus Chung and Dennis Yip combined with Super Winner (Guillotine), Jerry Chau and Pierre Ng joined the fray with I Give (Per Incanto), Harry Bentley and Douglas Whyte teamed with Blue Marlin (Capitalist) before Brenton Avdulla closed the meeting successfully aboard the Tony Cruz-trained The Golden Scenery (Deep Field) in the Class 2 Tai Mo Shan Handicap (1400m).
Wooded scored a huge pedigree update over the weekend with his 2yo full brother Bucanero Fuerte winning the Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes by 4 lengths!
“I think Bucanero Fuerte is a serious horse.
That’s three runs and three wins here, he’s the horse of a lifetime.”
– Adrian Murray, Trainer
“He’s an exceptionally nice horse, he’s just so uncomplicated. It’s nice to know that we go in next year with a nice Guineas prospect.”
– Kevin Stott, Jockey
The Phoenix Stakes is a Gr.1 1200m race for 2yo’s, just like the Golden Slipper & Blue Diamond.
A race previously won by ex-Swettenham sire & the 2022-23 leading Victorian first season sire Sioux Nation.
Interesting fact – Wooded’s older Stakes placed brother Beat Le Bon had one start in Australia. He ran 6th in the inaugural Golden Eagle, defeating the likes of Brutal, Jonker & Classique Legend while running a faster last 400m than Sunlight, Mizzy & Arcadia Queen.
After the first run of stallion parades last week, WOODED was the horse that had the breeder’s talking!
“It is no secret that we love European blood. We have been heavy supporters of Toronado and it’s paid dividends and we are very confident that Wooded can do the same. He has great shape, movement and wonderful feet. Wootton Bassett is a world class stallion so there is only upside in Wooded.”
– Toby Liston, Three Bridges Thoroughbreds
Toby Liston has since booked 8 mares to Wooded for the upcoming breeding season.
What the others had to say;
“Wooded is a specimen. An awesome opportunity for Victorian breeders.”
“I already loved him because he got my mare in foal that no other stallion could, but WOW – he moves with purpose.”
“The ideal physical for Australian speed mares, and he’s a Gr.1 winning outcross
by arguably the hottest sire in the world. It’s a no brainer at $22,000.”
Mares already booked to Wooded include;
Gr.1 winner Princess Jenni
Gr.3 winner Adorabeel
Stakes producer Lady Millions, a 1/2 to multiple Gr.2 winner Haut Brion Her
Snitzel & Hinchinbrook’s 1/2 sister Royal Snippets
El Daana, the dam of Gr.1 winner Al Muthana
Is your mare hard to get in foal?
Nothing frustrates breeders more than sub fertile stallions and mares.
Lucky for us, WOODED is a FERTILE MACHINE.
Don’t wait until it’s too late this season.
Fact: 19 of Wooded’s first 20 covers last season resulted in positive pregnancies.
First European-born Wooded yearlings selling soon.
Yes, he already has European yearlings.
Yes, you will be breeding Australian time with 2 crops of European upside.
Wooded x Tosen Shauna (Colt)
Well muscled first foal with quality and scope, out of a Stakes placed Alhebayeb mare.
Wooded x Gloryana (Filly)
Strong, athletic filly, out of a well related Invincible Spirit mare.
Want to know more?
Contact the Swettenham Stud team today for assistance.
Marcus Heritage
marcus@swettenham.com.au
0429 632 397
Sam Matthews
sam@swettenham.com.au
0487 851 572
By Breednet, July 3 2023
The Group II Railway Stakes (6f) at The Curragh on Sunday for juvenile colts produced a quinella for Wootton Bassett with Bucanero Fuerte edging out the race favourite Unquestionable.
The Adrian Murray trained Bucanero Fuerte won on debut at The Curragh back in March and then finished third at Royal Ascot in the Group II Coventry Stakes behind another Wootton Bassett colt in River Tiber.
Ridden by Rossa Ryan, Bucanero Fuerte challenged hard at the finish to score a head win over the Aidain O’Brien trained Unquestionable with four lengths back to the next horse.
“I knew Bucanero Fuerte would battle because he needs every yard of 6f. He’s a tough horse, really tough. He’s a beautiful-looking horse too and, you know what, he’s going to improve again. When he won his maiden he was only a shell of a horse. He is twice the horse now than he was then. Please God, we will be back here again for the G1 Phoenix Stakes,” said Adrian Murray.
Purchase for €165,000 from the Arqana August Deauville Yearling Sale by Robson Aguiar, Bucanero Fuerte runs in the Amo Racing colours.
He is a full brother to Wootton Bassett’s Group I winning sprinter Wooded (IRE), who covered 84 mares at Swettenham Stud in Victoria last spring and is slated to return at a fee of $22,000 this year.
Bucanero Fuerte is also a full brother to Group III place Beat le Bon being one of four winners from good producer Frida la Blonde, a sibling to stakes-winners Fred Lalloupet and Mon Pote le Gitan.
Wootton Bassett, click for more info and to test your mare in hypothetical matings
He is the 35th stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett, who returns to Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $93,500.
2023 has been a tremendous year for Swettenham Stud and our stallions so far!
Adam Sangster and the team would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support. These outstanding results such as Toronado’s Shesallshenanigans dominating the $1m VOBIS Showdown are not possible without you, the breeder.
In just 5 starts, Shesallshenanigans has accumulated $783,250 in prizemoney along with $94,400 in VOBIS bonuses and vouchers.
Shesallshenanigans’ win was just the cherry on top of what was a mammoth few days for Toronado. Our son of High Chaparral has produced a whopping 17 winners since Saturday, April 8th.A treble on Thursday was followed by another treble on Friday.
On Saturday he sired 4 winners, including a third consecutive victory by rising Hong Kong star Victor The Winner.
A stellar weekend was capped off on Sunday with Toronado gelding Come Right Back winning the $100,000 Geraldton Cup.
WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR 2023 MATING PLANS
Marcus Heritage and Sam Matthews are here to help.
Contact us for bookings, mating analysis or any questions.
Marcus
0429 632 397 or marcus@swettenham.com.au
Sam
0487 851 572 or sam@swettenham.com.au
You are encouraged to book an appointment to see our resident stallions –
Toronado, Rubick, Puissance De Lune and I Am Immortal.
We can help you find the best stallion for your mare physically,
on pedigree and at the right price point.
TORONADO (IRE)
2010 – 9th season – Bay 16.1hh
By High Chaparral (IRE), out of Grand Slam (USA) mare Wana Doo (USA).
Service Fee – $88,000 incl GST
Toronado – Swettenham Stud
✓ Superior Outcross
✓ Sire of 33 Stakes Winners
✓ Biggest & best crops still to come
✓ Sales Ring Reputation
Toronado has done a phenomenal job at stud so far, but it is what’s to come that is most exciting.
In 2023, we will see his best crop to date hit the ground. Big numbers from outstanding mares have Toronado perfectly positioned to be the successor to Champions such as I Am Invincible, Written Tycoon and Snitzel.
Toronado’s ideal size, versatility, outstanding conformation, exceptional fertilty and outcross pedigree make him a suitable companion for the best Australian mares.
RUBICK
2011 – 9th season – Bay 15.3hh
By Encosta De Lago, out of Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) mare Sliding Cube.
Service Fee – $27,500 incl GST
Rubick – Swettenham Stud
✓ Ability to produce a Superstar
✓ Serious Stallion Pedigree
✓ Massive Upside
Rubick has enjoyed a very prosperous 2022-23 season to date, siring 5 stakes winners of 8 stakes races, highlighted by Jacquinot’s pair of Group 1 wins. He remains a top-3 active sire in Australia under $30,000.
Champions I Am Invincible and Snitzel are the only sires at stud to have more 3yo earnings and stakes wins than him this season!
Rubick is a ball of muscle with a terrific nature and asserts himself as a significant source of speed for all breeders.
Lonhro, Danehill, Elusive Quality, Bel Esprit, More Than Ready, Red Ransom…Rubick has enjoyed success with a wide range of pedigrees.
WOODED (IRE)
2017 – 2nd Australian season – Bay or Brown 16.2hh
By Wootton Bassett (GB), out of Elusive City (USA) mare Frida La Blonde (FR).
Service Fee – $22,000 incl GST
Wooded – Swettenham Stud
✓ Outcross from booming young sireline
✓ Elite Fertility
✓ Two outstanding foal crops already in Europe (Pictured)
✓ Incredibly Good-looking
Wooded returns as one of the most exciting young sires in Victoria. A powerful Gr.1 winning sprinter, outcross Wooded is physical perfection for the Australian mare pool.
Wooded stands at 16.2hh and presents with more scope and leg than the typical speed sire, an ideal trait to partner with our colonial mares.
If you have a mare with poor fertility, Wooded is the man for the job. He boasts an impeccable breeding record.
PUISSANCE DE LUNE (IRE)
2008 – 9th season – Grey 16.2hh
By Shamardal (USA), out of Unbridled’s Song (USA) mare Princess Serena (USA).
Service Fee – $14,300 incl GST
Puissance De Lune – Swettenham Stud
✓ Proven Value
✓ Biggest and best crops will be running when you sell!
✓ Outcross son of a Blue Hen mare
Puissance De Lune continues to produce winners, week-in week-out.
A sire with an ability to produce quality middle distance and speed horses, Puissance De Lune boasted a better metropolitan than all top-10 sires last season.
Our grey stallion is perfect for any mare that is looking for a sire with scope and substance.
Puissance De Lune is a serious chance to kick with further success, just like we saw with Rubick – get in now, reap the rewards in the near future.
I AM IMMORTAL
2016 – 4th season – Bay 16.2hh
By I Am Invincible, out of Ad Valorem (USA) mare Meliora.
Service Fee – $13,750 incl GST
I Am Immortal – Swettenham Stud
✓ Vinnie Speed, Vobis Riches
✓ Value access to superior genetics
✓ Huge chance – Average book of over 100 mares
I Am Immortal’s first crop will hit Australian racetracks in 2023. They have already impressed breakers and we will be very surprised if he is the sire of winners before Christmas.
I Am Immortal is another outcross sire, very much in the mould of his Champion sire I Am Invincible. He is a beast of a horse and puts plenty of size and strength into his foals. Neat, speedy mares produce very nice types with him.
15 April, 2023
by Mark Smith, breednet
After siring the inaugural winner of the $1,000,000 The Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria Showdown, Swettenham Stud’s high-flying Toronado (IRE) struck again with Shesallshenanigans in the valuable feature at Sandown-Lakeside on Saturday.
Given a positive ride by Linda Meech, the Simon Zahra-trained filly was strong to the line in defeating the Street Boss (USA) filly Elphinstone by three and a quarter lengths. Making a clean sweep for the fillies, the fast-finishing Treasurway (Starspangledbanner) was a short-head back in third.
Placed in the Listed Cinderella Stakes at Morphettville, Shesallshenanigans advanced her record to three wins and a third from five starts with earnings of $718,850.
Shesallshenanigans finished fourth on debut in the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield, won by King’s Gambit, with Heuristic in third.
“It’s a special day, and I just love the way she went about it. Very professional and just got the job done, Zahra said.
“I’m rapt for all the owners and all the staff.
“You’re backing your judgment, and your owners are backing you, which is really important in this industry.
“They’ve let me do what I need to do, and obviously Ben and Justin are big backers of mine so to get a good win so early in they’ve back me, for these guys, it just gives them confidence.
“We’ve got Ben Cooper, who owns Merrick Station, Justin Docherty, who I think went in about 8 or 9 yearlings and by default, he just kept putting his hand up, which is great.
“She’s booked on a float on Monday. We’ll look after her. She’s looked after us. She’s been to Adelaide and was up quite early.
“She’s done her job. I bought her half sister, so plenty of shares available in that.”
Shesallshenanigans a $115,000 Magic Millions yearling
A $115,000 buy for her trainer from the Kulani Park draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Shesallshenanigans is a sister to the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes winner Shelby Cobra.
Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, consigned a Brazen Beau half-sister to Shesallshenanigans to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Unsurprisingly, Simon Zahra Racing / Cameron Cooke Bloodstock had the final say at $300,000. She was a $210,000 pinhook for James Bester Bloodstock at the 2022 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
Celebration time (image Racing Photos)
Their dam Segenhoe Valley (Dane Shadow) was a $325,000 purchase for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock, with Shesallshenanigans at foot, at the 2020 Inglis November (Early) Online Sale.
She has a filly foal by Written Tycoon and is back in foal to Toronado (IRE).
Visit the profile page for Toronado
Toronado in upcoming sales:
3 lots at Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale
17 April, 2023
by James Tzaferis, Racing.com
Despite a phenomenal 12 months for his progeny on the racetrack, breeders sending a mare to star stallion Toronado this spring will pay the same price as his 2022 fee after Swettenham Stud announced a consolidated stallion roster.
Toronado, now the sire of 19 Stakes winners including four individual Group 1 winners, will stand for an unchanged fee of $88,000, having covered 150 mares at that mark in 2022.
The High Chaparral entire’s credentials were further franked at Sandown on Saturday when he sired his second VOBIS Sires 2YO Showdown (1200m) winner, in Simon Zahra’s brilliant filly Shesallshenanigans.
Swettenham’s General Manager – Operations and Nominations, Sam Matthews, said consideration was given to upping Toronado’s fee but ultimately stud principal Adam Sangster made the call to ensure more breeders can continue to access the stallion.
Matthews confirmed that Rubick, the sire of multiple G1 winner Jacquinot, was the only sire on the roster that was given a small fee increase for 2023.
“The market probably thought we would put Toronado up, and he probably did warrant an increase, but just because a horse can go up, we don’t believe he needs to go up,” Matthews said.
“He’s a great value proposition as $88,000 – there aren’t many in that league and the other ones that are in that top 10 are a fair bit more expensive than him, but we’re happy for everyone to get a lick of the ice cream.
“Rubick got a little increase from $20,000 to $25,000 and we kept Wooded, Puissance de Lune and I Am Immortal all at the same prices from last year.
“Highland Reel is in Japan at the moment and it’s very expensive to bring a horse back from Japan – we didn’t announce him on the roster and it doesn’t mean that he’s not coming back, we’re just going to see how it all plays out.”