Showdown for Shesallshenanigans

11 April, 2023
by Andrew Eddy, Racing.com

Simon Zahra is happy for his flying Toronado filly Shesallshenanigans to go up in distance in Saturday’s $1 million Showdown at Ladbrokes Park Sandown on Saturday on the back of some advice from his rider.

Shesallshenanigans thrashed her rivals at Bendigo in the Gold Rush (1000m) by a widening four-and-a-half lengths and Zahra said that despite some reservations about going up to the 1200-metre trip on Saturday, he does so after some confident words from jockey Linda Meech.

WATCH: Shesallshenanigans’ win in the Bendigo Gold Rush

“She’s going good, but I suppose the 1200 (metres) is our query,” Zahra said.

“But Linda Meech thought the other day it wouldn’t have been an issue.

“I have it nominated for that stakes race in Adelaide (listed Dequetteville Stakes for fillies) and I said ‘can it run a strong 1200?’ and she said it wouldn’t have been a problem.

“She said she relaxed good and she said, ‘I could have gone slower if I wanted to’.

“That’s our query and obviously what the weather does over the next four or five days. But she’s improved again and going really good.

Shesallshenanigans has won two of her four runs so far, with her first win also coming at Bendigo over the 1100m trip.

Zahra said that while the race in Adelaide offered valuable stakes credit, the Showdown’s enormous purse was tough to overlook.

“It’s a million dollars and she has just got the race smarts,” he said. “She’s fit and this will probably be her peak run.

“It’s a restricted race, like a Magic Millions, and $550,000 to the winner, so it’s nothing to sneeze at.”

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Lifetime breeding right to be offered at Chairman’s Sale as Toronado’s red-hot run continues

By Lewis Lesbirel, TDN

TDN AusNZ can reveal that a lifetime breeding right in Swettenham Stud’s stallion Toronado (Ire) will be offered at auction for the very first time at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale on May 4. Fresh from siring another stakes double on Friday, we caught up with Marcus Heritage, nominations at Swettenham, to discuss Toronado’s continued ascent through the Australian stallion ranks.

Just a few hours after his son Beltoro made it back-to-back stakes wins with an emphatic 4l romp in the Listed Albury Gold Cup on Friday, Toronado was provided with his 33rd individual stakes winner and seventh of the season when his talented 3-year-old daughter Papillon Club made a mess of her rivals in the G3 Alexandra S. at The Valley.

Less than a week earlier, Toronado sired the winner of the G1 The Galaxy H. for the second year in succession, with rejuvenated mare Mariamia following in the footsteps of the hugely popular Shelby Sixtysix in winning the sprint feature.

Mariamia | Image courtesy of Sportpix

Add into the mix another eye-catching win for his unbeaten son Kovrov (Fr) in France and a runner in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Saturday night, and it has been quite the week for the Swettenham Stud stallion.

His recent run of racetrack success, combined with another stellar season in the sales ring in which his progeny have once again sold for up to $850,000, has prompted Swettenham to take a leap of faith with their flagship stallion, offering a lifetime breeding right in one of Australia’s hottest sires for the very first time.

“Such is the market’s demand for them, at the Chairman’s Sale this year we’ll be offering a lifetime breeding right, which has never happened with Toronado before,” Hermitage revealed.

“We’ll just sit back, leave it unreserved and I’m sure that Lot 1 of the Chairman’s Sale will be a very popular lot.

“It’ll be very interesting to see where the market values him at. He’s still a young sire, he’s only 13 years old so they’ll get value for money with whatever they spend on it.

“Everything that the stallion has done to date has been off a $20,000 service fee, so with the quality of mares that he received last season off the $88,000 fee, it’s very exciting.”

A season to remember on and off the track

Having stood last season at a career-high fee of $88,000 plus GST, Toronado has more than justified his fee increase this season, siring more stakes winners than the likes of Zoustar, Written Tycoon and Fastnet Rock, all of whom commanded significantly higher fees in 2022.

Toronado (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud

What has pleased Swettenham the most, however, is the diversity among his stakes winners, an area in which Heritage feels that Toronado doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

“The run he’s having is super and it’s across the board,” he said. “The market’s appetite for them is strong and they’re great sales horses.

“His colts and geldings are flying in Hong Kong and in Australia, it seems to be the fillies that are flying the flag for him recently. The High Chaparral sireline is typically colt biased, but his fillies are absolutely flying.

“I think he’s had more Australian stakes winners that are fillies than colts and geldings, so he’s a very good stallion and he’s consistently producing good sorts and good runners – male and female, speed horses and staying horses.

“He can produce anything, but there’s certainly no type of horse that’s better than the other. I think it’s a great trait for a stallion to have where you can buy any horse by Toronado and the chances are they’re going to have ability.”

Toronado’s long-lasting purple patch could hardly have come at a more welcome time for the Swettenham Stud team, who announced only last year that he’d be staying in Australia permanently instead of shuttling Down Under from his previous base at Haras de Bouquetot in the Northern Hemisphere.

His progeny have been as sought after as ever in the sales ring ever since the announcement was made, providing many of Swettenham’s biggest clients with a huge windfall in the process.

“For Adam (Sangster) it’s a great reward, he really backed this stallion a few years ago and sent all of his best mares to him,” Heritage added.

“He also bought some mares and sent them to him to give him a start, and now we can sit back and watch it all unfold. Everyone else seems to be jumping in and grabbing a bit of that pie and it’s great to see some of our good clients have success.

“Three Bridges with Beltoro having back-to-back stakes wins on Friday was a great success. He has their brand and they’ve been a big supporter of ours.

Marcus Heritage with partner Charlie White

“They sold a colt by Toronado for $850,000 in January and it’s just great to see these clients of ours that have backed the stallion get some reward for what they’ve put down on him.”

Increase in quality

Further proof of Toronado’s ever-growing popularity will be evident at next week’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where the dual Group 1-winning miler will see by far his largest contingent of Easter yearlings go under the hammer at Riverside Stables.

Click here to view Toronado’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft

Having been represented by just one yearling at Easter in 2021 and only three last year, an impressive 11 of Toronado’s sons and daughters are set to be offered for sale next week, and with the likes of Group 1 winner Commanding Jewel(Commands) and the dam of Vinery Stud stallion Ole Kirk featuring among his book of mares last season, Heritage is adamant that the best is yet to come.

Commanding Jewel | Image courtesy of Sportpix

“This year’s crop of yearlings were conceived off a $25,000 plus GST service fee. For a horse to be standing at that fee and get 11 horses in the Easter Yearling Sale is an incredible performance and it’s a great reward for our clients,” he said.

“I’ve been visiting a few farms in the Hunter Valley this week and they’ve been very impressive, they’re as good a group of yearlings by Toronado as I’ve seen.

“The quality of mares that we’ve received the last two seasons as a result of his well-earnt fee rise means that we’ve got better things to come as well.

“This year he covered Group 1 winners, Group 1 producers and siblings to Group 1 winners. He covered pretty much as good a book as you’ll see across the board.”

One of the standouts in this year’s crop of Toronado yearlings is undoubtedly the half-brother to last year’s Doomben 10,000 winner and The Everest placegetter Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}), who will be offered by Parsons Creek Farm as Lot 69 on the opening day of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

The colt is out of the evergreen Flying Spur mare Chatelaine, whose five winners to date also include G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Headway (Charge Forward).

“He’s a very exciting yearling for Parsons Creek,” Heritage said of Lot 69. “Obviously the mare has been a great producer, she’s had two Group 1 winners and this colt is sensational.

Click here to view Lot 69

Lot 69 – Toronado (Ire) x Chatelaine (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis

“He’s got muscle on muscle with great scope and I’m sure between the Australian buyers and the Hong Kong market they’ll be very strong on him.”

Heritage also reserved particular praise for Lot 186, a colt out of the winning Rip Van Winkle (Ire) mare Karmic (NZ), who is a half-sister to G1 Rosehill Guineas hero Zabrasive (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) from the family of last year’s G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}).

The colt will be offered by Kitchwin Hills and, according to Heritage, is a perfect example of the quality that Toronado’s stock possesses.

Click here to view Lot 186

Lot 186 – Toronado (Ire) x Karmic (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis

“He grew up at Swettenham Stud and he’s gone on leaps and bounds,” he said.

“He was always a standout on our farm, but to see how he’s come along in the last six months, he’s a sensational-looking animal and I think he’s got more improvement to come.

“Across the board, with the yearlings, I did see, they all had plenty of quality and I think they get that from the old man. They’ve got that good skin, they’ve got kind eyes and from what I’ve been told by all the vendors, they’ve got big raps on how well they prep up.

“They’re hard to fault, they do everything they’re asked and they’re horses that love to please. I think that’s why trainers are so keen to get them in their stables because they’re not hard horses to train.”

Debunking the myths

Whilst the vast majority of Toronado’s stock continues to get better with age, the son of High Chaparral has proven on more than one occasion that he is capable of siring a handy 2-year-old.

In the Northern Hemisphere, his son Tactical (GB) provided the late Queen Elizabeth II with a memorable Royal Ascot winner in the Listed Windsor Castle S. as a 2-year-old, before going on to land the G2 July S. at Newmarket on his next outing, while closer to home, promising juvenile Shesallshenanigans (Toronado {Ire}) followed up her impressive recent maiden win at Bendigo with a stakes placing on just her third career start earlier this month.

Those examples may not be enough to earn him a reputation as a regular source of elite juvenile talent, but Heritage remains unequivocal in his belief that Toronado is far more than a one-trick pony when it comes to his progeny.

“Toronado himself trained on, he was undefeated at two but he won his Group 1s as a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old,” he said.

“I think his progeny are very much the same, the trainers know to give them time and they’ll get their rewards.

“I wouldn’t say they’re slow maturing because they’re so well muscled and they’re easy to do things with from day one, but it’s definitely the 3 and 4-year-olds that are flying the flag for him.

“Only a few weeks ago he had a 2-year-old stakes placegetter and he can get a precocious one, but I think it’s just a matter of the trainers knowing not to push them too hard early.”

Another criticism that has previously been put against Toronado’s name is that his progeny are only effective in Australia, an assertion that Heritage believes is way short of the mark.

“I saw a graphic this morning that he’s a top-three sire in Europe on winners,” he added.

“He had Kovrov win again in France during the week and he’s now three from three. He’s out of an Exceed And Excel mare and that cross has been very successful in Australia, so to see it work up north as well is great.

“I think the word was that he’s an out-and-out Australian sire, but that’s a bit wrong because he’s having winners all across the world, but it just seems to be Australia where he’s really found a home.

“He’s had Group 1 success in Australia and there’s not too many weeks of racing going by without a stakes performer for him.”

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Mariamia Makes it Two Consecutive Winners of The Galaxy for Toronado

by Mark Smith, Breednet – Saturday March 18

The Toronado (IRE) mare Mariamia completed her rapid ascent to the top rung of sprinters when successful in the $1,000,000 Group 1 Kia Ora Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Easy for Mariamia and Tyler Schiller (image Steve Hart)

Tyler Schiller celebrated his first Group 1 winner as Mariamia defeated the Cable Bay gelding Uncommon James by a lengths with the 3yo Capitalist colt Cannonball a half-length back in third.

The Group II Expressway Stakes winner on January 28, the Joe Pride-trained mare, bounced back after a slightly disappointing fourth in the Group II Millie Fox Stakes won by Electric Girl.

“She didn’t see the 1300m out the other day but freshened up and back to a sprint trip, she was really dynamic there today,” Pride said.

 

“That’s her crowning moment, she’s won a Galaxy now.

“It’s a long process, but it’s about having the right team around your horse. There’s plenty of very good trainers out there that are doing their best with their horses as well. For me, we specialise in taking these horses on that maybe need a little bit of rejuvenating, getting the right people around them, and I just relish the task of taking on a horse who maybe someone else has given up on.

“She’s a bonny mare, just great to see her do that there today to state the obvious. She’s been going so well all preparation, and just that run at 1300m it stretched her out with a really quick tempo, and she didn’t really get her chance to finish off that day.

A first for Tyler Schiller (image Steve Hart)

“Given that quiet run in behind them today with no weight on her back and a great reward for Tyler (Schiller), I know he’ll really appreciate that. He rode more winners for me last season than anyone else, and to be able to give him a reward like that it’ll be pretty special for him, and it’s certainly special for us.”

Tyler Schiller revealed the victory had extra special meaning.

“My dad, he’s got cancer. All he wanted to see was for me to win a Group 1 and to come out and do it today, it was unreal,” Schiller revealed.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, to do it on a mare like that. She’s come through the grades really sharply and Joe (Pride) has turned her around, but gee she’s a good mare.

“She jumped well, put herself in the spot. When I quickened up on the inside of Eduardo I thought I was home, she did the rest.

“I thought it was inevitable at 100m, she was doing it easy, no one was catching her. To see her freeball for the last 200m, she’s a super mare, and I am very grateful to Joe (Pride) and the connections for putting me on. I can’t believe I won a Group 1.”

 

Newhaven Park Stud’s six-year-old Toronado mare Mariamia advances her record to eight three seven from 37 starts with earnings of $1,135,510.

Mariamia, was purchased by Newhaven Park for $335,000 off Shane Stockdale at the 2022 Inglis March (Early) Online Sale. She was an $18,000 purchase from the Swettenham Stud draft from book 2 of the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Mariamia is the best of two winners from three to race for the Encosta de Lago mare Quinta Lago.

A sister to Group II-placed Halekulani and a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 VRC Derby hero Warning (Declaration of War), Quinta Lago was dropped from official records in 2020.

Bred by Adam Sangster, Mariamia is the second consecutive winner of the Galaxy for Toronado (IRE) after Shelby Sixty Six and is the fourth Group 1 winner for the son of High Chaparral (IRE).

Visit the profile page for Toronado

Toronado in upcoming sales:

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Carramar Park’s payday

James Tzaferis – Racing.com

13 February, 2023

 

Caraman Park team with their Toronado colt (Image: Inglis)

The timely online purchase of broodmare Devil In Her Heart in 2021 paid handsome dividends for the family-run Carramar Park at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale on Monday.

Carramar Park’s Tim Alchin paid $27,500 for the unraced Star Witness mare via Inglis Digital, with the mare nursing a Palentino foal at foot and also in foal to Toronado.

Months later, Devil In Her Heart’s siblings Wandabaa and Malkovich emerged as Stakes winners, while Toronado’s stocks have continued to rise via the deeds of Masked Crusader

The Toronado colt caught the attention of several prospective buyers once he stepped into the ring at Riverside Stables before eventually being knocked down to Hong Kong-based Legend Bloodstock and Dullingham for $270,000.

Alchin said Monday’s result was a dream come true.

“Growing up with the horses, I always wanted a mare so I was looking online and this girl came up,” Alchin said.

“The family was active – it had Seewhatshebrings and then Malkovich emerged and then Wandaba started winning.

“Toronado had Masked Crusader at the time.

“The rest is history.

“It really is a dream result, it’s unreal.”

 

 

The result continued solid Inglis Classic Sale for Swettenham Stud’s Toronado, who had 10 yearlings sells for an average $211,000.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club paid $420,000 for Lot 256, a Toronado colt from SA’ Cornerstone Stud, while the stallion’s progeny were also snapped up by Mick Price, Michael Kent and Michael Hickmott.

 

 

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Toronado’s Mariamia Strikes in Expressway

Mark Smith, Breednet – Saturday January 28

Joe Pride has the Midas touch in rejuvenating older horses and has worked his magic on Newhaven Park Stud’s six-year-old Toronado mare Mariamia.

Mariamia in full flight (image Steve Hart)

With Tim Clark in the saddle, Mariamia opened her stakes account in Saturday’s Group II Furphy Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.

Enjoying a cosy run, one out one back, Mariamia increased her margin at every call in the straight to defeat the Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile (Astern) by two and three-quarter lengths with Nicolini Vito (Nicconi) a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.

 

A dual Group III placegetter, Mariamia, was purchased by Newhaven Park for $335,000 off Shane Stockdale at the 2022 Inglis March (Early) Online Sale.

She has won three of seven for Pride, advancing her overall record to seven wins, three seconds, and seven thirds from 35 starts with earnings of $573,610.

Mariamia was a late entry for the race when nominations were extended.

“It’s not very often I late nom horses if you think you haven’t got the right race, you probably shouldn’t be there. But it looked like an opportunity for her, and I was surprised how well she went today,” Pride said.

“I will take a mare anywhere there is some opportunity, and that presented itself early on in the week.

“I have a lot of time for that mare, but she pinged there today. It was only off a two-week break after a really good first up run. A really good performance.”

“Based on what she did today, there will be some really nice races for her over the carnival.

“She came to the stable less than 12 months ago and has done really well in that time. I love these tried horses. They’ve been great, the Kellys, to source some really good horses over the years for me. The job is not done yet. She will definitely go to stud at the end of this season but hopefully, some more fun before then.”

Mariamia an $18,000 Inglis Premier yearling

An $18,000 purchase from the Swettenham Stud draft from book 2 of the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Mariamia is the best of two winners from three to race for the Encosta de Lago mare Quinta Lago.

A sister to Group II-placed Halekulani and a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 VRC Derby hero Warning (Declaration of War), Quinta Lago was dropped from official records in 2020.

Bred by Adam Sangster, Mariamia is the 30th stakes-winner for Swettenham Stud’s High Chapparal (IRE) stallion Toronado (IRE).

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BELTORO REPAYS FAITHFUL OWNERS WITH ANOTHER WIN

By TBV, January 19, 2023

 

Beltoro ridden by Teo Nugent wins the Maluckyday Living Legends Plate at Flemington Racecourse on January 14, 2023 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)

 

When you’re offered around $1.2 million by wealthy Hong Kong owners for a horse that won his first two starts, it would be an easy decision for a lot of people to have grabbed the cash back in 2020.

Victorian syndicator Delbridge Racing’s managing director Mark Leo admits he would have taken the money, but a democratic vote among the other group of more than 20 owners rejected the offer for Beltoro (Toronado x Believabeel).

The now five-year-old gelding, which Leo bred at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, went another 10 starts before winning his third and race and it was another 12 starts before he scored his fourth win at Flemington last Saturday.

The Flemington 1600m victory, at start 24, came 10 months after his Bendigo victory over 1500m.

Beltoro raced in Group company after his second win, at Flemington, and also finished fourth in the St Ledger Trial (2200m) at Bendigo and since then his races have been no further than 1600m.

With three seconds and four thirds, Leo described Beltoro as a consistent horse that hadn’t always had things go his way in races.

“But everything did on Saturday and he took advantage of it,” he said.

“I was really pleased for the horse because he deserved a win, and for the owners as well. They are a good group and have been involved in it for a long time.”

Many of the owners also raced Beltoro’s dam Believabeel (Zabeel x Chatto Creek),  which only had one start at Kyneton in a 1469m maiden, and are partners in her progeny.

“We bred Beltoro and we have had three from the mare Believabeel and they’ve all won,” Leo said.

“He is the second one from the mare to race.

“Believabeel was a Zabeel mare and Kav (trainer Mark Kavanagh) purchased her (for $120,000) at the Sydney Easter Sale and she only had one run but it wasn’t a bad run but she did a tendon in a training accident.

“So it’s been a long road to hoe.”

Believabeel’s first foal by Americain was named Amicabeel and the mare won two races. The next foal, by Toronado, died after birth. The mare’s third foal to race Belluna (Puissance De Lune), like Beltoro, is trained at Ballarat by Robert Hickmott and so far has raced 11 times for one win and is entered in a 1300m race at Wangaratta on Thursday.

Believabeel missed to Puissance De Lune in 2021, but is in foal to Widden Victoria’s Nicconi and while the Delbridge Racing crew tend to breed stayers, they thought they’d attempt to inject a bit of speed into the progeny

Leo and his syndicate members have also bred a full brother to Beltoro, an unraced two-year colt named Torbelo which is in the Ballarat stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“Beltoro has been the best one so far so we hope he can kick on after the weekend,” Leo said.

“Torbelo has had a couple of preps but just needs a bit more time and he is up at Three Bridges.

“With Three Bridges, I have been there for 20 years with the Listons.”

Leo said some of the owners in Beltoro and Believabeel and her progeny had been with him since he started his syndication business in 2002.

“But some are reasonably new,” he said.

“A share in Beltoro changed hands during preps after someone moved on, a new person came in, so it’s a varied bunch but the majority of them know each other well as they’ve all been involved in the mare.”

Beltoro has now won $391,500 which is obviously well short of the big Hong Kong offer which Leo said was rejected because the owners wanted to have fun racing the horse.

He said it just wasn’t about money.

“They just wanted to have a horse with good ability to go the races,”  Leo said.

“I admit I was keen to sell but that’s the way it goes. It was a really good offer and they were prepared to go higher but I stopped discussions because I knew they wouldn’t sell and it didn’t matter how high they went.

“They were wasting their and our time.”

Leo said to get $100,000 to $80,000 for a 10 per cent share for the sale of Beltoro wasn’t perhaps life changing when it was split around and trying to get everyone to agree to sell was a challenge.

He said only about 10 per cent of the owners wanted to sell and the rest wanted to keep going which made the decision pretty clean cut.

“The offer was over a million,” he said.

“They (buyers) asked me to come back with a figure but I said look they are not going to sell.”

Beltoro raced in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at his fifth start and ran sixth to Lunar Fox, beaten 2.75 lengths, after drawing an inside barrier which Leo said wasn’t ideal for the horse which flashed home.

“It was a really good run on the weekend and we are going to Sandown in three weeks in a 1800m benchmark 100 and he has run second in a benchmark 100 before but this is the first time we are getting out beyond a mile since his three-year-old days,” he said.

Leo said he had wound down his operation over the past 10 years after constantly having about 25 horses on his Delbridge Racing books.

Now he tends to just syndicate the progeny of Believabeel and from their other broodmare Cinnamon Girl (Denman x Indian Spice).

While $1.2 million is a lot of money to knock back, Leo said he never heard any of the owners say that they wished they’d sold to Hong Kong.

“No one ever mentions it to me but whether they say it amongst themselves when they are having a few drinks and worry about it, but I can assure you on Saturday they wouldn’t have been,” Leo said.

“They made the decision for the right reasons and it hasn’t been a topic of conversation at all.

“I suppose the way they look at it is that he has won nearly $400,000 and he has had 24 starts and probably 80 per cent of them have been in the city, so they have had plenty of fun.

“If you have a look at his record there is only a couple of times when he has been out of the top six and he could have won a few more but for barriers and if things had gone his way.

“But they are rapt and just love him as a horse and they were talking on the weekend about how much enjoyment they had got out of it.”

The syndicate has four horses with Hickmott, including Cinnamon Girls’ two unraced Inference full brothers – three-year-old Spiceline and two-year-old Epice Dieu.

Leo said he supports the Super VOBIS scheme which had contributed $27,000 in bonuses to Beltoro’s overall prizemoney.

It was also a good week for Three Bridges Thoroughbred when a colt they offered by Swettenham Stud’s Toronado sold for $850,000 at The Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast.

The colt, the equal highest price paid for a Toronado yearling, is out of the Three Bridges bred mare Tereka (Pierro x Trial Of Secrets).

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SWETTENHAM STUD STALLIONS SHINE ON STELLAR WEEKEND

by TBV, December 13, 2022

The lights were shining brightly for Swettenham Stud at The Valley on Friday night when a mare and two fillies by Toronado won three of the first four races on the program.

And over at Canterbury, another Toronado got the money.

At one of biggest race days of the year, the John Size-trained Toronado gelding Sweet Encounter won at the Hong Kong International Races where four Group 1 races were held at Sha Tin.

There was more joy for Swettenham principal Adam Sangster and his stud’s stallions at Canterbury with Rubick providing the winners of two races, while Highland Reel had one winner.

The good vibes continued for Swettenham when Godfather, a full brother to their stallion I Am Immortal (I Am Invincible x Meliora) won the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) on debut at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Godfather was a $1.1m yearling purchase.

He said the win of Godfather just shows how good the pedigree is and believes I Am Immortal’s yearlings next year will become perfect horses for the big VOBIS races, including The Showdown.

“If anyone wants speed, speed and speed, he is the right horse,” he said.

“He is out of the best-performed Ad Valorem mare ever, Meliora, a Group 2 winner and she too was speed on speed.

“And he was an early two-year-old with sheer speed.

“It’s good for The Showdown and all those races.”

The flurry of winners across the weekend for Swettenham Stud certainly left Sangster with a big smile on his face come Monday morning.

“It was also exciting to see Highland Reel’s Hi Dubai (Eureka Dubai) winning on debut at Canterbury on Friday night for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott,” Sangster said

“And there were two Rubicks (Glint Of Silver and Media Starguest) that won at Canterbury as well.

“So to have three Toronados, a Highland Reel and two Rubicks all winning on Friday night was big and certainly something to celebrate and then there was Godfather on Saturday.

“There were certainly plenty of good things happening, even in Hong Kong on Sunday.”

Sangster said here was also plenty to like about the way another two-year-old Toronado colt, Celui, won on debut over 1000m at Bendigo on Sunday.

He said each week Toronado has a winner in Hong Kong and the stallion was represented by three of his progeny at Sha Tin on Sunday.

“He is the leading sire in Hong Kong,” Sangster said.

“There is a big thirst for Toronado over there.”

Toronado has 32 yearlings entered for Melbourne Premier and another 23 headed to the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

He said the “thirst” for Toronado wasn’t just for the domestic market but also Hong Kong.

“It’s clearly the best representation he has had at Magic Millions and he has got some really nice ones going up there,” Sangster said

“And what he has got going to Melbourne Premier are also off a $25,000 service fee and there is still a huge upside for the breeders.

“They are certainly going to make their money but there is something there for everyone.”

Sangster said it was good to see a nice colt like Celui win for Brent Stanley who engaged his son Jett to ride the bay.

“He is a really nice horse and I spoke to Brent and he said he is a lovely Blue Diamond horse and hopefully he can go through the grades, but he did say Blue Diamond and Slipper.”

Starting at $3.80, Celui scored by 1.75 lengths and recorded the slick time of 57.07secs.

The colt was a $200,000 purchase by Stanley at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

The five-year-old mare Toronado mare Uniquely won the opening Moonee Valley race (2040m), taking her career wins to five from 30 starts.

Li’l Wonder, out of Li’l Cashey, won the third race (1200m), breaking the three-year-old filly’s maiden status at her fifth start.

And then Lady Jones, out of Domesday mare Lady Slevoir, won the fourth race over 1600m. The three-year-old filly has also raced five times for one win. But she has had two seconds, firstly at Caulfield and then Sandown.

Sangster said to have three of the first four winners at The Valley and over a variety of distances was an example of Toronado’s versatility.

“He keeps getting good horse after good horse and it’s fantastic,” he said

“Not a day seems to go by where we don’t see another new Toronado winner in some way shape or form.

“And he has still gone the best ones to come.

“The fillies are as good as the colts and geldings and they can also seem to run and it’s an exciting time to have one and I just wish we had more of them.”

Sangster said Toronado’s statistics for stakes winners were about 50/50 for colts/geldings and fillies and mares.

“There was a perception a while ago about whether his fillies were as good as his colts,” he said.

“I know the colts and geldings will still command more money, but the fillies get the residual value and I think he’ll be an exceptional broodmare sire.”

Sangster said the Swettenham Stud stallions still had plenty of mares to cover.

“And almost every mare we have covered has been in foal and there are just a few new mares that have been a little bit late and we’ll keep pushing on and I’ll be surprised if we are not covering a few in January.”

Sangster said all of their stallions were fertile and they’d picked up a few late mares.

“We’ll just keep going and if people are happy to breed them, we are happy to cover them,” he said.

“We are still covering our own mares that were late to foal, so why not.”

 

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A Friday Night to Savor for Swettenham

by Mark Smith – Saturday December 10

It was a memorable Friday night for Adam Sangster and the Swettenham Stud team as winners flowed freely at Moonee Valley and Canterbury.

New Australian citizen Toronado (IRE) kicked off the Moonee Valley meeting with three winners in the first four races. And it was an easy watch for fans of the son of High Chaparral (IRE).

The sign of things to come. Uniquely wins the opener at Moonee Valley (image George Salpigtidis/Racing Photos)

The 5yo Dan O’Sullivan-trained mare Uniquely got the night off to a winning start when successful by a length and a half over 2040m under Alana Kelly.

Then it was the turn of the 3yo fillies Li’l Wonder and Lady Jones.

The Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Li’l Wonder broke her maiden over 1200m by three and three-quarter lengths under Damien Oliver.

It was a similar painless watch as Harry Coffey guided the Steve Brown-trained Lady Jones to two and three-quarter lengths score over 1600m.

On to Canterbury, where the 3yo Highland Reel (IRE) filly Hi Dubai made a statement on debut over 1100m. Ridden by Nash Rawiller for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Hi Dubai coasted to a 4-length win.

Time for Rubick to enter the fray.

The 3yo David Pfieffer-trained filly Glint Of Silver was rewarded for her consistency when breaking her maiden over 1250m under Jay Ford and relegating the $950,000 I Am Invincible x Snitzerland gelding Himalaism to second.

Shortly after, Rubick’s 5yo son Media Starguest battled to a nose win over 1900m for Ron Quinton and Sam Clipperton.

All in all, a good day at the office for Swettenham Stud.

Toronado (IRE)

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Toronado’s Laced Up Heels Ends Amelia’s Jewel’s Unbeaten Run

by Mark Smith, Breednet – Wednesday November 2

The three-year-old Toronado (IRE) filly Laced Up Heels brought the unbeaten run of Amelia’s Jewel to an end in the Listed Tabtouch-Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Tuesday.

Laced Up Heels ends Amelia’s Jewel’s unbeaten run (image Western Racepix)

Ridden by Chris Parnham for Luke Fernie, Laced Up Heels was well back early with the favourite Amelia’s Jewel on her back.

When Parnham asked the Toronado filly for an effort on straightening she stole a two-length break on Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni), who could only close the gap to a long neck on the line.

Miss Drakova (Capitalist) was a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.

Coming into the race off a narrow win over a 1000m at Ascot on October 15, Laced Up Heels advances her record to three wins from five starts with earnings of $115,915.

“She didn’t have any luck in the three-year-old Classic, and I look at her and know there’s a machine there, Fernie told RWA.

“I just needed a little bit of luck to go our way, and she got that today.”

Owned by Geisel Park Stud, Laced Up Heels was a $100,000 purchase for Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Laced Up Heels a $100,000 Inglis Premier yearling

She is the best of four winners from as many to race out of the Exceed And Excel mare A City Girl, who was purchased for just $4,000 at the 2012 Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale.

The pedigree received a significant boost when A City Girl’s stakes-winning half-sister Missy Cummings (Magnus) produced the top-class Zoustar filly Mizzy.

Mizzy earned her Group 1 in the Canterbury Stakes almost 12 months after first past Savatiano the post was disqualified. Mizzy would make $2.2m to the bid of Tom Magnier at the 2021 National broodmare Sale.

A full brother to Laced Up Heels was a $110,000 purchase for E Cummings / Myrtle House from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

A City Girl has a yearling filly by Shalaa (IRE) and a filly foal by Nicconi.

Laced Up Heels is the 28th stakes-winner for Toronado (IRE), who enjoyed a profitable Melbourne Cup Day with Fender winning at Randwick, Vain Fox at the Sunshine Coast, and cult hero Shelby Sixtysix finishing second in the Listed MSS Security Sprint on the Melbourne Cup undercard.

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First Aussie Stakes-Winner for Highland Reel

By Tara Madgwick, Breednet – Tuesday November 1

A regular shuttler to Swettenham Stud in Victoria, Galileo’s champion son Highland Reel (IRE) is off the mark with his first Australian stakes-winner with High Approach making light of testing wet conditions at Flemington to score a courageous win  in the Listed VRC Tab Trophy Stakes (1800m).

High Approach wins on the big stage at Flemington – image Grant Courtney

Trained by Archie Alexander, Highl Approach broke his maiden over 1500m at Ballarat at his fourth start and jumped straight from there to Black Type company with a happy result.

He staged a thrilling battle up the straight with runner-up Linderman, prevailing to win by a long head for Ben Melham and has now won two of five starts earning nearly $150,000 in prizemoney.

He’s a horse that has come from a maiden win to town, but we wouldn’t have been here if we didn’t like the horse and we’ve always liked him and it’s a great result for everyone,” said Archie Alexander.

High Approach was a $50,000 Inglis Premier purchase.

A $50,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Alexander Racing / Rogers Bloodstock from the MB Thoroughbreds draft, High  Approach was bred by Dr Judith Mulholland.

“I can’t take any credit for it (his purchase), my racing manager Jeremy Rogers, on the last day of the sale said ‘come on you better have a look at this horse’ … $50,000 later and here we are,” Alexander said.

“We’ve always thought he was a Derby horse and thought maybe right now, but it all came a bit soon. He’ll have a break now and come back in the autumn and maybe aim up at a Derby, who knows.”

High Approach is the best of eight winners from good producing Encosta de Lago mare Encapsulate, a half-sister to the dam of Group II winning sprinter Super Cash.

Encapsulate was covered last spring by Strasbourg after missing to him the year before.

Highland Reel (IRE)

High Approach is from the first Australian crop of Highland Reel and is his first Australian stakes-winner and the third worldwide for the six time Group I winner.

Highland Reel is at Swettenham stud this spring at a fee of $16,500.

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