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.”
