The season before Danehill (USA) captured the first of nine Champion sire titles in Australia, Last Tycoon (Ire) became the first shuttle stallion to head the sires table, they remain the only two shuttlers to achieve the feat.
While Danehill (USA) established a thriving sire line, Last Tycoon (USA) is better known through the deeds of his daughters that have produced the likes of Typhoon Tracy; Sousa, Onemorenomore, Bentley Biscuit, Casino Prince, Sun Classique King Kamehameha, Roman Emperor, Hill of Grace, Markus Maximus, and Suntagonal.
Last Tycoon struck gold with his first crop son Mahogany. Owned by Lloyd Williams and Kerry Packer and trained by Lee Freedman, the remarkably versatile Mahogany was the major contributor in his sires championship season. Initially tagged as a high class middle distance horse, Mahogany won the AJC Derby (G1) and Victoria Derby (G1) but, with the exception of a courageous second to Octagonal in the WS Cox Plate (G1), he went sprinting as an older horse capturing the Lightning Stakes (G1), twice while he also owned Group1 triumphs QTC Sires' Produce Stakes (G1) and Castlemaine Stakes (G1) at two and the Caulfield Guineas (G1) at three.
Without
doubt, the best son of Last Tycoon at stud is Waikato Stud's O'Reilly (pictured). Twice
champion stallion in New Zealand , O'Reilly is the sire of 4-time Group 1
winner Alamosa whose first crop are at the sales this year, Caulfield Cup (G1)
winner Master O'Reilly, classic winners The Jewel and Final Destination, and
other Group 1 winners Swick, Maco'Reilly, and Guyno.
When Little Avondale Stud consigned an O'Reilly colt to the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale, perhaps Lloyd Williams' interest was piqued by the colt being by a son of Mahogany's sire Last Tycoon but is more likely he was attracted to the dam, a stakes-winning daughter of the stallion Williams is most associated with, Zabeel.
Knocked down to Rogerson Bloodstock on behalf of Nick and Lloyd Williams for $160,000, the colt is the sixth foal from the stakes winning mare Laebeel (Zabeel x So Like Lae) who won 7 races including the Listed Matriarch Stakes but is most fondly remembered for her fighting second to Sky Heights 1999 Caulfield Cup.
She has proved her worth at stud leaving four winners including the very talented stakes-winner Larry's Never Late (Pentire). She descends from a prolific family that has left Froth, Horlicks, Brew, Bubble, Laelia, Swift General, Frivolous Lass, Military Plume, General Nedyim and Fiumicio
The Laebeel colt was named Collar and put into work with Robert Hickmott. Collar won his only start as a two-year-old and, at his second start at three, became the 50th stakes winner for O'Reilly when capturing the Listed Doncaster Stakes at Flemington.
He was placed at his next two starts including an encouraging second to the smart Sydney colt Manawanui in the Group 2 AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley.
At his final start for the prep, Collar finished an inglorious last in the Victorian Derby won by Sangster.
It may take a leap of faith to back Collar in Saturday's Group 2 Hyland Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield however his performance will be monitored for future assignments when the distances are stretched out.
