Joining the roster at Telemon Thoroughbreds this spring is talented Zoustar sprinter Sun City.
A precocious two year-old that was second in the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial and won the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m) before Christmas, Sun City was one of the favourites for the Magic Millions before illness ruled him out of the race.
A $525,000 Magic Millions Yearling an the most expensive Zoustar colt sold in 2018, Sun City is a stunning individual and the best offspring to date from stakes-winning Flying Spur mare Roulettes, whose next dam is by Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad.
He won or was runner-up in every 2yo start – all at stakes level.
“He is a genuine Group I talent. We clocked him as quick as Sunlight (Zoustar) on occasions. Sadly, injury has prevented him from fulfilling that ability,” said his trainer, Tony McEvoy.
Sun City has the pedigree, type and performance and stands at a fee of $7,700.
Champion 2yo Colt and Champion 1st Season Sire SIDESTEP will stand his third season in Queensland for $16,500 including GST.
His barn-mate, multiple Group 1 winning sprinter JUNGLE CAT, will stand his second season at and unchanged fee of $13,200 including GST.
Telemon Principal Dan Fletcher believes both horses represent exceptional value. “We’re confident we have found the right balance” Fletcher said. “The fees we have set are a reflection of the quality of our stallions whilst recognising the current difficult economic conditions”.
SIDESTEP’S first runners in season 2018/19 launched his career in spectacular fashion. With his first crop still just 3yos, so far he has been responsible for five stakes horses across both hemispheres.
“Not every young stallion is afforded the same opportunity” Fletcher said. “We keep talking about SIDESTEP as a horse that has had to build his own house. His Golden Slipper winner came from one of the few high-class mares he was afforded. He has city winners and stakes winners from, with respect, very modest mares, so when you look behind the numbers you see a stallion that is building real momentum”.
At $16,500, Fletcher believes SIDESTEP is positioned to capitalise on the forces driving the stallion market in 2020.
“Not only is he attainable for Australia’s ‘breed to race’ participants, he remains a live commercial play” Fletcher said. “He has easily his highest quality crop in-utero that will be running as 2yos when his 2020 matings will be yearlings. The upside for breeders is they will have last year’s book winning stakes races as 2yos for them when they are selling their yearlings”.
In Jungle Cat, Telemon have a dual Group 1 winning sprinter with the speed profile the market demands.
“We are so excited about this horse” says Fletcher.
“He is a powerful, masculine, compact, uncomplicated horse that was a Group 1 winner over 1,200M and 1,400M against some of the world’s best sprinters. We love the fact he was a straight six specialist. It’s a real stallion making trait, so to win a Group 1 in that format as well as smash a track record in running 1.08.24 tells us we have a proper stallion prospect”.
According to Telemon’s in-house data, JUNGLE CAT is the highest rated stallion to retire to stud in Queensland in over 20 years.
JUNGLE CAT is the fast son of IFFRAAJ, a champion stallion and emerging sire of sires boasting 10 Group 1 winners and over 70 stakeswinners.
“We’re proud to stand two quality stallions” Fletcher said. “They’re a great reflection of our determination to not compromise on quality and each of them would be a worthy addition to any roster in the country. SIDESTEP is flying and at his fee I think we have the best value, proven young stallion in the game and he has genuine commercial upside. JUNGLE CAT is a speed machine that in my opinion will work perfectly with our mares”.
Both SIDESTEP and JUNGLE CAT are eligible for Queensland’s rich QTIS program.
