First Season Sires to Watch on Saturday

A “natural 2YO from a fast family’’ topped today’s HTBA Yearling Sale at Riverside in a result that was “far and away more’’ than the vendor was expecting.

Former Hallmark Stud stallion Super Easy (NZ) has arrived at Roselee Park in Western Australia where he will stand for an introductory service fee of $5,500 (inc GST).

Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) has been making news in Australia in  recent months with his first crop of locally bred yearlings lighting up sales around the country and overnight at Navan in Ireland he posted a brilliant debut winning two year-old with Royal Ascot aspirations.

Coolmore have announced their 2024 roster with 13 outstanding stallions and while perennial favourite Fastnet Rock has earned a well deserved retirement and boom young gun Justify (USA) will remain in Kentucky, there is still a wealth of talent and diversity on offer for Australian breeders seeking to produce their next champion with not one but two Golden Slipper winners in the mix.

Champion sprinter Imperatriz, currently rated the world’s best mare on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, will be offered at next month’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast.

The OTI Racing colours were in winning form at Longchamp where progressive stayer Sevenna’s Knight bolted away with the Group III Prix de Barbeville (3000m) and while it might be still April, connections are thinking Melbourne Cup.

Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) has today opened applications for its successful Stud Start program, which provides a gateway for people with little or no previous experience to enter the breeding industry.

Classic contenders are popping up all over and Dermot Weld unleashed overnight at Navan for Aga Khan Studs in the Group III Salsabil Stakes (1m2f) at Navan.

It was sixteen years between drinks for trainer David Hall to earn a second win in the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin courtesy of the progressive Thronum gelding Invincible Sage.

The other feature race, the $500,000 IRT VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m), went the way of classy filly Elphinstone (Street Boss x Inflection), who avenged her defeat in last year’s Showdown for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy training team.