The stocks of Swettenham Stud’s flagship sire Toronado (IRE) continue to rise with his growing reputation as a leading sire in Hong Kong sure to increase demand for his progeny at upcoming sales in 2023 starting at the Gold Coast in January.
An outstanding miler by High Chaparral, Toronado has proven a highly successful equal opportunity sire with stakes success spread evenly between his colts and fillies.
His Australian stakes-winners are 54% colts and 46% fillies with Group I winning sprinters Masked Crusader and Shelby Sixtysix leading the colts, while the fillies include Group II winners Treasured Star, Still a Star and Affair to Remember along with talented Perth trained three year-old stakes-winner Laced Up Heels, the only horse to defeat boom filly Amelia’s Jewel.
A watch horse for the autumn is undoubtedly lightly raced Toronado filly Queen Air, a Swettenham Stud homebred that finished third in the Group I VRC Oaks at just her fourth start!
Hong Kong is proving to be a happy hunting ground for the Toronado offspring with 13 winners from 19 runners in total. He is currently the leading Hong Kong sire by wins with his four winners this season posting eight victories.
Quality stayer Senor Toba was placed in the Group I Queensland Derby before his sale to Hong Kong and has proven a great competitor in this elite racing jurisdiction winning the Group III Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) and finishing fourth in the Hong Kong Derby this year.
Rising star for Toronado is the John Size trained four year-old Sweet Encounter, who was bred by Peter Yip and has won four of five starts this year in Hong Kong ranging in distance from 1200m up to 1800m.
Swee
t Encounter looked the goods when winning as he pleased at Sha Tin on Sunday and will be one of the favourites for next year’s Hong Kong Derby.
Toronado has his biggest ever crop of yearlings entered for 2023 sales and a couple of standouts identified for Magic Millions at the Gold Coast are as follows:
Lot 36 Filly Toronado (IRE) x Lady Churchill – Kitchwin Hills
A three-quarter sister-in-blood to $4million earning Group I winner Masked Crusader, this filly has outstanding residual value! She is also closely related to Magic Millions contender, Skirt The Law and is very much in the mould of Toronado and Masked Crusader himself.
Lot 408 Filly Toronado (IRE) x Sora – Bhima Thoroughbreds
A brilliant type from day one, she hasn’t put a foot wrong and will be a physical standout amongst the entire sale! She is the first foal out of a metro winning I Am Invincible mare.
Lot 472 Colt Toronado (IRE) x Tereka - Three Bridges Thoroughbreds
A colt that will be very well sought after by both Australian and Hong Kong buyers! First foal out of a winning half-sister by Pierro to Australian stakes winner Secret Trail and Hong Kong stakes placegetter Magic Legend from the family of Group I winning sprinter Gold Trail.
