3 minute read

Coolmore Stud has made a timely decision to add the English classic winner Saxon Warrior to its Australian roster in 2019.

The son of Deep Impact will give Australian breeders access to one of the world’s most coveted sire lines, answering the growing local demand for progeny by the Japanese champion sire or his sons.

That demand was evident on the first day of this week’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale when Spendthrift Farm and partners Kennewell Racing and Group 1 Racing went to $1.7 million to secure a Deep Impact colt from the Redoute’s Choice mare Gritto.

The youngster was offered by Arrowfield Stud with John Messara perhaps summing up the general feeling around the sale ring that the colt is “by what is probably the world’s best sire in Deep Impact.”

A second Deep Impact colt, from the Captain Rio mare Miss Ivanovic offered on Day 1 by Bhima Thoroiughbreds, went to Aquis Farm for $950,000.

The Gritto colt is the biggest sale ring purchase in Australia by Spendthrift Farm since the famous Kentucky-based operation first bought yearlings at Easter in 2014, a year prior to the purchase of the former Yallambee Stud in Victoia where it now stands a roster of six stallions.

Spendthrift Australia general manager Garry Cuddy said securing the colt was an investment for the future as sons of Deep Impact were rare commodities.

"There are not many to choose from and he's the best stallion in the world today,” said Cuddy, echoing the Messara view.

To date Deep Impact has sired three Australian Group winners, all bred to northern hemisphere time in Japan and imported to race in this country.

His best runner has been the dual G1 winner Tosen Stardom, successful in the G1 Toorak Handicap and G1 Cantala Stakes and embarking on his own stud career this year at Woodside Park in Victoria.

Deep Impact’s other Group winners in Australia have been Real Impact, the G1 George Ryder Stakes standing at Arrowfield Stud, and Fierce Impact in the G3 Summer Cup last year.

However the availability of the 17-year-old stallion’s progeny bred to southern hemisphere time has been limited.

There were six southern hemisphere-bred foals by Deep Impact born in 2016, most from mares Arrowfield Stud sent to Japan to be served by the champion sire.

They included a daughter of champion filly Alinghi[ (Encosta De Lago), another filly out of G1-winning mare Alverta (Flying Spur) who was sold for $1.1 million at the 2018 Australian Easter Yearling Sale and yet another from the unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Charming Estelle – a sister to Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee – who made $1 million as the same sale.

There are a total of only six Deep Impact yearlings bred to southern time in Australia this season with four catalogued for this week’s Easter sale.

Last spring at least only three foals by the son of Sunday Silence were born locally from mares who were imported or returned after being served in Japan.

With Deep Impact’s immediate future clouded after his current northern hemisphere season was suspended due to a neck injury, Coolmore’s move to shuttle Saxon Warrior from Ireland should be warmly welcomed by Australian broodmare owners this spring.

“Saxon Warrior combines Group 1-winning excellence at two with remarkable performances at three,” said Paddy Oman, head of Coolmore Australia sales and nominations.

“He is by an exceptional sire and will suit the Australian broodmare population.”

Saxon Warrior will be joined on the Coolmore Australia roster by another new boy in Mendelssohn, a son of the late Scat Daddy.

“They’re two very exciting prospects and offer Australian breeders the best of international form and bloodlines,” Oman said.

Saxon Warrior was an outstanding two-year-old, winning all three of his starts, including the G1 Racing Post Trophy defeating subsequent G1 winner Roaring Lion.

At his first start as a three-year-old Saxon Warrior showed a devastating turn of foot to again beat Roaring Lion in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Also behind him that day was the subsequent English Derby winner Masar and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye.

Saxon Warrior also finished runner-up in both the G1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in his final career start.

Saxon Warrior is out of Galileo’s G1 winner Maybe, a daughter of the of the Listed winner Sumora (Danehill) who has also produced G3 winner and G1-placed mare Promise To Be True (Galileo).

Mendelssohn is the second new son of Scat Daddy to join the Coolmore roster in 2019 following the announcement that US Triple Crown winner Justify will shuttling from Kentucky this spring.

Mendelssohn raced 13 times for four wins including the G2 UAE Derby and was G1 placed in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket as a 2YO and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga at three.

He was the top priced colt at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $US3 million, being a half-brother to 11-time G1 winner Beholder (Henny Hughes) and G1 winner and successful sire Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday).

Saxon Warrior will stand for a fee of $24,750 inc GST while Mendelssohn will stand for $17,600 inc GST.