Having reached an agreement to ensure Cable Bay (Ire) travels back to Australia for a third season, Woodside Park Stud and the other major shareholders in the stallion are very much looking forward to what shapes as a huge 18 months for the son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), with his first Australian crop to hit the yearling sales in 2020 before reaching the track next season.
A dispute involving his Northern Hemisphere shareholders threatened to prevent Cable Bay from travelling to the Victorian farm in 2019, but an agreement reached between the two parties this week will ensure he is on the plane within a week and will arrive at Woodside Park from quarantine on August 31.
The outcome is obviously a tremendous relief for Woodside Park's General Manager Commercial James Price as well as two of Cable Bay's most significant shareholders in Gilgai Farm's Rick Jamieson and B2B Thoroughbreds' Ricky Surace.
Cable Bay (Ire) will travel back to Australia within the week
"For us and all of our shareholders, we are very enthused by the agreement we were able to reach with the UK partners to have him shuttle this year and stand for the third time," Price told TDN AusNZ.
"We've backed the horse in his first and second years and we and the shareholders invested in a high-quality calibre of mare to send to him."
"It was going to be rather disappointing if we were not going to have him this year. We managed to come to an agreement which will benefit all parties."
"It was going to be rather disappointing if we were not going to have him this year. We managed to come to an agreement which will benefit all parties." - James Price
Surace confirmed that shareholders would have around 55 mares go to Cable Bay this spring, while he himself would have 14.
"We had a lot of mares going to him, and a lot of people who having seen what he is doing in the UK were extremely keen to put mares to him this year," Surace said.
"We haven't put any cheap mares to him. We've gone out and spent some good money to buy some quality mares, a lot of group winners as well. Myself, Rick and Woodside Park have invested a lot in him and hopefully we can get a lot out."
Flying start in Europe
Enhancing the sense of anticipation is the start Cable Bay's progeny have made on the track in Europe, with the success of Modern British Art (Ire) at Bath on Wednesday his 14th winner from his first crop.
"It is unbelievable what he has done in Europe, with 14 winners and one stakes-winner and one stakes placed. It’s a pretty good start from his first crop of 2-year-olds and only achieved in the last four months as well," Surace said.
Price said there was a definite sensitivity around shuttling stallions between hemispheres particularly those who had made such a strong start to their careers as Cable Bay.
"There's no doubt if a horse is to shuttle every season it can be taxing on them," he said.
"When you look through the history books, there are not many who have been able to successfully shuttle across a whole career. A horse like More Than Ready (USA) is the one that springs to mind as one of the few ones that has been able to do it successfully in both hemispheres and who has done it with incredible results."
"We do need to look after the horse when he is with us and respect the UK partners and them trying to get the best for the stallion."
Selected mares await
One of the unique aspects of Cable Bay's time at Woodside Park has been Jamieson's hands-on involvement in the selection of mares for him.
Price said that 'select' process has ensured a higher-quality mare than would normally be the case of a shuttle stallion at his price point.
James Price (middle) believes Cable Bay's service fee does not reflect the quality of mares he has had and will have
"He stands for $12,000 plus GST, but by no means does that reflect the quality of mares that he has had and will have. He's getting the quality of mares of a $50,000 stallion," he said.
"When you talk to Rick and Ricky, they are breeding specific mares to this horse. They are going to the sales and specifically buying based on their pedigree and knowing how they will match to Cable Bay."
Price said there is already ample evidence in the success Cable Bay has had in Europe that Jamieson's methodology is well-founded.
"We are buoyed by the fact that his best filly in Europe, Liberty Beach (GB) is bred on very similar lines to how we have tried to breed them here in Australia," he said.
Liberty Beach became the stallion's first stakes-winner when she won both the Listed Dragon S. at Sandown and the G3 Molecomb S. at Glorious Goodwood.
Surace said himself, Jamieson and Woodside Park have closely tracked the progress of Cable Bay's northern hemisphere progeny with a view to continually updating their process of which mares are best served going to him.
Yearlings ready to hit sales
It is not surprising with such a select approach that Surace is looking forward to how Cable Bay's first Southern Hemisphere crop will be received in the 2020 yearling sales season.
"Myself and Rick and Woodside will bring a couple each (to the sales). So it'll be good to see them out there. They look like good strong early 2-year-old runners. I think that's what the market appreciates," he said.
Cable Bay (Ire) on the racetrack, his first Australian-bred runners are just over 12 months away
Surace said he will also retain some of Cable Bay's first crop to race, with just a little over 12 months until his first Australian-bred runners.
Understandably Woodside are also excited about the impact Cable Bay's Australian progeny can make on the track.
"We can’t wait to get his 2-year-olds on the track. We have made sure every mare that goes to him has been compatible, so we will breed an above average racehorse. What he has done on the track in Europe is very pleasing. We are hopeful the results in Australia can match that when his progeny hit the track," Price said.
Ready to roll
While the timing of the impasse over Cable Bay's passage to Australia was hardly ideal on the eve of the breeding season, Price said it had minimal impact on bookings.
"I was very open and honest with clients who had booked in with him. Cable Bay is a little bit different in that people have warmed to the idea that their mare is compatible and it’s been accepted to go to him. They have been willing to hold on and see if he's coming," he said.
Gallery: Some of Woodside's Stallions
With that worry now resolved, Price said the scene is set for a big breeding season at Woodside Park, which stands four other stallions as well, including the state's leading sire Written Tycoon.
"They are on the walker, getting fit for the busy season ahead. Written Tycoon is coming off his fourth successive Victorian Sires Championship. (New arrival) Foxwedge has three individual Group 1 winners from only five crops to date and he's only ten, so he's got incredible upside," he said.
"You've got Cable Bay with his 2-year-olds in Europe, you've got Rich Enuff with his first runners this season and you've got Tosen Stardom (Jpn) whose foals are just arriving."
