Cover image courtesy of Godolphin
It is one of the great anomalies of thoroughbred breeding that the quality of a stallion’s progeny can vary season by season; that a well-performed, well-related horse can have an ordinary crop followed by an outstanding one or vice versa.
Not that Astern’s debut crop results were ordinary but there is no doubt that his smaller second group of runners were superior.
“Not that Astern’s debut crop results were ordinary but there is no doubt that his smaller second group of runners were superior.”
Retiring to stud in 2017 (his oldest crop currently five), Astern had 87 of his first horses making the track with 54 (62 per cent) of those being winners - the best of those being the triple Group winner Seradess and the Listed winner Danger Strykes.
Superior in strike rate and quality
His second Australian crop were definitely superior both in regards to strike rate and quality - 55 winners from 74 (74.3 per cent); five of whom are stakes winners including the Group 1 winners Golden Mile (who stands at Darley’s Victorian base this spring) and Affaire A Suivre.
Also classy from his second crop is the three-time Group winner Aft Cabin, the dual Group 3 winner Parisal and the Listed winner Va Via.
There are less foals in Astern’s third crop - 44; 13 winners from 34 runners amongst those 3-year-olds; no stakes winners as yet. He has 48 2-year-olds; just three runners so far - but he has bigger numbers coming through; serving 129 mares in 2021 and 121 the year after - 85 last year.
Golden Mile | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Standing last season at $22,000 and this year at $16,500, Astern is a horse who - thanks to those increased numbers in 2021 and 2022 - has the best ahead of him with Alastair Pulford confident that Godolphin have zeroed on the right type of mares to send to him.
“He can sire a good horse out of a mare with stamina but we have found that mares with speed and substance suit him best.”
Such as the dams of Golden Mile and Aft Cabin - both fast daughters of Lonhro.
“He can sire a good horse out of a mare with stamina but we have found that mares with speed and substance suit him best.” - Alastair Pulford
“When he retired to stud people thought he had thrown more to (his dam sire) Exceed And Excel but as he let down there is a lot more of Medaglia d’Oro about him,” Pulford said, recalling that Astern caught the eye early.
Always a bit of a star
“He was a beautiful horse from when he was born and John O’Shea absolutely loved him from day one - he was always a bit of a star.”
With his excellent race record that we discuss below, Astern was well supported in his debut year at a fee of $38,500 but Pulford is at a loss to explain why his first progeny did not quite live up to expectations.
“I don’t know the answer as to why some stallions do this, I wish I did - we all do!”
Alastair Pulford | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Pulford points to the star stallion Street Cry (Ire) as an example of the vagaries of crops - “his first Australian crop did nothing!” he said, pointing out that in the same year - 2004 - his American progeny included “a host of champions” including Zenyatta (USA), Street Sense (USA) and Street Boss (USA).
Street Cry’s second Australian crop were a different story - born that year the likes of Shocking and Whobegotyou.
“I am not saying that Astern is going to turn into a Street Cry,” Pulford said, “but it does go to show how a stallion’s career can change.”
Street Cry (Ire) | Image courtesy of Darley
“If Astern’s first crop had done what his second crop did he’d be in a very different place in the market - he would not be flying under the radar!”
“Market forces and injury” were the reason has a couple of smaller crops coming through but Pulford can see more happening for Astern who he thinks at his current fee is a good opportunity.
“He is a terrific horse for owner/breeders and if you send the right mare he can also provide you with a commercial type.”
“If Astern’s first crop had done what his second crop did he’d be in a very different place in the market - he would not be flying under the radar!” - Alastair Pulford
Overall, at the time of writing, Astern has been represented by 199 winners from 335 runners with 13 stakes winners. He has progeny earnings in excess of $26 million with average starter earnings of $49,374.
He has shuttled to Jonabell Farm, Kentucky where he has done a good job with six of his 65 US runners from 116 runners being stakes winners including the G2 Miss Grillo S. winner Sail By (USA).
10 of his stakes winners including Golden Mile are out of mares with Mr Prospector (USA) presence which is interesting considering that Astern’s pedigree is heavily influenced by that great stallion’s ancestress Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}) courtesy of strains of Djeddah (Fr), Bailjumper (USA), Jet Pilot (USA), Lomond (USA) and Roan Rocket (Ire).
Hitting the track running
Having won a Rosehill trial, the Godolphin homebred was right in the market when making his debut at Randwick in December 2015 and despite racing greenly Astern was able to prove 2.5l too good for his rivals.
He again did a few things wrong at his second start in the G2 Silver Slipper S. the following February where he showed good heart - kicking strongly when challenged by Defcon who had run second in the G3 Canonbury S. at his previous start and who would win the G3 Black Opal S. at his subsequent outing.
“He is getting through his gears and he is a quality colt,” trainer John O’Shea said to the media on the day - “he is learning his trade as he goes along.”
Jockey Hugh Bowman was also impressed, noting that “I knew I had a bit in the tank but what I loved was his response when he was challenged - and I can only see him improving on today.”
On the strength of that promising form Astern was amongst the better fancies in the G1 Golden Slipper S. but his chances were compromised when he drew the outside gate of 16 and having to work early out wide took its toll and he was out of the placings in the race won by Capitalist.
Losing no fans with that effort and despite again drawing the widest gate, Astern was sent out favourite in the G3 Kindergarten S. in which again he had to do a bit of work - but he finished off strongly to share first prize with El Divino (Snitzel).
Hugh Bowman | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He had no luck in the Golden Slipper and no luck at all today,” John O’Shea reported, “but he still got the job done. There was plenty of merit in that run, he’s come a long way in his first preparation.”
All the better at three
Given a bit of time, Astern reappeared at three - finding early trouble first-up in the G2 Run To The Rose but proving too strong for the favourite Star Turn.
A determined win that had jockey James McDonald enraptured - “you only have to watch it to see how good he is. He’s the king of the castle, he’s the real deal.”
“You only have to watch it to see how good he (Astern) is. He’s the king of the castle, he’s the real deal.” - James McDonald
That win saw him start favourite in the G1 Golden Rose and yet another tricky wide gate did not deter him, the bay getting clear from the 200 metres and adding his name to an honour roll that includes the successful stallions Flying Spur and Zoustar.
McDonald was again happy, describing Astern as “an absolute ripper.”
Charging home late for a G2 Roman Consul S. second splitting Russian Revolution and Capitalist at his next start, Astern again took on the best of that spring’s 3-year-olds and was a game G1 Coolmore Stud S. second - beaten by Flying Artie with Star Turn, Russian Revolution and Extreme Choice behind him.
Striking heavy going when for only the second time finishing outside the quinella - unplaced behind Chautauqua (Encosta De Lago) when taking on the older horses in the G1 TJ Smith S. - Astern was retired to stud.
And with a nice record - nine starts, five wins, two seconds and over $1.1 million in stakes.
A member of his sire’s third Australian crop, Astern is one of the highly successful shuttler Medaglia d’Oro’s 178 stakes winners and 26 Group 1 winners. 28 of his stakes winners enjoyed that success in Australia with another four of his elite-level winners bred here.
Medaglia d’Oro | Image courtesy of Darley
Including his best son, the Hong Kong star Golden Sixty - the world’s highest every prizemoney earning horse.
One of Australia's finest families
Astern is one of the eight winners (from 10 to race) for Essaouira (Exceed And Excel) who raced only twice but who created a big impression winning a Moonee Valley 1000-metre 2-year-old contest at debut... hard-held by 6l.
“She is a great, big, strong mare,” Pulford said of Essaouira - “a little on the plain side but her dam Alizes was all the more so, if not a bit ugly!”
A beaten odds-on favourite when tackling stakes company at only her second - and final start - Essaouira was found to have an infection in the trachea and her racing career was brought to a sudden end.
“Astern is one of the eight winners (from 10 to race) for Essaouira who raced only twice but who created a big impression.”
What we did not get to see on the track from Essaouira we have seen at stud with Astern the first of her two Group 1 winners; her next born being the high-class sprinter/miler Alizee (Sepoy) who won 10 races including the G1 Queen Of The Turf S., the G1 Futurity S. and the G1 Flight S.
Two years after foaling Alizee, Essaouira produced Tassort who like his mum only raced twice - at his debut winning at Rosehill by 5.25l despite finding trouble in running at at his second start strong to the line off a slow start when second in the G2 Silver Slipper S.
From his first crop of 99 foals, the Newgate Farm-based Tassort has made a most encouraging start to his stud career with 10 winners including the G1 ATC Sires Produce S. winner Manaal. Second to Too Darn Hot (GB) in the first-season sire premiership, he is the fifth leading sire of 2-year-olds.
Tassort | Standing at Newgate
Two of Essaouira’s daughters have produced stakes winners - the city placed three-time provincial winner Marrakesh (Lonhro) dam of the Listed winning stayer Mamounia (Medaglia d’Oro) whilst Leopard (Animal Kingdom {USA}) produced the G3 T.L. Baillieu H. winner Amur (Snitzel).
Served last spring by Too Darn Hot, Essaouira foaled a Pinatubo (Ire) filly last spring. Her yearling Chergui is by Frosted.
Essaouira is one of the six winners for the G2 Magic Night S. and Listed Waltzing Lily Quality winner Alizes (NZ) (Rory’s Jester) who was a three-time winner and two-time runner-up from seven starts.
Astern | Standing at Darley
Whilst she did not produce any stakes winners, two of her daughters have - Time Check (USA) (Shamardal {USA}) dam of the recent Listed Hinkler H. winner Willinga Beast (Snitzel) whilst Sayf Shamal (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) is the dam of last year’s G3 Chairman’s S. winner Zulfiqar (Exceed And Excel).
Alizes is one of the five winners for the fast and classy La Baraka (Euclase) who won six (all at stakes level) of her 10 starts including the G1 Galaxy. And her dam was a beauty as well - Triscay (Marscay) winning 15 races including five in Group 1 company.
And so there are some very nice genetics backing up Astern and this is a family that has been producing high quality performers for generations - including one of France’s favourite fillies, the champion Pearl Cap (Fr) (Le Capucin {Fr}).
