In Tuesday’s edition of The Thoroughbred Report, TTR AusNZ recaps the top ten highlights and things to watch from the 2023/24 season. Widden Stud's Zoustar sets new records, Too Darn Hot earns the title of Champion First Season Sire, and Fastnet Rock crowns his legacy as Champion Broodmare Sire. Discover the key moments and standout performances that defined the year.
Zoustar and Fastnet combine for Magic
Widden Stud’s Zoustar finished second in the Australian General Sires’ Premiership, won by I Am Invincible. However, the son of Northern Meteor sired more winners—208 individual winners, to be precise. This tally equalled I Am Invincible’s record from 2021, but Zoustar broke ‘Vinnie’s’ total race wins with 363 victories, surpassing the Yarraman stallion's 338 wins for that season.
Zoustar also produced 17 stakes winners, with an emerging appreciation for daughters of Fastnet Rock. This nick is currently producing an 11 per cent stakes winner to runner ratio from 64 named foals and 52 runners.
Zoustar | Standing at Widden
Overall, Zoustar has sired 42 individual winners from daughters of Fastnet Rock, resulting in 110 wins and three elite level runners, earning a total of $9,835,186 in prize money. Notably, three of Zoustar’s four Group 1 winners last season were from ‘Fastnet’ mares: Zougotcha, Joliestar, and Climbing Star, alongside the Group 2 winner Mumbai Muse.
Zoustar has shown versatility, working with a variety of damsires, but could the nick with Fastnet Rock eventually become his most successful?
He's Too Darn Hot
It’s no mean feat knocking off the home team in any competition. However, that’s exactly what Darley’s Too Darn Hot (GB) achieved when he was crowned Australia’s Champion First Season Sire, becoming the first English-bred stallion to lay claim to the crown.
Arguably, it is harder for shuttle stallions in their first seasons, as breeders tend to be unfamiliar with them and prefer to use tried and tested methods, favouring stallions that raced in the country and demonstrated their suitability to Australian racetracks.
Too Darn Hot | Standing at Darley
But every now and then, a stallion comes along that breaks the rules. Too Darn Hot’s assault on Australia was led by the Darley-bred and Godolphin-raced Broadsiding, who won two Group 1 events. There were 12 individual winners and six stakes performers, including Arabian Summer, Too Darn Lizzie, Superalloy, Silmarillion, and Trembles.
The next two stallions in line on the Australian First Season Sires’ Premiership carried the Australian suffix: Pierata and Tassort. Lovatsville’s Royal Meeting (Ire) was fourth, followed by Alabama Express and the fellow Irish-bred Blue Point (Ire).
Since 2012, the closest an English-bred stallion had come to winning the Australian Champion First Season Sires’ Premiership was eighth (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) and ninth (Poet’s Voice {GB}).
Intriguingly, both were sons of Dubawi, like Too Darn Hot.
Unfortunately for breeders, Too Darn Hot will not be returning to Australia for the upcoming season. However, he will still receive mares to serve on Southern Hemisphere time from keen breeders.
Fastnet Rock crowned King
Have we witnessed the dawn of a new dominant Champion Broodmare Sire? Retired this year from stud duties, Coolmore’s Fastnet Rock had plenty to cheer about as he secured his first Australian Champion Broodmare Sire title.
Fastnet Rock had been a consistent presence on the Champion Broodmare Sire Premiership since 2018, securing fourth place last year. The category had predominantly been dominated by Encosta De Lago and Redoute’s Choice since 2016, and Zabeel and Danehill (USA) prior to that.
Fastnet Rock | Standing at Coolmore
Fastnet Rock managed to surpass Encosta De Lago this season with a total $37,019,012 in prizemoney, which was $5,363,101 more than the former Coolmore barnmate.
It might be a bit premature to speculate, but there seems to be no reason why Fastnet Rock couldn’t be in this position again at the end of July next year. Last season alone, his daughters were responsible for 46 stakes performers, resulting in 23 individual stakes victories across 36 stakes races.
He was the damsire of five Group 1 winners: Zougotcha (Zoustar), Veight (Grunt {NZ}), Joliestar (Zoustar), Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), and Climbing Star (Zoustar). All five have remained in training and have spring assignments, with Lady Of Camelot trialling on Monday and Joliestar and Zougotcha expected to race around Rosehill on Tuesday.
“Fastnet Rock managed to surpass Encosta De Lago this season with a total $37,019,012 in prizemoney, which was $5,363,101 more than the former Coolmore barnmate.”
Additionally, Fastnet Rock’s daughters produced four Group 2 winners: Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), Amazonian Lass (More Than Ready {USA}), About Time (American Pharoah {USA}), and Cause For Concern (Worthy Cause).
The exciting colt Storm Boy returned in a trial on Monday, and also from last season’s juveniles, Bodyguard (I Am Invincible) was another who showed ability, winning the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and the Listed Maribyrnong Trial. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to see him make an impact this spring.
Not the usual suspect
At first glance, Coolmore Stud’s So You Think (NZ) doesn’t seem to fit the mould of a stallion who produces top-class sprinters or winners of The Everest. The shortest distance So You Think won over was 1400 metres, and his career boasted 10 Group 1 victories, including two G1 Cox Plates, as well as a gallant placing in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
However, the son of High Chaparral (Ire) demonstrated his sire versatility when his son Think About It stormed to victory in the seventh edition of The Everest. This achievement made So You Think the first stallion to sire the winner of the blockbuster event, who won over a mile.
So You Think (NZ) | Standing at Coolmore
The inaugural winner of The Everest, Redzel, was sired by Snitzel, whose maximum winning distance was 1200 metres. So You Think’s barnmate Yes Yes Yes won in 2019, a son of Rubick, whose maximum winning distance was 1100 metres.
Classique Legend triumphed in 2020; he is a son of Not A Single Doubt, who, like Snitzel, won over 1200 metres. Nicconi, the sire of Nature Strip, was successful over 1400 metres, while Scissor Kick, whose son Giga Kick won in 2022, had a maximum winning distance of 1300 metres.
Tycoon second Victorian-based stallion with two Slipper winners
Siring a G1 Golden Slipper winner once is tough enough, but to sire two of them places you in truly elite company. Yulong’s Written Tycoon first tasted Slipper success in 2016 with his son Capitalist, and eight years later, his daughter Lady Of Camelot added another to his tally.
Written Tycoon joins 12 other stallions who have sired multiple winners of the Golden Slipper: Snitzel, More Than Ready (USA), Redoute’s Choice, Marauding, Bletchingly, Crown Jester, Vain, Biscay, Kaoru Star, Rego (Ire), Todman, and Showdown (GB). Wilkes (Fr) sired three winners, while Star Kingdom (Ire) and Danehill (USA) each sired four.
Written Tycoon | Standing at Yulong
However, Written Tycoon is only the second Victoria-based stallion to achieve this feat, with Showdown being the first. Showdown sired Tontonan in 1973 and followed with Toy Show in 1975.
Could Written Tycoon make it three Slipper winners and join Wilkes? The son of Iglesia has 111 newly turned 2-year-olds, according to the Australian Stud Book, and covered 96 mares last season.
Baker's dozen again for Waller
For the second consecutive season, Champion Trainer Chris Waller trained 12 Group 1 winners. Although he fell short of the 18 elite-level winners he posted in the 2018/19 season, when stable stars included the all-conquering Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), and The Autumn Sun, it was a momentous effort to emulate the 2022/23 season.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Waller’s Group 1 victories came courtesy of Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 Champion S., Fangirl (Sebring) winning the G1 Winx S. and the G1 King Charles III S., Joliestar (Zoustar) in the G1 Thousand Guineas, and the now retired Militarize (NZ) claiming the G1 Golden Rose. He also secured the G1 Epsom H. with Rediener (Redoute’s Choice) and saw Riff Rocket (American Pharoah {USA}) win the G1 Rosehill Guineas, the G1 VRC Derby, and the G1 Australian Derby.
Yulong’s imported mare Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) won the G1 Ranvet S., while Zougotcha claimed both the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G1 Queen of the Turf.
Diva holds strong as new players emerge
Legendary mare Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) remains the only horse to have raced before 2010 to stay in the top eight of the Australian prizemoney earners.
The triple Melbourne Cup winner retired with earnings of $14,527,110, despite racing in a time of relatively conservative prizemoney compared to today’s standards. When Makybe Diva claimed her final Melbourne Cup in 2005, the race was worth a still considerable $5.1 million, according to Racing Australia. Today, the Melbourne Cup carries $8 million in prizemoney.
Makybe Diva (GB)
Several active runners have emerged this season as top earners, including Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Think About It, and Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
Mr Brightside, who is gearing up for another campaign, sits in sixth place with $13,477,752. He is followed by the retired Anamoe, with $12,128,025, and active I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel). Bella Nipotina holds the 10th position with $10,976,625.
McDonald sets personal record
Champion jockey James McDonald set a personal career record, riding 14 Group 1 winners in the 2023/24 Australian season. McDonald added trophies from the G1 Coolmore Classic and G1 Queen of the Turf S. courtesy of Zougotcha.
Godolphin’s Zardozi (Kingman {GB}) won the G1 VRC Oaks, while the international superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) scored the G1 Cox Plate. He later partnered the Chris Waller-trained Riff Rocket to success in the G1 Victoria Derby and the G1 Australian Derby, as well as Joliestar in the G1 Thousand Guineas, Fangirl in the G1 King Charles III S. and the Winx S., and Atishu in the G1 Champions S.
James McDonald
In addition to winning the Oaks on Godolphin’s Zardozi, McDonald partnered the James Cummings-trained Broadsiding to success in the G1 JJ Atkins and G1 Champagne S. He also teamed up with the Kiwi raider Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 Vinery Stud S.
To date, McDonald has ridden 77 Group 1 winners, placing him 11th on the leaderboard for jockeys with the most Group 1 winners. It's not hard to see McDonald adding significantly to this haul in the new season, especially if he stays in Australia.
It is also worth noting that the only active jockey above McDonald is Hugh Bowman, who is now based in Hong Kong.
Pride Of Dubai’s golden girls
Pride Of Dubai's Bella Nipotina and Pride Of Jenni have made a significant impact on Australia's leading fillies and mares prizemoney earners. The Tony and Lyn Ottobre-owned Pride Of Jenni has amassed $8,664,240, placing her sixth. During the 2023/24 season, she won the G1 Cantala S., the G1 Empire Rose S., the All-Star Mile, and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in a memorable campaign.
Bella Nipotina | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
With races such as the G1 King Charles III S. and the G1 Cox Plate mentioned as potential targets for ‘Jenni’, the mare will have ample opportunity to add to her prizemoney haul.
Another mare who could make a significant move by the end of spring is Bella Nipotina. She sits fifth with $10,976,625, only $374,982 behind the fourth-placed Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}). However, she trails Makybe Diva by a more sizable $3,550,485.
Pride Of Jenni | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare has been mentioned as a possible contender for The Everest. With the event carrying $20 million in prizemoney and $7,549,000 to the winner, a victory would see her surpass Sunline, Makybe Diva, and the second-placed Verry Elleegant to sit second behind Winx ($26,451,175).
Australasian domination
For some, it may not come as a big surprise that the vast majority of the 74 Australian Group 1 contests were won by Australasian-bred horses. In the 2023/24 season, six individual imports claimed seven Group 1 events, including Without A Fight (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who triumphed in both the G1 Melbourne Cup and the G1 Caulfield Cup.
Without A Fight (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Other notable winners were Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}), who secured the G1 Sydney Cup, and Kalapour (Ire) (War Command {USA}), the victor of the G1 Tancred S. Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) won the G1 Metropolitan H., while Godolphin’s Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) claimed the G1 Australian Cup. Bois D’Argent (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) rounded out the list with a win in the G1 Doomben Cup.
Additionally, four individual Group 1 winners emerged from imported mares. Manaal (Tassort), the G1 Sires’ Produce S. winner, is out of the Midshipman (USA) mare Red Lodge (USA). Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon), who won the G1 Australian Guineas, is from Ready To Rule (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}). The G1 Golden Rose winner Militarize is out of Amerindia (GB), a Dubawi (Ire) mare, and the G1 VRC Oaks victress Zardozi is also from a Dubawi daughter, Chanderi (GB).
