Hedge and Iskander's investment pays off with Tycoon Star

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

In 2021, renowned bloodstock agent Suman Hedge was viewing stock at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale when he spotted something interesting among the Glenesk Thoroughbreds draft; an 8-year-old maiden mare named Miss Iano by Equiano (Fr) out of a Not A Single Doubt mare, herself a half-sister to Listed Belle Of The Turf H. winner Hidden Wonder (Danzero). A veteran of 46 starts, she had recorded eight wins and placed third in the G3 Furphy Sprint behind Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Pippie (Written Tycoon).

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Despite her somewhat unfashionable sire, something about her appealed strongly to Hedge. He noted that her second dam was by Last Tycoon (Ire), and nearly a quarter of her starts were at black type level, barely outside the placings in many, displaying a strength and tenacity that she could throw to her offspring. Something with talent. Ringside, he paid $140,000 for Miss Iano on behalf of Sheriff Iskander to send to Written Tycoon.

“She was just coming off the track,” Hedge recalled. “Scott Holcombe (of Milburn Creek) and myself did inspections at that sale for Sheriff, and she really stood out physically as a really nice type. Scott in particular really liked her physicality, and so we decided to have a crack. Her sire was a very good racehorse but hasn't really shone as a stallion. She had a lot of talent as well, and a very good physique.”

Suman has long had a strong relationship with Iskander, having worked for him for eight years from 2004 to 2012. During that time, Hedge had been part of the acquisition and stallion deal brokering for Written Tycoon, and the yearling purchase of future superstar Zoustar. When he set up Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) in 2018, Iskander was one of his first, and biggest, supporters.

“He was really important to me, as I didn’t have many clients and he was really active at the sales,” Hedge said. “We bought a lot of race fillies and mares, primarily to send to Zoustar and Written Tycoon.”

Getting the ball rolling

Hedge strongly believes that Iskander’s commitment to the latter has been a key part of the stallion’s success. Debuting at Eliza Park Stud at a fee of $8250 (inc GST), Written Tycoon was well-supported by Iskander, who had purchased him in his 3-year-old season as a stallion prospect after winning the G2 Todman S.

His numbers of mares were particularly crucial in the first five or six years of the stallion's career, and there is little doubt that support would have contributed to his Champion First Season Sire title in 2010/11. After a steady climb in book quality and stakes winners, his first Group 1 winner arrived with Capitalist in 2016, and then the ball was well and truly rolling.

“It’s only really the last five or so years that he has had access to better mares. His progress as a stallion has been quite unusual, not just to start at a low level but to stay there a long time, and then make that jump up.

“You wonder if this horse had had access to mares that other stallions had access to (early on), and what he might have achieved. He’s achieved a lot, but I think he would have been quite untapped if he had started at (a higher) level. We’re extremely proud of what he’s been able to do.

“Sheriff has been a huge part of that stallion, so it’s nice to have some success with his stock, and for Sheriff to be part of it,” Hedge added, bringing us back to Miss Iano, and her maiden foal, a colt by Written Tycoon now named Tycoon Star.

A bit of scope

Born in September of the following year, Tycoon Star was, in his breeders’ eyes, a standout first foal.

“He was an interesting horse,” Hedge remembered. “He was a beautiful foal, and Scott at Milburn Creek loved him. As he was growing, Scott felt he was quite forward but lacked a bit of scope, a typical first foal. We thought he'd do really well (to sell) as a weanling.”

Milburn Creek presented the colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale in 2023, where he caught the eye of Yulong Investments and was knocked down to them for $350,000. Written Tycoon had been relocated to Yulong Stud in 2021, and that past spring had brought the first foals born from his new Victorian base.

“We were extremely happy with that (price),” Hedge said. “And then I heard on the grape vine, that he was going only okay after that. When they presented him as a yearling, he was nice enough, but he hadn't really gone on as we had hoped.

“That was indicative of the price he made. He was a nice horse, he just lacked a bit of leg.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of Magic Millions

Returning to the Gold Coast the following January, Tycoon Star was sold to Lindsay Park Racing for $400,000. Yulong remained in the ownership, with their bottle green and white silks adorning his jockey on race day.

Hayes trifecta headed by talented colt

Lindsay Park trainer Ben Hayes holds high hopes for Tycoon Star, envisioning him as a strong contender in the upcoming Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast next January.

Hayes remarked, “He’s qualified. He’s very professional and a very good learner. He’s got a great action and holds his head well.”

Hayes had admired the colt since his purchase, saying, “It (the win on Tuesday) was really good. He’s always very professional, and he’s a professional racehorse.”

His assistant trainer, Rahis Baig, also praised Tycoon Star’s performance, noting that he handled the Flemington straight with ease: “He was ready for this race. He showed ability, had a good prep, and his trials were super, his work was amazing.”

“He’s very calm. Every now and then he just gets a little bit cheeky. Being a colt, every now and then they have their moments," he said.

“But there’s nothing to be worried about that might hinder his racing. He’s professional regardless of what he does.”

Parting with stock

Last year, Miss Iano foaled a colt of similar quality by Coolmore resident Home Affairs, which was purchased as a weanling at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Weanling Sale by James Bester Bloodstock for $280,000.

Revisiting Written Tycoon on the strength of that first foal, Miss Iano was then offered again at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare sale this year, where Yulong swooped in to purchase her for $310,000 through their Panthalassa Syndicate.

“We reluctantly sold her as we were reducing numbers, and she was one we thought would be popular, as her offerings had sold quite well,” Hedge said. “I think she is really set up well to be a good broodmare, to get a stakes winner with her first foal is the dream start.”

Miss Iano produced a full brother to Tycoon Star this spring, just as her maiden foal was having his first jump-outs. Come the first Tuesday in November, that foal would be a stakes winner, defeating nine rivals to win the G3 Maribyrnong Plate. As an aside, Written Tycoon was the best represented stallion in the race, with three runners total.

Hedge reflected on the effort that goes into establishing a young broodmare.

“It takes a bit of time for all of it to come together, as many of the mares are maidens. Sometimes it takes a year or two for them to click in, and sometimes it’s about working out the best matings for them. The beauty of buying a maiden mare is you can determine which stallions they go to.”

“Looking at the yearlings we have got to sell next year and the foals that we have had this year, he (Iskander) has a lot to look forward to. And it’s nice because he’s invested a lot into the industry, and you want to see people like that achieve.

“Like Yulong - they have invested so much into the industry, and you want to see people like that get some luck as well.”

Milburn Creek connection

Scott Holcombe, farm manager of John Muir’s Milburn Creek Stud, has become an integral part of Hedge’s network. Several years ago, Hedge privately purchased a weanling Written Tycoon colt in partnership with Luke Wilkinson and was looking for somewhere to grow the colt out for sale.

“I was recommended Scott by a couple of different people,” he recalled, “but I thought it would be difficult to get on that farm, as at the time they were a private stud. We had always admired what they had sold at the sales, so I called Scott and asked for advice for someone to send this colt to.

“We had a nice conversation, and he said, ‘Actually, we would be happy to take a horse like that’. We had a very good financial result from that sale. I found dealing with him and John Muir really good, so we built a bit of a rapport there, and did another (weanling) the next year, and then the year after that.

“So when Sheriff was looking for a base for all of his mares, I brought him in. We probably have 15 to 20 odd horses there now, through Sheriff, myself and different clients.”

Other stock is spread between Riverstone Lodge, Blue Gum Farm, and Pepper Tree Farm, who presented the Home Affairs weanling out of Miss Iano on the Gold Coast this year.

An impressive debut

While not in the ownership of Tycoon Star, Hedge is still excited to see what lies ahead for the young colt.

“Lindsay Park are really now emerging as the premier trainers of juveniles in this country, the success they have had the last couple of years has been enormous,” he said, “They do a superb job in general, but they’re really showing a lot of success in particular with the babies.

“You’d imagine, with a horse like that, you would be looking at some of those feature 2-year-old races, depending on whether he can get a strong six furlongs. But there’s a whole heap of nice races there.

“What he did today (Tuesday) was impressive, because there were a decent number of horses there, and to come through as a baby and accelerate away, that was a very good effort.”