Bull Point receives fee increase as Kingstar fees announced
The Matthew Sandblom-owned operation will stand four stallions this year, including newcomer Unite And Conquer
Emerging Hunter Valley operation Kingstar Farm has increased the fee of foundation stallion Bull Point (Fastnet Rock) for the 2020 season on the back of the performances of his first two-year-olds, as well as his increasing popularity.
Bull Point will stand at $8,800 (inc GST) in 2020, up from $7,700 (inc GST) in 2019, when he served 109 mares. He has only had a handful of yearlings go through the sales ring in 2020, but he is averaging more than $55,000 at auction this year.
He is one of just eight Australian-based stallions to receive a fee increase year-on-year in a coronavirus-affected marketplace. He joins Deep Field (Northern Meteor), Exceed And Excel (Danehill), I’m All The Talk (Stratum), Pierro (Lonhro), Playing God (Blackfriars), Puissance De Lune (Shamardal) and Shamus Award (Snitzel).
“There are a lot of shrewd small breeders in the Hunter who’d seen the quality of his stock and came on board last year,” Kingstar Farm’s Adam Cook said yesterday. “It was just reward for Bull Point and Matthew (Sandblom) to get that support – and they look like they will be rewarded too. There are bigger things to come for Bull Point.”
He has had three winners and three placegetters from his first eight starters on both sides of the Tasman, including stakes-placed Encountabull, who finished second in the Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m), and the unbeaten Yourpoint, who had Group 2 winner Vernazza (More Than Ready) three lengths astern at his only start.
“We are very excited to see Yourpoint return, he is a very, very good horse,” Cook said. “He’s had one start for one win and unfortunately went slightly shin-sore after that and then things were shut down due to coronavirus.”
The Matthew Sandblom-owned Kingstar Farm already announced in ANZ Bloodstock News last week that one of last season’s most promising juveniles, Unite And Conquer (Hinchinbrook), will join Bull Point, Lord Of The Sky (Danerich) and Salade (Snitzel) on the four-stallion roster. He will stand at $6,600 (inc GST).
Cook reported yesterday that interest in the rising four-year-old, whose career was marked by precocity and speed and whose pedigree features classy speed influences Snippets (Lunchtime), Danehill (Danzig) and Vain (Wilkes), has been significant, with lifetime breeding rights available for interested breeders.
“We’ve been inundated with early interest. He has a unique pedigree and had such natural talent that he’s generated quite a deal of interest,” Cook said. “We’ve made him very accessible with live foal payment and breeding right opportunities.
“We’ve been buying at the broodmare sale and getting mares that will physically suit Unite And Conquer. He’s a dead-set two-year-old-looking stallion, 16 hands with really good length, a big hip, big shoulder, short cannons and pasterns. Since we agreed to buy the horse, we’ve purchased 17 mares and we have over 100 mares on the farm. Many of them complement him as well.”
Lord Of The Sky will stand at $4,400 (inc GST), down from $5,500 (inc GST), with his oldest crop being weanlings. Salade is also available to breeders; his price is available on application.
Sandblom and Kingstar Farm will also offer live foal payment to ensure that breeders across the spectrum are able to access their stallions.