Have European breeders missed out on these two non-shuttlers?
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Wouldn’t you know it, two outstanding Australian-bred colts who were supposed to cover mares in Britain and Ireland but never did have got off to promising starts with their early progeny down under.
It was announced in 2017 that Tivaci, a Group 1-winning son of High Chaparral, would shuttle to the National Stud in Newmarket for the following northern-hemisphere breeding season but connections eventually decided against sending the horse to Europe.
Tivaci, who stood the last breeding season at Waikato Stud in New Zealand at a fee of NZ$12,500, is quietly making quite a name for himself with his two introductory crops.
His first generation of 99 foals, now three-year-olds, include Never Been Kissed, winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes and runner-up in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, and the useful gelding Celevacci.
Never Been Kissed and Celevacci were bred by Waikato Stud out of mares by the operation’s multiple champion sire Savabeel, and it appears the market has taken notice, as Tivaci’s two representatives at this month’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney – both also out of Savabeel mares – sold for $280,000 and $250,000.
Tivaci was a late bloomer himself, and many of his offspring appear to have improved considerably for turning three – which casts doubt on whether he would have ever been popular with British and Irish breeders – but he has a top-class two-year-old filly from his second crop in the shape of Wolverine, a dual Group 2 winner in New Zealand.
There are three more lots from Tivaci’s third crop on offer at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne at the end of the month and around 27 catalogued to sell at Karaka next month.
More strong results might see him earn a pay rise at Waikato Stud this year.
Merchant Navy, a son of Fastnet Rock who won the Coolmore Stud Stakes in Australia and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot after joining Aidan O’Brien, was going to start his stallion career at Coolmore in Ireland in 2019 but failed to report for duty.
Instead, he has stood solely at Coolmore in Australia, most recently at a fee of $33,000, and his first two-year-olds are hitting the track in the current 2021/22 southern-hemisphere season.
He has been represented by two impressive scorers so far, Galaxy Affair and In The Navy, as well as Randwick barrier trial ‘winner’ and Group 3 runner-up Drisana.
Merchant Navy’s well-bred second crop of yearlings have been popular at the sales, most conspicuously so when Ciaron Maher and Best Bloodstock paid $700,000 at last month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for a filly by the sire who is a half-sister to Coolmore Stud Stakes winner September Run.
It’s still very early days for Tivaci and Merchant Navy, and far too soon for European breeders to feel they’ve missed out on having access to the pair, but it will certainly be interesting to follow their progress.