Pierata leads Aquis roster as stud confirms 17-stallion line-up for 2022 season
Aquis Farm is in the most exciting phase since its founding, according to sales director Jonathan Davies, with the Queensland-based stud preparing for its seventh year through the release of a 17-stallion roster yesterday.
Davies, who has been with Aquis for five years, made the comments after fees were announced for the Hong Kong-owned farm’s complete 2022 stallion roster at the Canungra property in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Leading the roster is Pierata (Pierro), who stays at an unchanged fee of $44,000 (all fees inc GST) for his third season at stud, while fellow Group 1-winning sprinter Brave Smash (Tosen Phantom) has earned a return to his first season fee of $22,000 on the back of strong first crop yearling sale results, his progeny selling to a top price of $260,000.
Barnmate Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar), whose first crop are also rising two-year-olds, has had his fee returned to his opening price of $17,800 after finding favour with yearling buyers.
“The Brave Smashes sold very well and we’re lucky to have some great shareholders in him,” Davies said.
“They’ve supported him very well and a lot of the horses that were bred to him, they didn’t see a sale ring, but they’ve already been broken in and placed with leading trainers.
“We’ve put him back to his first season fee and we’ve done that with Lean Mean Machine as well, based on the way they’ve sold and the types they’re leaving on the ground. It is justified as they provide a great return on service fee.
“It was a long discussion but an easy decision in the end.”
Lean Mean Machine’s yearlings sold to $380,000 at the Inglis Classic sale and another sold for $300,000 at the Melbourne Premier sale with his season average sitting at $73,430.
On Pierata, the 2019 All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner trained by Greg Hickman, Davies said the best endorsement of the stallion was the repeat breeder support he was generating.
“We’re fortunate that he was supported by breeders from all over Australia and also from New Zealand and that support is going to continue into this season,” he said.
“There are a number of breeders that have supported him in years one and two who are already booking multiple mares back to him this season.
“It’s exciting when you’ve got high-quality breeders telling us that they’ve got Pieratas in their foal crop and that they rate them amongst their best foals. The quality he is leaving on the ground and the way he’s stamping them, it is something that has us very excited.”
Aquis’ The Mission (Choisir), the joint-leading first season Australian sire by winners on nine and second by earnings behind Russian Revolution (Snitzel), has also earned a fee increase, jumping to $11,000 for the upcoming season, up from $8,800 in 2021.
The signs were promising early in the season with the emergence of Perfect Mission and Mishani Warfare who ran fourth and fifth respectively in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) and a steady stream of winners has flowed since.
“The one who won on debut last week at Ipswich for Tony and Maddy Sears, Yellow Brick, I knew they had a good one because Tony was on the phone to me about The Mission in January this year,” Davies said.
“It was good to see him step out and win on debut and there’s lots of nice horses coming through by The Mission.”
Another stallion on the roster with first crop two-year-olds is Kobayashi (I Am Invincible) – the sire of last Saturday’s Ken Russell Memorial Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) runner-up Midnight In Tokyo, a juvenile winner for trainer Kacy Fogden. As a result of his encouraging start at stud, his fee has been increased from $3,300 to $8,800.
“There’s some really good chatter about a few other Kobayashis. His former trainer [Troy Corstens] has a couple of nice ones coming through and we’re excited about the future with the stallion and he deserves a fee increase,” Davies said.
“Midnight In Tokyo is a very nice filly and Kacy’s had a big opinion of her for a long time. To run second in a Group 3 like she did, she’s going to be hard to beat wherever she steps out next, be it the Lancaster Stakes or the (BRC) Sires Produce.”
Another stallion Davies has faith in is Spieth (Thorn Park), the sire of three individual juvenile winners this season, including the Tasmanian Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) winner and stakes-placed filly Jaguar Stone and the promising Fogden-trained Wild Botanica and Victory Moments. His fee remains at $8,800.
“You’ll find the Spieths, being a son of Thorn Park, they will come back even better as three-year-olds,” he said.
“To have a (Tasmanian) Magic Millions winner in his first crop and some other promising stock coming through who have trialled and been put back out by their trainers, giving them a little bit of time, he’ll be a horse to very much keep an eye on over the next 12 months.”
Aquis Farm has also launched two first-season stallions in Group 1-winning sprinter Jonker (Spirit Of Boom) and Group 2 winner Glenfiddich (Fastnet Rock). They will stand for fees of $16,500 and $8,800 respectively.
Davies said he cannot wait for the breeding season to begin.
“It is probably the most exciting time, certainly for me, in my five years I have been here,” he said.
“With Aquis, sometimes it feels like we’ve been around for a long time, and this will be our seventh year of standing stallions. From where we started and where we are now, we’re definitely heading in the right direction.
“We’re very happy with our two new additions this year. Both Jonker and Glenfiddich are horses that we really believe in and I think have what it takes to make an impact at stud.”
Aquis president Justin Fung said: “I’m extremely proud and excited with the line-up Aquis is presenting to broodmare owners in 2022.
“Every year the quality and depth of our roster has strengthened substantially and with the introduction of Jonker and Glenfiddich joining Pierata and company, there’s some exciting times ahead.”
Jonker and Glenfiddich will be available for inspection adjacent to the Magic Millions sales complex on the Gold Coast from Friday, May 20 to May 27.